SHE & HIM > Volume Two

SHE & HIM Volume Two (MERGE) Rating: Zooey Deschanel is a singer-songwriter who crochets and bakes gingerbread, and she sounds like it. The She of She & Him, Deschanel has returned with a second installment of old-fashioned pop/folk in Volume Two. As on 2008′s Volume One, She & Him are not merely influenced by but [...]

Ben Folds Tests His Improv Skills Against Merton’s

At a recent concert in front of 2,000 real-time audience members, perennial prankster Ben Folds performed a bit of live musical theater for his fans and the users of Chat Roulette, a website which allows people all over the world to chat in real time. Without missing a beat, Folds busted out goofy, on-the-spot improvisations [...]

Drive-By Truckers: Patterson Hood Speaks

“I’m honestly pretty beat and haven’t had a lot of time decompressing,” Drive-By Truckers singer Patterson Hood confesses after the thump ‘n’ bump rockers finished a three-day stand at Athens, Georgia’s legendary 40 Watt Club. Never mind that he’s in full promo grind for DBT’s The Big To-Do, Hood is producing “some music for these [...]

Lyric Of The Day: “Valentine’s Day”

I’m driving a big lazy car rushin’ up the highway in the dark I got one hand steady on the wheel and one hand’s tremblin’ over my heart It’s pounding baby like it’s gonna bust right on through And it ain’t gonna stop till I’m alone again with you A friend of mine became a [...]

News Roundup: MGMT Give Album Away, Beck Needs You Tonight, Jack White Curbs His Enthusiasm

THE BIRD AND THE BEE > Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1

THE BIRD AND THE BEE Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates (BLUE NOTE) Rating: Doe-eyed singer Inara George and keyboardist Greg Kurstin didn’t have to alter their established velvety, techno-pop when tackling eight of Hall & Oates’ biggest hits, along with one similarly styled original. Rather the Bird [...]

Lyric Of The Day: “Alex Chilton”

If he was from Venus, would he feed us with a spoon? If he was from Mars, wouldn’t that be cool? Standing right on campus, would he stamp us in a file? Hangin’ down in Memphis all the while. Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes ’round They sing “I’m in [...]

What We Missed: Five More Artists To Watch From SXSW

[pictured above: jj] Every year the biggest lesson learned at SXSW: you can’t do it all. No matter how well you script out your day–using the SXSW.com online planner or printed festival guides; Sched.org (which turned out to be horribly inadequate this year); Austinist.com’s sxswist iPhone app–it’s a highly volatile environment to try to control. [...]

Singer-Songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman Rebounds With Back To Love

On May 25, BNC Records will release Back To Love, the latest studio album by Beth Nielsen Chapman, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter best known for writing hits for others. Chapman penned or helped pen songs for Faith Hill (“This Kiss”, a #1 hit in 1999), Trisha Yearwood (“Down On My Knees”), Willie Nelson (“Ain’t Necessarily So”), [...]

Best SXSW Panel: “Welcome To the Music Business –You’re F***ed”

Though not nearly as overwhelming as the music portion of the festival, the conference panels offered a wealth of options this year, which means one had to miss out on a great deal of interesting discussions. Martin Atkins’s “Welcome To the Music Business –You’re F***ed” took top honors as the best panel this writer witnessed [...]