rss reviews

Record Reviews

Sun Kil Moon — April

Kozelek may not be moved to deliver extremely poignant vocals or captivating lyrics these days, but he is still capable of penning some gorgeous melodies.

Dead Meadow — Old Growth

You might be feeling the need for some good old-fashioned rock, and Dead Meadow will provide you with that.

Clinic — Do It!

There is something appealing about an album that sounds like it was recorded completely off the cuff.

The Billy Burke Estate — Let Your Heart Break

You have to listen to this album to appreciate it. This isn't background music.

Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands — Cody's Dream

As a set of songs, they are a testament to all the roads that are traveled, the loves that are lost and the hope that can barely be made out in the heat-waved horizon.

Live Show Reviews

Black Kids and Cut Copy: Dance party USA!

Three imaginary Boston contributors hit the sold-out dance fest that starred Black Kids and Cut Copy at the Paradise Rock Club.

NPSH, Copy, and New Faces at the Vera

True story: Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head have a ridiculously bubbly (and possibly repressed?) local fan base.

Yo Majesty at Neumo's

It was like running a gauntlet of metaphors (or reading a Pitchfork record review) that leaves you unsure of what you just heard.

A Night Out With...The XYZ Affair, Jukebox the Ghost, and Morning State

Saturday night at New York’s Mercury Lounge featured an impressive line-up of four bands on the cusp of breaking out.

Northern State, The Trucks, and Team Gina at Chop Suey

Overall, the show was fun, if a little disorganized all around but I still couldn’t think of any other way I’d rather spend a Monday night.

Film / Book / Theatre Reviews

Best Films of 2007

The ten films that made my yearly best-of list, plus the 76 honorable mentions that follow below, represent about a third of what I saw last year. And I still missed most of what was out there.

Back Home Again: A John Denver Holiday Concert

I'm not sure what went wrong, but the spirit of everyone's favorite '70s Colorado troubadour is nowhere to be found here.

Burn to Shine: Bright Seattle stars

Burn to Shine's forthcoming Emerald City edition is quintessentially us. Like the other houses featured in the previous three Burn to Shine installments, this house was destined to be destroyed... but not before some stunning musical performances by great local performers like Tiny Vipers, Eddie Vedder, and Burn to Shine curator Benjamin Gibbard.

Theater Review: Murderers

Sarah Rudinoff is outstanding as ever, and her bit is, not surprisingly, one of the highlights of the theater year.

Theater Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, and even if I could you might not be able to get tix.