Period Performances for a Friend: A Review of Beethoven 250 Festival at Harris Theater
It isn’t just the materials that are different, it is an entirely different aesthetic approach that needs to be employed for those materials to be effective.
Multimedia Mayhem: A Preview of John Vernon Forbes at Electric Jungle
“I’ve done a few animations to Tijuana Hercules music but not something like this show.”
Still Remembering the Future: A Preview of Nektar at Reggies
Thoughtful reissues of the band’s seventies material, plus engaging new music have earned Nektar a new core following.
Punk Adolescence Lost: In Search of Apathetics Archives
A handful of late-nineties Apathetics recordings sound as fabulously squalid as SoCal hardcore punk from twenty years earlier.
Ratboys Grow Up: Added Members, Bigger Sound, Brand New Album
Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan’s combination is a one-two punch of winsome melodies propelled by power-pop guitar crunch.
Queen City Cool in Chicago: A Preview of Harambe’s Heroes at The Empty Bottle
Originally a one-off supergroup to crank out a set’s worth of tunes covering obscure nuggets by punk and new wave outfits who made their home in Cincinnati.
Prolific Punks: A Preview of Vacation at The Empty Bottle
The sound of Vacation is one of fuzz-soaked guitars and earworm-inducing hooks.
Lights Out: A Preview of UFO at The Genesee Theatre
UFO songs have long been characterized by searing electric guitar work, a powerful rhythm section and strong vocals.
Music Top 5: February 2020
Joe Henry is one of the few artists who’s achieved the grace and gravitas to make a solo show as exciting as an arena event.
Redefining the Medium: A Preview of Planchette at Hungry Brain
Planchette is a woozy display of cello-rooted instrumental work with spoken-word samples and found sounds woven into a bed of melodic and repetitive textures.
