In 2015, Bryan Akcasu, the creative force by alt-pop project Two Cheers (and pizza chef extraordinaire), was in transition. In the midst of releasing a brilliant sophomore album, Splendor, the Los Angeles-based Akcasu packed his bags, drove cross-country, and put his kickstand down in his home state of Michigan. After lineup changes, personal tragedy, and…
Louisville’s beloved post-punk outfit Quiet Hollers, who toured for the greater part of last year, and who will appear at Nashville’s The Basement on Friday, June 30th, will release their new album, Amen Breaks, on July 7th via sonaBLAST!. In keeping with frontman Shadwick Wilde’s penchant for double and triple entendres, the record’s title has…
It was a sultry night last Saturday, as the temps climbed into the upper 90s, unusual for those of us here in Portland, Oregon–but unbeknownst to the passersby, the Doug Fir Lounge was hot inside as well – not for lack of A/C, but because Seattle’s Pickwick played a show that set us all on…
I’ll never forget when I first heard “Hacienda Motel,” the breakout hit from Can’t Talk Medicine, the debut album from Seattle-based Pickwick back in 2013; frontman Galen Disston’s soulful vocals carried on a retro-infused layer of reverb-y goodness made that track virtually strut right out of the speakers. I was hooked. Since then, we Pickwick…
Big Apple-born and bred rocker Fiona Silver will release her debut album, Little Thunder, on June 23rd. Little Thunder is the hard-working free spirit’s first cohesive body of work, and features seven songs of smokey-voiced swagger and sass with a vintage sheen. “For this record, I was really drawn to the sounds of the 60s…
Half party and half concert, SuperJam is always one of the most anticipated events on the Bonnaroo lineup. The 2017 version carried even higher expectations as it was curated by the iconic Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Billed as The Soul Shakedown, the Superjam pulls together an eclectic range of talent from across the festival’s many…
It was Friday afternoon at the 2017 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the field at the Which Stage was filled with a crowd fit for an evening headliner. Well before the start of The Strumbellas’ show, there had been a steady flow of people approaching the stage and staking out the best spots to…
Legendary blues man Muddy Waters once said “the blues had a baby and named it rock n’ roll.” In fact, blues music embodies the roots of all American music; it is the quintessential vehicle for expressing visceral emotion, and touches on something deeply primal in every soul. When ZZ Ward was eight years old, her…
“If you’d have told either of us that we would be where were are right now at the beginning of this band, we would’ve told you you were crazy,” says David Butler, who, along with musical partner Matthew Brue, make up Austin-based electronic duo MISSIO. The band has been blowing the roofs off of venues…
Evolution is the the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form; it’s a process that can be slow and painful, but one that is absolutely necessary in order to grow into whom we are meant to be. Such is the story of Erin McLaughlin. McLaughlin, the creative power behind…
Sunday morning at Bonnaroo always brings a conflict of emotions–it’s when you realize that there is only one more day on The Farm and the real world is waiting on the other side. However, that feeling is quickly pushed aside by the realization that there are still hours of music to be heard, and this…
Canadian “mustached merchants of death dance discord,” Death From Above, have released a new video for their latest single, “Freeze Me.” Shot in Los Angeles and directed by Canadian filmmaker Corey Adams, “Freeze Me” features bulge-tastic body builders in a Mt. Olympus-like mansion setting–a bizarre, yet fitting accompaniment to the song’s muscle-bound and guitar-heavy riffs.…
Comparison can be a dangerous thing; it can also be a helpful yardstick to measure growth. Today, British alt-rock duo Royal Blood who released their gut-punching self-titled debut in 2014, follow up that successful start with sophomore effort How Did We get So Dark? And my, how they’ve grown. I’ll never forget hearing their music…
After ending Friday night with the rocking spectacle of U2, I was ready to start Saturday with something a bit more mellow, and found what I was looking for on the Who Stage with Nashville rockicana artist Reuben Bidez. Leading with his acoustic guitar and soulful voice, Bidez ranged from melancholy to wistful while getting…
Rising early on Friday morning, there was already an air of anticipation buzzing in the campsites. With a stellar Thursday of music still echoing in our heads, I carefully mapped out the schedule–even knowing that it was futile to plan too much at Bonnaroo. There’s simply too much to see to be confined to a…
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