February 2007
Event Reviews
Dir En Grey
For their first headlining American tour, Japan's Dir En Grey have brought along Fair To Midland and Bleed The Dream to further challenge young audiences with new hybrids of Metal. Jen Cray caught show #2 at Orlando's House of Blues.
Hans the Double
Despite a few acts that had her cringing, Brittany Sturges' night was salvaged by hometown headliners, Hans the Double
IKE
The Philly band IKE offered up a night of brotherly love and some great music. Brittany Sturges was there for every minute of it.
Incubus
Intentionally stepping down from arenas to clubs, Incubus swept into Orlando to play before a crowd that had sold out in just 5 minutes time. Along for the ride, for his solo debut, was Strokes' guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. It was not a show Jen Cray would miss.
John Mayer
Throwaway love songs with cheesy choruses and soft vocals are what the radio listeners want, and so John Mayer has delivered. Jen Cray was more interested in the blues side of his music that shone forth at his Orlando concert.
M. Ward
M. Ward's recent Chicago gig saw the crowd becoming much more active participants in the performance. Chris Catania reports from the frontlines.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers came to Orlando to blow away yet another soldout crowd, including Jen Cray who had been waiting to see them play for 15 years.
The Dears
With The Rapture playing just four blocks away and competing for much of the same audience, The Dears still managed to pack in a large crowd of indie rock fans with good taste. Jen Cray had little trouble deciding which show to attend.
The Ettes
A last minute switch-around transformed The Ettes headlining gig at Orlando's The Social into a benefit show for the Invisible Children organization. On a bill stacked with local talent, Jen Cray saw the Los Angeles trio steal the show despite their less than prime time 9:15 performance.
The Lemonheads
Continuing on with the "flashback to her high school years" week of concerts, Jen Cray decided to check out the opening night of The Lemonheads' tour.
Interviews
Fair To Midland
Fair To Midland are blessed, and cursed, with the title "the first band to be signed to Serj Tankian's label." Jen Cray sat down with vocalist Darroh Sudderth and keyboardist Matt Langley outside of Orlando's House of Blues just before the second night of their first ever major tour.
Hans the Double
Despite their attempts at dodging questions, Hans the Double was no match for Brittany Sturges--and it only took her six hours!
Eleni Mandell
Singer songwriter Eleni Mandell talks with Chris Catania about her new record, recording with Nels Cline and making out to Tom Waits.
One Lone Car
The St. Louis-based rock band One Lone Car, is hitting it big, after having MTV license their recent release, Variety Hour. Despite an issue with the speakerphone, Brittany Sturges spoke with two members of the band about MTV, the St. Louis rock scene and a variety of other things.
The Shapes
2006 was a year dedicated to "tightening the sound, playing better and more shows, and working on getting some press and radio airplay," said Mark, vocalist and guitarist for Brooklyn-based band, the Shapes. Well, they did just that. Brittany Sturges got the scoop on how they went about doing so.
Music Reviews
music A
A Northern Chorus
Bitter Hands Resign (Sonic Unyon). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music A
Alkaline Trio
Remains (Vagrant). Review by Jen Cray.
music A
Angie Aparo
Praise Be (Self-Released). Review by Andrew Ellis.
music B
The Black Heart Procession
The Spell (Touch & Go). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music B
The Blakhiv
Any Way She Wants It EP (Lucid). Review by Aaron Shaul.
The Blood Brothers
Young Machetes (V2). Review by Brittany Sturges.
Mark Bram/Ruby Topaz
Topaz Rarities (Self-Released). Review by Kyrby Raine.
music C
Carbon Leaf
Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat (Vanguard). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music C
Pelle Carlberg
Everything. Now! (Twentyseven). Review by Aaron Shaul.
"Catman" Cohen
The Catman Chronicles 1: How I Want To Die (Keevay Music). Review by Carl F Gauze.
music C
Catie Curtis
Long Night Moon (Compass). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music D
Danko Jones
Sleep Is the Enemy (Razor and Tie). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Danzig
Black Aria II (Evilive). Review by Jen Cray.
Dashboard Confessional
Dusk and Summer (Vagrant). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Dirty Pretty Things
Waterloo To Anywhere (Interscope). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Do Make Say Think
You, You're History in Rust (Constellation). Review by Aaron Shaul.
The Draft
In a Million Pieces (Epitaph). Review by Scott Adams.
music D
Drive By
I Hate Every Day Without You Kid... (Riot Squad Records). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music D
Dylan in the Movies
Feel the Pull (Self-Released). Review by Aaron Shaul.
music E
Everybody Loves Antiseen
A Tribute to the Boys from Brutalsville. (TKO). Review by Scott Adams.
Music F
44 Long
Hangover Heights Part 2 (In Music We Trust). Review by Tim Wardyn.
The Faintest Ideas
What Goes Up Must Calm Down (Magic Marker). Review by Aaron Shaul.
music G
Gram Rabbit
Cultivation (Stinky). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music H
Headlights
Kill Them With Kindness (Polyvinyl). Review by Aaron Shaul.
music I
Imitation Electric Piano
Blow It Up, Burn it Down, Kick It Til It Bleeds (Drag City). Review by Omar de la Rosa.
music K
Mat Kearney
Nothing Left To Lose (Aware/Columbia). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music K
Kids in the Way
Apparitions of Melody: The Dead Letters Edition (Flicker). Review by Tim Wardyn.
Music L
Lifetime
Lifetime (Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen). Review by Jen Cray.
music L
Toby Lightman
Bird on a Wire (Atlantic). Review by Andrew Ellis.
The Long Winters
Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk). Review by Sean Slone.
The Low Frequency in Stereo
The Last Temptation of... (Gigantic). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music L
Thomas Lunch
Diagrams Without Instructions (Hi Fi Alliance). Review by Jen Cray.
music M
Syd Matters
Syd Matters (V2 Records). Review by Sean Slone.
MXPX
Let It Happen (Deluxe Edition) (Tooth and Nail). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music N
Aaron Neville
Bring It On Home - The Soul Classics (Burgundy). Review by David Whited.
music O
Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl). Review by Jen Cray.
Music P
Palehorse
Amongst The Flock (Bridge Nine). Review by Jen Cray.
Heidi Petrikat
Galilee (Self-Released). Review by Kyrby Raine.
music P
Puffy AmiYumi
Splurge (Tofu Records). Review by Andrew Ellis.
music R
Corrina Repp
The Absent and the Distant (Caldo Verde). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music S
Santo Subito
Xavier (Accretions). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Rich Schroder
Your Kind Words (Ananova Recording Company). Review by Andrew Ellis.
secondhandheroes
The Absence in Me (Self-Released). Review by Kyrby Raine.
Sevendust
Best Of (Chapter One 1997 – 2004) (TVT). Review by Andrew Ellis.
The Showdown
Temptation Come My Way (Mono Vs. Stereo). Review by Jen Cray.
music T
Tales From the Asphalt Dancefloor
Tales From The Asphalt Dancefloor (Vodka Tonic). Review by Chris Catania.
music W
Wired
Wired (Marque Records). Review by Kyrby Raine.
Print Reviews
Feeling Very Strange
Ian Koss dives headfirst into this new volume of writings in the surrealist SF subgenre known as slipstream. and makes sure to dodge the fragments of science fiction purists' exploding heads all around him.
Hope to Die: A Memoir of Jazz and Justice
Scott Adams is moved by Verdi "Woody" Woodward's wrenching memoir of a life torn between heroin, music and crime. Now that's a life.
Wild Years: The Music and Myth of Tom Waits
Tom Waits for no one... and he's not talking either. Which might give a lesser biographer pause, but as Matthew Moyer happily discovers, Jay Jacobs is more than up to the task.
Krypton Companion
Only Braniac could keep tally on all the twists, turns, allies and villains that Superman has encountered in this half-century of comic history. Make that Braniac and the people behind this tome, as Matthew Moyer discovers.
Nobody Likes You
Respected journalist Marc Spitz writes the first authorized look into the "turbulent life, times and music of Green Day." Jen Cray reports on what she deems one of the most entertaining music biographies ever written.
Owly: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer
Children's librarian Keith Hayes knows that Owly is a must-have, not only because of the emotional range that Andy Runton brings to the "funny animal" genre, but because it's one of the few books that he and his young daughter can agree on.
South of the Pumphouse
Linda Tate is moderately entertained by bassist Les Claypool's debut novel and yet... don't give up the day job.
The Worst Case Scenario Almanac - History
Carl F Gauze fears that the authors of the Worst Case Scenario series may have gone to the well one too many times. That doesn't mean, however, that he didn't bookmark the section on Wagon Circling. You can never be too careful.
