Tag: Quirky

Jim White Throws a Misfit’s Jubilee

Self-consciously quirky singer-songwriter Jim White tends to assemble his albums meticulously, often employing the talents of an ever-shifting cadre of contributing musicians and backing singers. So Misfit’s Jubilee, his forthcoming album scheduled for an Oct. 30 release, is certainly a comparatively basic affair, recorded primarily in Antwerp, Belgium with drummer Marlon Patton, guitarist/banjoist Geert Hellings… Continue reading Jim White Throws a Misfit’s Jubilee

The Humms Count Down to Vampire Hours

It’s been ten years since The Humms were a’suckin’ on your brain juice through a cactus straw with their debut album, Lemonland. That far-out freakout established the Athens band’s no-boundaries nature, playing like a weekend at an all-encompassing ‘60s rock festival where there’s hippie country tunes over here, a groovy beat combo in the other… Continue reading The Humms Count Down to Vampire Hours

Clara’s Ghost

Most home-movie productions from showbiz families end up as irritating indie dramas that would seem ripe for parody from a guy like Chris Elliott ­– who’s spoofed all manners of affectations since first outdoing his old boss David Letterman in Hollywood irony. Clara’s Ghost ends up being something a lot more ambitious, with Chris’ daughter Bridey… Continue reading Clara’s Ghost

Bicycle Eaters Pedal Forth, Peddling Petals

Jeffrey Bützer’s Bicycle Eaters, a seven-piece (and two-wheeled?) vehicle for the multi-instrumentalist’s eclectic pop songwriting, play the rare show (apparently their last, for the foreseeable future) on Sept. 28 at Kavarna. The release party for new album Petals of Youth doubles as a homecoming for singer Cassi Costoulas, who now hangs her hat in Tennessee.… Continue reading Bicycle Eaters Pedal Forth, Peddling Petals

Jim White Makes Partially Good Album

Jim White is a guy I’ve never warmed up to. It’s always seemed like he approaches trad Southern music as if it’s a thesis for a college course at best, or at worst the way a New York gallery owner displays rural folk art but has no connection to the experiences or environment that went… Continue reading Jim White Makes Partially Good Album

David Byrne’s Coming to Your House

David Byrne’s new album, American Utopia (his first solo LP since 2004’s Grown Backwards), is scheduled for release on March 9th via Nonesuch Records. And if the advance single/video “Everybody’s Coming to My House” (written with frequent collaborator Brian Eno) is any indication, this one should be a keeper. “These songs don’t describe an imaginary… Continue reading David Byrne’s Coming to Your House

Woods – City Sun Eater in the River of Light

When GraceNotes returns “Unclassifiable” as an album’s genre, it’s usually the sign of a band getting too cute in declaring its individuality. Brooklyn head-trippers Woods are among the few artists who’ve truly earned such a categorization. The Ethiopian jazz horns and backbeat of the six-minute opener “Sun City Creeps” from its newest album could easily… Continue reading Woods – City Sun Eater in the River of Light

The Swimming Pool Q’s – The A&M Years 1984-1986

I remember when the Swimming Pool Q’s signed to A&M Records in 1984. It was a big deal, a cause for genuine excitement in a city – and region – whose musical treasures were too often overlooked by the rest of the country, especially the know-it-all label execs in New York and L.A. But R.E.M.’s critical… Continue reading The Swimming Pool Q’s – The A&M Years 1984-1986