April 2009
6 posts
3 tags
Felice Brothers combine raucous music with...
The Felice Brothers. Photo by Mentor Noci.
I spend a lot of time seeking out new music for our monthly music recommendations in Currents. A lot of times that means requesting the upcoming album by someone I’ve already heard a lot about, or keeping an eye out for something new from my favorite bands. But there’s no rush like the excitement I feel when I pop in a CD from a band I’ve never heard of...
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8 tags
There's so much music ahead
It may sound silly to say when it’s 50 degrees outside (where did my spring go, by the way?), but I’ve mentally fast-forwarded to summer. That’s one of the dangers of the publishing industry. When I was in newspapers, I had the hardest time keeping track of the day of the week. Now, working at a magazine keeps me planning my concert calendar months in advance.
I’m working on the calendar of...
12 tags
Don’t stop till you get enough
I know I just claimed I had seen all of my “must see” acts. I was moving on to the more obvious, universal must see list—bands that are known for spectacle, or their live show, or their near-universal appeal. Even that list is pretty short: U2, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band and Coldplay. Two of those are coming to Birmingham in the next six weeks; another will be in Atlanta this fall. It’s a...
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Maria Taylor shares her music, herself on latest...
Maria Taylor. Photo by Autumn de Wilde.
There are a number of reasons you might know Maria Taylor. Several songs from her last album, Lynn Teeter Flower, showed up on that hit-making show Grey’s Anatomy. She garnered plenty of attention as one half of the indie pop group Azure Ray. And of course, the Birmingham native is only one member of a music-making family (siblings Macey and Kate are also...
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Are you tough enough?
I’m not embarrassed by my early tastes in music. I have Debbie Gibson and Paula Abdul on my iPod, even now, and I still own my cassette tape of Gibson’s Out of the Blue album. (It was a birthday present from my younger sister. I was happy with her that year.) And so even now, when other women my age confess embarrassment at their childhood love for New Kids on the Block, I embrace...
March 2009
11 posts
4 tags
Maida Vale paints musical portraits
Maida Vale.
You’ve probably heard the beginning of this story a time or two: High school buddies pick up instruments, play around in several bands and eventually drift off into their own careers or form the band that carries them into adulthood. Tallahassee, Fla., residents Josh Fruit, Justin Barfield, Nathan Lee and Stratton Glaze follow that model, having played together and in other bands...
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This fan girl goes on tour
I think most fans of live music have a list of bands they must see perform live. I’m fortunate in that I’ve already seen most of my favorite artists perform a time or two, but of course I also keep a running list of those must-see bands that I haven’t yet dropped the money on. I’m hoping to catch U2 this fall. Next time Radiohead comes within driving distance, you better believe I’ll be...
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Even with changing lineup, Vetiver creates an...
Vetiver. Photo by Alissa Anderson.
The lineup of Vetiver has shifted through the years, but through the band’s four albums, Andy Cabic has remained a constant presence. In fact, two of the current members on tour joined up with Vetiver just before a run of European dates.
The group will make a stop in Birmingham at Bottletree on Sunday, March 15, en route to the South by Southwest festival in...
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Dave Barnes keeps things fresh at WorkPlay
Dave Barnes. Photo by LeAnn Mueller.
Dave Barnes’ name shows up on Birmingham calendars frequently enough that I’ve joked more than once that he should live here. He’s becoming a regular at WorkPlay, where he’ll again play tonight. I caught up with Barnes in the weeks before this sold-out show and were able to gain insight into the joys and challenges of playing certain cities so...
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In Vulture Whale, everyone has a voice
Vulture Whale. Photo courtesy of Tell All Your Friends PR.
Music writers, label reps, publicists and hundreds of musicians will descend on Austin, Texas, next week for one of the industry’s most notable festivals, South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. For several days, these folks will hop from venue to venue, listening out for the Next Big Thing. And more than a few Birmingham bands...
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Drum roll please ...
The results of Birmingham Box Set’s first ticket giveaway are in! But it wouldn’t be any fun to just tell you who’s going to see Gas Money (featuring Vulture Whale, the Grenadines, Preston Lovinggood’s Indian Red, Through the Sparks and 13 Ghosts) on Thursday night. Instead, let’s go with bright, shiny pictures, taken with my cell phone because I’m just that...
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Taylor Hicks goes the distance with music, acting...
Taylor Hicks
Taylor Hicks became a household name even before he won American Idol in 2006. The gray-haired Birminghamian crooned his way into America’s hearts and was warmly received upon returning to the city where he was raised.
Three years later, Hicks has dabbled in nearly every aspect of the entertainment industry. He made his major label debut with a self-titled album after American Idol,...
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Win tickets to see Vulture Whale!
Vulture Whale. Photo courtsey of Tell All Your Friends PR.
Birmingham’s Vulture Whale has been grabbing some sweet national attention lately. Spin magazine dubbed “Sugar” a “song you need to download now” in December. In January’s three-and-a-half star record review, they wrote, “Spellbinding frontman Wes McDonald gives his wild-eyed tales a real...
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Blitzen Trapper brings irresistible indie rock to...
Blitzen Trapper. Photo by Jade Harris.
There’s just something about the Pacific Northwest. Seattle’s music grabbed national attention in the early ‘90s as the grunge movement went mainstream, and there’s no shortage of talented bands coming from that region nearly 20 years later.
That includes Blitzen Trapper, a Portland, Ore.-based band on Sub Pop, the same label that launched Nirvana. The...
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Ben Kweller's Changing Horses changes genres
Ben Kweller. Photo courtesy of ATO Records
If you were to shuffle Ben Kweller’s songs on your iPod, you might not believe each song came from the same artist. OK, the quality of songwriting is consistent, and you’ve got Kweller’s voice soaring through it all. But when it comes to genres, this guy’s a tough one to pin down.
And he’s comfortable with that. In February the Texan released Changing...
Songs for the Dogs (and Cats)
I’ve been on a Beatles kick lately (OK, I’m always on a Beatles kick), and a few weeks ago I was at a coffee shop, unable to control the urge to hum and dance to “Martha My Dear.” I had been listening to the White Album that morning, and for some reason that particular song lodged in my mind.
The great thing about being obsessed with one of history’s all-time...
February 2009
10 posts
9 tags
Act of Congress spreads its sound throughout...
Act of Congress: Adam Wright, Chris Griffin, Tim Carroll and Bethany Borg.
It’s hard to believe the members of Act of Congress have been playing together for less than two years. The bluegrass-influenced Birmingham band released its debut LP, Declaration, with a sold-out show at WorkPlay in September. And listening to the album, it’s easy to understand the draw. Adam Wright (mandolin, guitar and...
Finding Fiction makes its home on the road
Finding Fiction. Photo by Melissa Goodman.
There are plenty of bands on the scene in New York City, and like so many others who flock to the City, the members of Finding Fiction found their way there from homes across the country. Right now the melodic foursome makes its home on the road, traveling from city to city sharpening their sound before returning to the studio to record a full-length...
5 tags
Birmingham's Clint Wells takes to the road
Clint Wells. Photo by Leslie Treece
Yesterday we posted an interview with Griffin House, who will play WorkPlay tomorrow night. House’s thoughtful lyrics are enough to demand attention, but this is a hometown stop for his guitarist on this tour. Clint Wells, a Birmingham musician, has been on the road with House for the past couple months. Birmingham Box Set caught up with him a few weeks ago to...
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Griffin House draws inspiration wherever he goes
Griffin House. Photo by Karla Olmedo.
We’ve got something a little different in store for you this week. Griffin House’s songs range from folk to rock, and Birmingham has grown familiar with his sound over the past several years; he’s even been here several times in the past year with the Ten out of Tenn tour. This time, Birmingham guitarist Clint Wells is on tour with House, so we’ve got a...
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Making music on Valentine’s Day
Maybe you’re protesting Singleness Awareness Day and are looking for a non-date activity. Maybe you’re planning something beyond the average fancy dinner date (is that what people do for V Day? I always fly solo! And no, I’m not complaining). Whatever your story, there’s lots of music to choose from Saturday night. Pick your poison and turn up the volume. Know of something we missed? Leave a...
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Problematic indie love
Valentine’s Day hasn’t gone unnoticed here at Birmingham Box Set. I’m nearly surrounded by married folks here at the mag—and though I love them, I suspect my Valentine’s Day plans and playlist will both be different than theirs.
And I’m not alone! Dan Schumacher, one of the most eligible bachelors in our February issue, shares my penchant for depressing indie music. (Of course he does. His first...
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A.A. Bondy returns to Birmingham
A.A. Bondy. Photo by Clare Felice
When A.A. Bondy made his solo debut with American Hearts, the nation took notice. The former Birmingham boy had already earned a reputation as the frontman of Verbena, rocking out and attracting the attention of Dave Grohl, who produced the band’s major label debut. But American Hearts took Bondy in a different direction, highlighting his songwriting on a...
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On Stage with the Band: Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies. Photo by Chris Buck.
The Alys Stephens Center consistently brings top-notch talent to town, and I’m always anxious for the release of the next year’s lineup. But even when the season is set, they don’t let that format restrict creativity and new additions, as you’ll see this month when the ASC launches its On Stage with the Band series. The Jemison Concert Hall will be...
New music from A.A. Bondy on the horizon
With the 2007 release of American Hearts, A.A. Bondy changed his tune. Once the front man of Alabama rock band Verbena, Bondy’s solo debut was steeped in folky guitar and gut-wrenching vocals. What’s next for Bondy?
Well, we’ll hear it soon: Bondy has been back in the studio, working on his next album. I spoke to him briefly today for an interview that we’ll post in...
Punch Brothers at the Alys Stephens Center
Music fans tend to flock together. After all, an obsession is even more fun when it’s shared; that’s why I rarely attend a concert on my own. So when Whitney Sides at bham.fm asked me to contribute a review of Saturday’s Punch Brothers show, I was excited to share the newgrass love.
Read about the Punch Brothers’ Birmingham show at bham.fm, and catch up on my conversation...
January 2009
9 posts
Punch Brothers orchestrate, improvise on stage and...
Punch Brothers Chris Thile, mandolin; Noam Pikelny, banjo; Chris Eldridge, guitar; Gabe Witcher, violin; and Paul Kowert, bass. Photo by Cassandra Jenkins.
First, a confession: Before they went on indefinite hiatus, I saw bluegrass-newgrass-contemporary folk band Nickel Creek 10 times. You might call me a fan girl; I won’t argue. I’ve caught multiple shows featuring mandolin player Chris Thile:...
From the archives: Currents, March 2008
Punch Brothers, Punch
I was devastated when Nickel Creek announced their plans to break up—until last May, when mandolin player Chris Thile performed at WorkPlay with his new band, Punch Brothers. The combined talent of those five men left me almost longing for the dissolution of my favorite band. I spent the months afterward waiting for the group’s debut CD.
Punch (Nonesuch) is a series of...
Dar Williams makes a rare stop in Birmingham
Dar Williams, photo by Traci Goudie
Birmingham is a frequent tour stop for many singer/songwriters, folk bands and independent musicians. But this Thursday, music fans will have a rare opportunity as Dar Williams performs at WorkPlay. Williams is on tour in support of her latest album, Promised Land, which we reviewed in September 2008.
Birmingham Box Set: This album sounds a bit different...
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What's on your calendar?
Tonight, Tim Brantley will perform at Barnes and Noble and I’ll attend my second show of the year. Statistically, I’m off to a faster start than 2008. But the first performance I caught was a (very good) cover band with a $5 cover at Speakeasy, and tonight is a freebie. My wallet’s very happy.
Well, that’s an exaggeration. My wallet’s sort of happy, because while I’ve kept it inexpensive so far,...
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Songs for These Times
The nation (perhaps the world?!) is abuzz as President-Elect Barack Obama’s swearing in ceremony approaches. I worked in newspapers for several years before coming on board at Birmingham magazine, and on big news days I’m still overflowing with adrenaline.
And spotting Birmingham folks in the national spotlight gets me even more pumped, especially when it relates to news events or...
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Tim Brantley builds a fan base in Birmingham
Tim Brantley, courtesy of Seth Cohen PR
If you’ve tuned into Live 100.5 in recent months, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard Tim Brantley’s debut single, “Damage.” The track has been one of the station’s top requested, proof of Brantley’s quick popularity in Birmingham.
That popularity has led to the Birmingham-exclusive release of his debut CD, Goldtop Heights. The only place you’ll find that...
Going solo with Amy Ray
You may have been fortunate enough to see her perform as one of the Indigo Girls during that band’s February 2008 stop at the Alys Stephens Center. But if you weren’t, this week you’ll get a second chance to see Amy Ray, half of that famed Athens, Ga., duo.
Ray is best known as an Indigo Girl, but she’s also a solo artist and founder of the label Daemon Records. She took a different direction on...
Dylan says Rojo is the way to go
When I’m not listening to my latest obsession or my favorite podcasts on my iPod, I’m still an FM and AM radio listener. So I totally missed it when Bob Dylan (yes, that Bob Dylan!) mentioned one of Birmingham’s own hot spots on his XM radio program.
On Dec. 29, Dylan played NRBQ’s song “12 Bar Blues” and followed it by saying, “They told you about 12 bars—here’s four more that I like. If you’re...
Songs for a Year
I often classify music seasonally. Most of my iPod playlists are divided according to mood, but mixed in that collection you’ll find spring, summer, autumn (my favorite!) and winter. And then there’s a playlist that carries me through them all: Songs for a Year.
I’ve been listening to that list a lot lately, for obvious reasons. My body’s in January, at work my mind is torn between February and...
December 2008
8 posts
2 tags
Behind the music in Birmingham: Monarchs kick off...
Before she created Monarchs in summer 2007, Celeste Griffin didn’t think she could sing. But with encouragement from musical friends, Griffin began writing songs and soon was performing around Birmingham. She’s just completed her first semester of graduate work in urban planning at the University of Texas, but Monarchs continue to book shows every time Griffin returns home.
The band is currently...
It's not all about 2008
Everyone loves year end lists—making them, at least, even if they scoff at other folks’ rankings. And since I’m already an obsessive list maker, they make the conclusion of a year that much more fun for me.
Instead of offering the standard “top 10 albums of 2008” countdown, I’ve been obsessing over which albums I listened to the most this year. Several new...
A year in music
As soon as I can pull myself away from the Daytrotter sessions I’ve been listening to all weekend, I’m heading off to my final concert of 2008: Blue Cut Robbery at WorkPlay. (Check out our online-only interview with Matthew Mayfield for more on this local trio, comprised of Mayfield, Stewart Vann and Wil Drake). That will bring me to a personal best of 23 shows in one year....
I've been given the gift of music
Mom and Dad—er, I mean, Santa Claus—tucked a fun little surprise into this year’s stocking. On Christmas morning, my siblings and I each unwrapped a $15 iTunes gift card. Now, I normally purchase hard copies of all my CDs (yeah, and I also prefer to write with pen and paper, not laptop and word processor. I’m so old fashioned), but I am absolutely not one to turn down free...
Update: Wild Sweet Orange comes home
Wild Sweet Orange: Garret Kelly, bass; Taylor Shaw, lead guitar; Preston Lovinggood, vocals; and Chip Kilpatrick, drummer. Photo: David McClister.
If you’ve paid attention to the local rock scene in recent years, you’re already well-acquainted with Wild Sweet Orange. The four band members (lead singer Preston Lovinggood, drummer Chip Kilpatrick, lead guitarist Taylor Shaw and bass player Garret...
Behind the music in Birmingham: Brian T. Murphy...
We launched Birmingham Box Set to offer you even more local music coverage, and that’s something I’m especially excited to do when our featured CD is by local musicians. The featured album in this month’s magazine is the seasonally-appropriate Silent Night, a collection of Christmas hymns by Red Mountain Music. It’s the sixth album by the musicians and friends of Birmingham’s Red Mountain...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
I sort of feel like I should be a grinch, fussing over any Christmas music and lights evident before Thanksgiving. In fact, I am a grinch about so many other things: I really dislike Halloween, and I can’t stand parades.
But I got an early jump on Christmas music this year as I reviewed Red Mountain Music’s Silent Night, a collection of Christmas hymns that is our featured CD for the...
A list of lists
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a list maker, and this week has been filled with them … work-related to do lists as we wrap up copy for our January issue, lists of Birmingham Box Set blog entries to write, mental lists of clothes to pack for my rapidly approaching (and first ever!) ski trip, Christmas parties to attend after I return from Colorado, Christmas parties I’m...
November 2008
4 posts
Iron and Wine at the WorkPlay Soundstage
I sent my little sister a text message about two songs into last night’s Iron and Wine concert. Cheryl and I have been discussing that show for months—ever since WorkPlay announced it this summer. She saw Iron and Wine in Jacksonville, Fla., this spring and said it was one of the most amazing concerts she’s attended. I must see them as soon as possible, she said.
She was...
Musical lists
I’m known around the office as a list maker. I keep a box of index cards, cataloging plans for the year, ideas for the future, every Smart Living Guide we’ve ever published and so on. I love updating my index cards with lists of CDs I’m considering for each month’s Currents. (My January and February lists are making me very happy right now! There are great things ahead.)...
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The evolution of Amos Lee
Amos Lee, Photographer: Marina Chavez, 2008. Copyright Blue Note Label Group
To listen to him, you would never guess that Amos Lee pursued a career as a school teacher, not a musician, upon graduating from the University of South Carolina. With his third release, Last Days at the Lodge (Blue Note), the Philadelphian has grown into a smooth, full sound that defies genre classification. Jazz?...
More music, all the time
Writing our monthly music reviews is one of my favorite parts of this job. Although I spend hours with my shoulders tensed and eyes narrowed, obsessing over each word and phrase, I love sifting through song after song, album after album. There’s a pile of new releases in my car right now, and I can’t wait to bond with each of those discs.
But with only a few hundred words to fill in...