Even the buzziest band doesn’t make it big alone. There’s nearly always help behind the scenes in the studio, from producers, engineers, mixers and general advisors.
John Agnello does all four. During a 25-year career, he has helped to shepherd some of the most impressive albums by some of the best bands: The Hold Steady (that’s [...]

July 22, 2009 at 7:30 am | Share | 1 Comment »

Who ever thought a band could out-Fleetwood Mac mid-’70s Fleetwood Mac? It scarcely seemed possible, but that’s exactly what Lights does on its second album, “Rites” (Drag City).
It’s a lush, trippy record, and you’d be forgiven for wondering at times if it’s a deadpan send-up of “Rumours” or “Tusk” – they even cover “Save Me [...]

July 21, 2009 at 7:30 am | Share | No Comments »

If there’s one thing Brooklyn rockabilly fans like more than drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, it’s throwing cans of said beverage at performing musicians. Assuming this is a sign of approval—no one seemed to be aiming for the genitals or face—the 3rd Annual Psychobilly Luau, held Saturday at the Bell House in Brooklyn, was a resounding [...]

July 19, 2009 at 11:39 pm | Share | No Comments »

If Bob Dylan can tour minor-league ballparks all summer long, why not Wilco? Evidently, the Chicago band sees it the same way, and they’ve gone all out on their mini-stadium mini-tour with a baseball-style program (including a set-list score card), baseball caps at the merch booth and by posting the starting lineup on the scoreboard [...]

July 12, 2009 at 8:00 am | Share | No Comments »

When Jay Farrar reconvened Son Volt for the 2005 album “Okemah and the Melody of Riot,” he did so almost as if he had something to prove. And maybe he did: it was Son Volt’s first new release after a hiatus of seven years, and circumstances had forced Farrar to recruit a new cast of [...]

July 6, 2009 at 7:30 am | Share | No Comments »