Dan’s Top Albums of 2014
2014 felt like the fastest year of my life; it began with an eager attitude to accelerate and outlast the worst winter I could remember in my 29 years of living in the Midwest. And from there, even as warmer weather finally rolled in, the year, unsurprisingly, never slowed. Following 2013, a year in
PHOTOS: USHER AT THE XCEL ENERGY CENTER (ST PAUL, MN)
Usher (Chattanooga, TN / Atlanta, GA), August Alsina (New Orleans, LA) and DJ Cassidy (New York City, NY)November 18th, 2014Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, MN It was a night of dancing, Hip Hop and R&B in frigid Saint Paul, MN as Usherbrought his “The UR Experience” tour to the Xcel En
REVIEW: FIELD GUIDES – BOO, FOREVER (2014)
On their debut album, Boo, Forever, Brooklyn-based Field Guides deliver a collection of songs that merge literary inspirations with charming pop likeability. The album was a decade in the making for Field Guides creator, Benedict Kupstas, and his revolving jam of contributing musician
REVIEW + PHOTOS: PEARL JAM AT THE XCEL ENERGY CENTER (ST PAUL, MN)
Pearl Jam (Seattle, WA)October 19th, 2014 (21st Anniversary of Vs.)Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN Pearl Jam made their long overdue return to Minnesota on Sunday night, eight years after their last trip through, opening for Tom Petty. Not having a notch in my PJ show belt yet, but a 20 year
INTERVIEW: VOODOO BOOGALOO (ALICE, TX)
Who or what is Voodoo Boogaloo? Light some candles, and grab your sage stick, I’ll tell you. Voodoo Boogaloo is more than just a duo comprised of Stephanie Cardona and Logan Woodyard, it’s a spiritual experience, and it’s a way of life. It’s rap and hypnotizing dreamy vocals. The universe w
PHOTOS: GERARD WAY AT THE FONDA THEATRE (HOLLYWOOD, CA)
Gerard WayOctober 14th, 2014The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA Though he is widely known for being the frontman of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way is doing quite alright on his own as he played a second sold out night in Hollywood. This time at the Fonda Theatre, he packed the venue
CONCERT REVIEW: ICONA POP DJ SET AT THE MID (CHICAGO, IL)
Icona Pop (Stockholm, Sweden) and Avi Sic (Chicago, IL)October 3rd, 2014The Mid in Chicago, IL Back in June 2011, we had the chance to interview Icona Pop around the time their first songs started to hit, notably “Manners.” Long, long before “I Love It” dem
REVIEW: PEAKING LIGHTS – COSMIC LOGIC (2014)
Peaking Lights is made of married couple Aaron Coynes and Indra Dunis. The pair used to be based in Madison and ran favorite local thrift store, Good Style Shop. The space was located near East Washington and the Capitol but has now moved to the Project Lodge’s old real estate on Johnson Street. B
REVIEW: INTERPOL – EL PINTOR (2014)
“All the Rage Back Home” the lead single off of Interpol’s fifth album, El Pintor, recalls an excitement, a fevered energy that hasn’t been notably prominent in the band’s most recent releases, especially the epic and atmospheric previous effort, 2010’s self-tilted Interpo