review

Artist: Baby In Vain Album: More Nothing Label: (Partisan Records) After seeming to appear from nowhere with an EP which was capable of absolutely levelling listeners even if they did see it coming with pure unadulterated Riot Grrl power last year, it’s unlikely that fans of Baby In Vain expected to see a full-length album appear so soon – but the band is not only back with a full-length album now, they’ve found ways to further refine their sound in...

Myers+Chang at Home: Recipes from the Beloved Boston Eatery by Joanne Chang & Karen Akunowicz One of the joys of living in Boston is that it’s exposed me to the wonderful cooking of Joanne Chang. She’s reached almost superstar status with her flagship Myers + Chang restaurant in the South End: a spot my wife and I cannot seem to get enough of. It’s a must-go especially on Mondays and Tuesdays when they have their date nights and their tasting...

The Dopamines Tales of Interest My history with the Dopamines goes way back. I remember driving on the highway in Aruba years ago rocking them in my headphones, soaking in the sounds. It was one of those situations where the music permanently became embedded in the setting for me. The Dopamines are a part of that Midwestern pop punk sound that graces bands like the Copyrights (who I used to think were the same band), Teenage Bottlerocket, and Banner Pilot....

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Mid-Century Sounds – Deep Cuts From The Desert 2LP compilation. It might not be the first location which comes to mind when one thinks of “music hot spots” (and there is some irony in saying that – believe me), but those in the know are well aware of just how rich and the artistic soil is in the state of Arizona. Arizona was, of course, the birthplace of such grand musical...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Kids In The Street LP by Justin Townes Earle. After being toasted first and then either critically maligned or flat out ignored for a little while thereafter, Justin Townes Earle has made a sound on his seventh album (first for New West Records) that any critic worth his sand simply cannot ignore. After all the hard luck, Earle had some addiction issues and he has walked on the wrong side of...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Visions LP by Able Baker Fox. The first thing that Visions, Able Baker Fox’s first album in ten years, proves is that even if a type of music has fallen from popular fashion in recent years, it can still re-emerge sounding both fantastic and timely if there’s passion powering it. Right off, as soon as “Purple Mountains”kicks the doors open on the A-side of Visions, listeners who once felt a genuine...

Artist: Various Artists Album: American Epic (5CD Box Set) Label: Legacy/Third Man/Columbia/Sony Music It might sound like a bit of a reach on the surface, but the first thing that listening to American Epic reminded me of was my university experience and how music like that which can be found on this box set changed my life. My first full-time year – in addition to the classes which were requisite for a bachelor’s degree in Communications – I took a...

Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks Has there ever been a better time to read bell hooks? Sure, it’s never been a bad time to read bell hooks, but you get what I mean. Even though some of her books were written decades ago, bell hooks is someone who has remained relevant even today. Ain’t I a Woman is definitely one of those books. In Ain’t I a Woman, hooks essentially discusses the struggles of...

Artist: Jane’s Addiction Album: Ritual De Lo Habitual – Alive at 25 CD/DVD Label: (Cleopatra/MVD Visual) As I’m confident is no surprise after fifteen years of extolling this fact, I love live concerts but find something about just focussing on a single album – a band playing that and only that at a show – a little hard to take. In that situation, what one is witnessing ceases to feel like a show or a concert and sort of feels...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the 12” Razor Stomp EP by Suede Razors. It might sound weird to say, but it’s about time Suede Razors got around to releasing more than just two songs at a time. To date, Bay area bovver band Suede Razors have managed to build a shockingly devoted following on the srength of a succession of seven-inch singles (see “Boys Night Out” and “Here She Comes” – both of which are backed by...