Tag: cmj
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Charles Bradley’s “Changes” Is True To Its Title, But Keeps Traditional Soul Sound Intact
This article originally appeared in TechNews Charles Bradley is an unlikely figure to be making the rounds on today’s music festival circuit, drawing crowds at annual destinations as diverse as Eaux Claires, Hangout Fest, and Coachella. His truly traditional blend of turn-of-the-70s soul and funk seems somewhat out of place even in a world that’s…
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At Hope’s Ravine by Holy Esque
This article originally appeared in TechNews Holy Esque is the kind of band that you find yourself forming an opinion of within the first verse you hear. Vocalist Pat Hynes has a growling, all-or-nothing presentation that grabs your attention whether you like it or not, contrasted against a ceaselessly loud and gritty, yet somehow equally…
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Cardinal by Pinegrove
This article originally appeared in TechNews It doesn’t really make any sense, but Pinegrove lead signer Evan Stephens Hall often sounds like he has a Southern accent when he sings. Though Pinegrove hail from New Jersey, listening to just the first ten seconds or so of the band’s latest album, you might mistake them for…
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Big Black Coat by Junior Boys
This article originally appeared in TechNews It’s been 12 years since Junior Boys first took the world by storm with their critically-acclaimed debut, Last Exit. The duo were one of the pioneers of the warm, R&B-influenced techno-pop sound that characterizes so many of today’s festival lineups and club playlists, and had a run of forward-thinking…
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Marble Mouth by Pillar Point
This article originally appeared in TechNews Scott Reitherman is no stranger to the indie pop community. As frontman of Throw Me The Statue until that group’s departure in 2013, he’s already become a familiar face in his native Seattle and beyond, scoring a minor college radio hit with that band’s song “Lolita” in 2009. The…
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Plaitum EP by Plaitum
This article originally appeared in TechNews on November 10, 2015 Barely ten years into his career as a music producer, Paul Epworth can already be considered a kingmaker. He’s been behind the board for the debut albums from Bloc Party, Florence + The Machine, Maxïmo Park, and more, and his ability to bring out new…
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U.S. Elevator by U.S. Elevator
This article originally appeared in TechNews on October 27, 2015 On a warm, humid evening in April of 2013, I somehow found myself as the guest of somebody who was attending a folk concert at The Frog Pond, an invite-only, BYOB venue in the middle of a collectively-run farm in Silverhill, Alabama, twenty miles southeast…
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Mister Divine by Naytronix
This article originally appeared in TechNews on October 13, 2015 Nate Brenner’s association with tUnE-yArDs at this point in his musical career has been, to use a clichéd phrase, both a blessing and a curse. Serving as the only permanent member of that group aside from central figure Merrill Garbus, Brenner has already gained experience…
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Big Grams EP by Big Grams
This article originally appeared in TechNews on October 6, 2015 Some collaborative albums come about as natural extensions of deeply connected music scenes, and by the time they happen, they seem inevitable. This one is neither of those things. Put together following a series of brief meetings at music festivals, Big Grams is the debut…
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Heartless Bastards At Metro
This article originally appeared in TechNews on September 29, 2015 It’s truly a shame that Chicago doesn’t seem to have the same appetite for roots rock as cities like Milwaukee or Nashville. Aside from Wilco, who made it big on their experimentalist tendencies rather than their alt-country leanings, there are very few Americana success stories…
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Made for Pleasure by The New Mastersounds
This article originally appeared in TechNews on September 22, 2015 Let’s face it: after more than a decade or two of existence, bands that are known primarily for their jam rock or jazz fusion elements tend to settle somewhat into monotony, at least outside the context of a concert environment. On album, groups like Phish,…
