Blogcritics

Music Review: Band of the Week - Crosby Loggins

A.L. Harper — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:22:12 EDT

Let's be kind and not mention Lisa-Marie Presley...
If your father was a Grammy-winning musician who had numerous top ten hits, there would undoubtedly be a lot of pressure to produce similar results – if you chose to follow the same career path. Let's face it, so few of those who follow in their famous parents footsteps achieve legitimate success in their own right. I can give you a...

Interview: Band of the Week - Crosby Loggins

A.L. Harper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:45:33 EDT

He may have begun life as the privileged son of an internationally acclaimed rock star, but Crosby is no spoiled wannabe.
Crosby Loggins is many things, amongst them he is the eldest child of the Grammy award-winning musician Kenny Loggins and winner of MTV's reality show Rock the Cradle, but most importantly he is a talented singer-songwriter and musician. He may have begun life as the privileged son of an internationally acclaimed rock star, but Crosby is no...

Music Review: Band of the Week - Jay Nash

A.L. Harper — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:40:49 EDT

Down-to-earth, playful, witty, and occasionally profound, grounded but sentimental, sensual but intelligent, romantic but only in passing. A superb album.
Jay Nash makes music that is warm, soulful, energetic, intelligent, just a little bit country, just a little bit rock. It may not be the kind of music that pop 40 aficionados want to hear on the radio; but it is most certainly the kind of music anyone of sense and substance wants to hear wafting from the speakers of their convertible, while...

Interview: Band of the Week - Jay Nash

A.L. Harper — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 20:11:56 EDT

With hints of alt-country nostalgia, and swimming in acoustic melodies...
Jay Nash makes the kind of music that defies categorisation, but for the sake of this article let's call it alt-acoustic-folk-piano-rock. Nash makes the kind of music that is fit for any occasion, warm, soulful, energetic, adult, intelligent, just a little bit country, just a little bit rock. It may not be the kind of music that pop 40...

Interview: Band of the Week - Rachael Sage

A.L. Harper — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:36:10 EDT

Intelligent, witty, and upbeat, Sage managed to be engaging and whimsical while always maintaining a professional demeanour.
The best word to describe Rachael Sage's sound is theatrical, and her newest album Chandelier is truly theatre for your ears. Lyrically each song is an act from the stage play of Sage's life; musically each is a mini musical in scope, breadth and drama. As a former performer with the New York City Ballet, Sage's flare for the dramatic...

Music Review: Band of the Week - The Dollyrots

A.L. Harper — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:17:08 EDT

The Dead Kennedys love child with Gwen Stefani, nannied by The Go-Go's, playing tag with The B-52's.
Punk-pop band The Dollyrots sophomore album Because I'm Awesome is precisely what pop-punk should be; fun, honest, in your face, and accessible. Poppy without compromising punk. Their sound is a mix of bouncy melodies and harmonies, with all the ass kicking power and attitude of punk music. The Dead Kennedys love child with Gwen Stefani,...

Interview: Band of the Week - The Dollyrots

A.L. Harper — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:54:58 EDT

Because they really are awesome.
Punk-pop band The Dollyrots may go down in history as the only good thing to come from the 2000 US Presidential elections, and by extension George W. Bush's presidency. So the story goes, Kelly Ogden (lead vocals, bass) and childhood friend and fellow student Luis Cabezas (guitar, piano) are attending New College Florida, preparing for medical...

Interview: Band of the Week -- Suffrajett

Michael Jones — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:15:15 EST

Boil down the fiercest rock and roll formula, add in an amazing woman vocalist, and you have the perfect band - You have Suffrajett, people!
In 2007 someone was kind enough to introduce me to the music of a band called Suffrajett, through a copy of their sophomore album Black Glitter. Even though I was mightily impressed with the album and the band itself, once I’d written my review I figured that was that, y’know?And it would have been if I had not been asked to contribute...

Interview: Band of the Week - 2nd Day Crush

A.L. Harper — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:38:43 EST

2DC�s effervescent brand of pop is radio friendly without being insipid.
Alt-pop/indie rock band 2nd Day Crush (2DC) are formed around singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Drizen and producer, bassist, and musical fly-boy Rick Barrio Dill. Two musicians seemingly diametrically opposed in backgrounds both musically and socially, Drizen is a middle class Bostonian and Cuban; Barrio Dill is from the Latin quarter of...

Music Review: Band of the Week - The Bittersweets

A.L. Harper — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:39:46 EST

This debut album is one of the strongest and most surprisingly mature albums from a young band I have heard.
I was going to be driving across Scotland on my way to Ullapool to visit a sick friend; I figured that, the four and a half hour drive was as good a time as any to listen to a few CDs that had been submitted to me for review. I ripped them all and put them on my MP3 player ready for the long, but breathtakingly beautiful drive through the Scottish...