Author: Sargeant

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

SARAH MCLACHLAN ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL “SARAH AND FRIENDS” 2011 TOUR DATES

SARAH MCLACHLAN announces 23 additional dates across the US and Canada (including a New Year’s Eve show in Atlantic City), with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks of her “Sarah and Friends” tour. The “Sarah And Friends” tour offers fans an intimate evening with Sarah McLachlan as she not only performs classic hits and new favorites from her critically-acclaimed new release LAWS OF ILLUSION (Arista Records), but…

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Neurosonic – Drama Queen (CD)

The album art of Neurosonic’s “Drama Queen” does leave me a bit scared, bearing a queen with fangs and blood running in the corners of her mouth. But the first track takes the fear away, the opening is really good. The fast sung lyrics remind me of Thousand Foot Krutch. It isn’t annoying as it sometimes can be, the lyrics are understandable. As it turns out, the openings on all…

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Collections of Colonies of Bees joins Hometapes

Collections of Colonies of Bees, the long-running, Milwaukee-based project of guitarist Chris Rosenau, is the newest member of the Hometapes recording family. The group will release its next album, GIVING — the much-anticipated follow up to 2008’s critically-praised Birds — via the Portland-based independent record label in early 2011. Together with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, the members of Collections of Colonies of Bees also make up the group Volcano Choir.…

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

You Don’t Know Jack: The Life and Deaths of Jack Kevorkian (DVD)

You Don’t Know Jack is an in-depth (and theatric) look into Jack Kevorkian’s life. Much like HBO’s previous epic, 2003’s Angels in America, each bit and piece of eir life is filled by an actor of tremendous talent. Key of these would have to be Al Pacino, who dons the killer’s cap and steals the show as a result. However, far from being a one-actor film, You Don’t Know Jack…

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Neurosis & Jarboe – Self-Titled (CD)

Coming from out in left field, I really didn’t know what to expect from this album, as I had only familiarized myself with one Neurosis album in the past. Neurosis puts a continually crackling and haunting backdrop for Jarboe, who takes up eir’s role as the typical female-goth vocalist. While the disc might be a little daunting, containing only eight tracks for a total running time of about sixty moinutes,…

Posted on: November 15, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Telekinesis: back to Europe!

After working on a new album with Chris Walla (Death Cap For Cutie), Michael M. Lerner aka Telekinesis has returned to Europe to play some shows in Spain, Italy, France, Benelux & Germany. So be prepared for new songs (and new shirts as well) if you come to one of these shows: 16.11.2010 — Madrid (ES) — Clamores 17.11.2010 — Toulouse (FR) — Le Saint des Seins 18.11.2010 — Paris…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Hull Continues Work On Upcoming Full-Length

Brooklyn, New York-based triple-guitar led sludge merchants HULL recently came out of hiding to play a surprise CMJ performance with Kylesa at Public Assembly on their home turf. The crushing performance brought with it an unexpected, brand new, as-yet-untitled track from the band’s upcoming full-length. Check it out HERE. HULL have been holed up at an undisclosed location working on the follow-up to their Sole Lord debut, issued via The…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Introducing Bird By Snow

Recording as Bird By Snow, Fletcher Tucker has been releasing deep, genre-refracting sounds for the past five years with his output varying from dreamy drones to eccentric lo-fi pop to mountainous dub. His latest effort Common Wealth finds Tucker masterfully refining his songcraft with powerful arrangements, graceful melodies, and moving poetic imagery. The songs on Common Wealth feel harvested (rather than written) from somewhere ancient, mysterious, and otherworldly. Recorded with…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Neon Blonde – Chanderliers in the Savannah (CD)

The herky-jerky tone that Neon Blonde starts off “Chanderliers in the Savannah” is raucous and loud, but has some form of harmonics hiding behind all the brash and bold arrangements. “Cherries In Slow Motion” mixes perfectly parts of seventies rock (perfectly exemplified with the fabulous vocals and piano present on the track) with the traditional noise of bandfs like The Locust and Lightning Bolt. Interestingly enough, Neon Blonde really break…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Priests Join Forces with Shane MacGowan (Of The Pogues) On recording of “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”

Global musical superstars and ordained Catholic priests, The Priests – Father Eugene O’Hagan, his brother Martin and their old school friend David Delargy, have joined forces with Shane MacGowan (of The Pogues fame), to record a version of “Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth” on their brand new album NOEL (RCA Victor) in stores now. The Priests are one of the most celebrated musical acts the religious arena, having sold 3…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Nemasis and Jay Womack (CD)

After a typical opening for a rap album, Nemasis and Jay Womack come out with “Fo Sho”, which is pretty solid when they keep the flow, instead of the number of talking breaks. I’m sure that this is a tactic just to show exactly how street they are, but the simple fact is that these little interruptions make it difficult to enjoy the flow that they have. Moving onto “Intro”,…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

THE WALKMEN ADD SOUTHEAST TOUR DATES

Critically acclaimed rock band The Walkmen will tour the southeastern United States in early 2011 in support of their Fat Possum Records debut Lisbon. Scanning over 13,000 units in its first week of release, Lisbon entered the chart at #27 making it the band’s highest debut on the Billboard Top 200. After completing a successful North American run and appearances on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “Last Call with…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Neon Sleep – Endormi et Rever (CD)

This album sample is mixed quietly, which actually is a detriment to what is already a quiet band. Neon Sleep is an emotive rock band in the style of Ani DiFranco and Sloan, albeit with more electricity crackling through the tracks than either of them. Opening up the disc with “The Lights In This Town Are Faded”, Neon Sleep miffs a little bit by allowing some of the background noises…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Owen Pallett, Clogs, Nico Muhly, Dan Deacon, tUnE-yArDs and more join Ecstatic Music Festival in NYC Jan. 17-March 28, 2011

New York City’s Kaufman Center, in association with New Amsterdam Records, presents the 2011 Ecstatic Music Festival, a showcase of collaborative evenings between 150 genre-pushing composers, songwriters and performers who represent a new generation of artists combining vast influences and techniques to explore the crossover of classical and pop music. The event opens with a free seven-hour marathon on January 17th, 2011 and continues with 13 additional concerts until March…

Posted on: November 14, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Nekromantix – Dead Girls Don’t Cry (CD)

I’ll probably be strung up and gutted for saying this, but the Nekromantix mix the best elements of Insane Clown Posse and Misfits to create one of the most innovative and refreshing albums of the early year. Whether it is the chugging bass of “BackStagePass To Hell”, or the rock-a-billy beat of the follow-up track, “MoonChaser”. Throughout the entire disc, there just are no slower-tempoed tracks to be found; everything…

Posted on: November 13, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Jazz Christmas Show Featuring Pianist Monika Herzig

Sunday, December 5, 2010 6:30 PM $25 w/dinner, beverage, tax & gratuity (come early for dinner, if you like-call for details) or $10 for “show only” Vocalists appearing are Lesley Byers, Karel King and Jennifer Buhrow Sawa’s Old Warsaw 9200 Cermak Road Broadview, IL 708-343-9040 http://www.sawasoldwarsaw.com/

Posted on: November 13, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

the boy least likely to announce the release of Christmas Special on November 30th

Strawberries and cream, cocktails and sunsets, Bert and Ernie. Some things were just meant to go together. And so it is with the boy least likely to and the holiday season. They go so perfectly together, it is as if the Christmas album was a concept thought up especially for them. After all, no other band manages to sound quite so happy and quite so sad at the same time.…

Posted on: November 11, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Zhu Zhu Pets: Wild Bunch (Nintendo DS)

We’ve had a number of words that decry the trend of tying in popular toys with video games, and it seems as if some game companies and designers may be listening. Case in point would have to be the new Zhu Zhu Pets title for the Nintendo DS, Wild Bunch. Released by Activision (and bundled with an adorable plush hamster toy), Zhu Zhu Pets: Wild Bunch would still be interesting…

Posted on: November 11, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Disney All Star Party (Nintendo Wii)

Disney titles usually rest on the strength of the films that they are related to (and in some cases, the Disney Channel shows which they are related). However, Disney All Star Party showcases that Disney can create an absolutely stunning Wii title that will be purchased based on the game’s merits rather than the characters or IP associated with it. While each of the different mini-games that await players are…

Posted on: November 11, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Conditions – Fluorescent Youth (CD)

There is a contemporary flair to Conditions’ effort on “Fluorescent Youth” that will ensure the widest possible listenership picks up this album. Where there have been a number of different musical movements attempting to strive for dominance in the course of the last few years, Conditions deftly tie together these different style into a cogent and unique style. From when the album begins with “The End of Progression” all the…