REVIEW: OHIO ON HI – THE BITTER HELLO (2013)
A friend of mine remarked recently on the disproportionately small pop punk scene in central Ohio. I mean, Columbus has been a breeding ground for some pretty big names as well as a myriad of rising stars in their respective national scenes – O.A.R., Blueprint, twenty one pilots, Attack Attack! an
FESTIVAL REVIEW + PHOTOGRAPHY: NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2013 (NEW ORLEANS, LA)
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage FestivalApril 26-28th and May 2-5th, 2013Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, LA Full Gallery: Weekend 1, Weekend 2 The 44th annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is a few weeks past and my rear view reflections only seem to sweeten
REVIEW: VAMPIRE WEEKEND – MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY (2013)
Life is short; that insight is passed on to us throughout our lives but we only begin to take it increasingly more seriously as we grow older. How old before the preciousness of our time on Earth begins to sink in? Of course, it varies from person to person, and even in each person, our […]
REVIEW: OBERHOFER – NOTALGIA (2013)
Last November, I caught up with Oberhofer’s leading man, Brad Oberhofer, while the band was in Milwaukee touring with fellow Brooklynites, Matt and Kim. It was then that I first got wind of the collection of songs that would become Notalgia. Oberhofer had actually been lis
REVIEW: BORN RUFFIANS – BIRTHMARKS (2013)
Birthmarks is a curious title for Born Ruffians’ third LP. What is a birthmark– an inconsistency, a blemish in the skin that forms at or around birth and doesn’t go away, stays with that person for life. They are generally harmless; in different cultures there are a number of myths a
Review: The Strokes – Comedown Machine (2013)
Where would American rock ‘n’ roll be today without The Strokes? Say what you want about them, but is rock music not better off today because of them? Yes, those prep school kids from affluent families who decided to form the New York band back in 1998. I was in junior high in 1998 and the
CONCERT REVIEW: LESCOP AT POP IN (PARIS)
Lescop (Paris)April 7th, 2013Pop In in Paris, France Imagine the biggest buzzing group of the moment in America posting on Facebook at noon, announcing a show down the street from you-not in a venue, but a concert bar. A 200 capacity max, maybe, concert bar (obviously smaller in the venue
REVIEW: COLD WAR KIDS – DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS (2013)
There is so much more to the Cold War Kids than what they’ve gotten credit for. I’ll never forget the Long Beach-based band’s performance at Lollapalooza in 2007. At that time, their debut album, Robbers & Cowards, had managed to spark a buzz frenzy with the indie