Category Archives: reviews

Review: Girls with Dum Dum Girls; April 5, 2010; Mr. Smalls Theater, Pittsburgh, PA

Photo credit: J. Walkos

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the legendary back-story of Christopher Owens, the frontman for Girls. It’s full of cults and intrigue, heartbreak and redemption, and as soon as I heard it I had to hear the music it inspired. My first introduction to Girls was their video for the sprawling, nostalgic “Hellhole Ratrace.” The clip follows the band and their friends around San Francisco for a night of boozing that culminates in a picturesque sunrise over the bay. It’s one of those rare instances when the imagery and music match up perfectly, elevating the art to a whole new level. Continue reading

Review: Perfect Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll Blues Band; April 3, 2010; Anthology

Photo credit: Anthology/Paul Parks

Before the show started, Perfect Age lead guitarist Bob Margolin quipped that for a late show, 10pm “ain’t all that late.”

This was a bit of a surprise, coming from the guy who leads a band made up of Pinetop Perkins (96), Hubert Sumlin (78), Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (74), and Bob Stroger (about 70). But Margolin was right. These men — who have seen blues and jazz evolve over decades — showed little sign of slowing down. Continue reading…

Review: Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

Dr. Dog sound like The Beatles. Or wait, no, they sound more like The Beach Boys. No, no, they sound exactly like The Band. That’s it, they sound like The Band. Wait no, that’s not it, now I’m hearing Gram Parsons. Now Pink Floyd? PINK FLOYD? You guys sound like Pink Floyd right now! What the hell?! Goddammit Dr. Dog, who do you sound like? I know it’s someone. You guys sound exactly like somebody, and someday I will figure it out.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of what you guys do because, when it comes down to it, it’s not who you sound like but what you sound like, and what you guys sound like is pure, feel-good, warm and fuzzy 60s rock.

Dr. Dog make the type of music that is so damn groovy you start to involuntarily squint your eyes, smile, and bob your head, wishing that somehow you could feel like this more often, but all the while grateful to have felt like this at all. Basically, Dr. Dog’s music makes you look and feel like that rare type of pothead who actually knows how to enjoy being stoned. Continue reading…

Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Bear In Heaven, and Freelance Whales; March 23, 2010; Casbah

Photo credit: MySpace

Three hot bands, two large mammals, and one cannibalistic instrument converged at the Casbah last Tuesday night, when Freelance Whales, Bear in Heaven, and Cymbals Eat Guitars swung through to represent New York City. Continue reading…

Review: Greg Gibson at The Latent Print Party; March 24th, 2010; Whistle Stop Bar, San Diego

Photo credit: Bre Witte/MySpace

San Diego literary and arts website The Latent Print said goodbye to Publisher/Managing-Editor/Swing-Dancer-Extraordinaire Charlie Yi at a farewell party at the Whistle Stop on Wednesday night. A mixed lineup of music, poetry, and fiction readings entertained the full house that showed up in Yi’s honor, and the night was capped off with a show by Greg Gibson, former guitar player in local favorites Waterline Drift. Read more…