Posts tagged with "June 2010"

MARAH + Life is a Problem

MARAH Life is a Problem [Valley Farm Songs] The latest release from Marah comes with a lot of firsts. As usual, there have been changes in the lineup—Marah is now essentially the duo of singer and guitarist Dave Bielanko and keyboardist Christine Smith. Life Is a Problem is also the first Marah album not released on CD in the U.S. Instead, it’s available in hipster-deluxe gatefold LP, MP3 and cassette (yes, you read that correctly) formats. As... 

JIM LAUDERDALE + Patchwork River

JIM LAUDERDALE Patchwork River [Thirty Tigers] Veteran singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale collaborated with legendary Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter for Patchwork River, and the result is a lovably twisted genre piece. Always an evocative singer, Lauderdale clearly relishes biting off existential verses such as “What do you get when you cross the street against the light with a cyclone fence?” In the best Dead tradition, Lauderdale and Hunter’s... 

CADILLAC SKY + Letters in the Deep

CADILLAC SKY Letters in the Deep [Dualtone] Never known as a strictly bluegrass band, Cadillac Sky continues its musical evolution. With the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on board as producer, the group incorporates rock elements (would Bill Monroe have ever used a Mellotron?) without abandoning their acoustic roots. Newcomer David Mayfield makes his presence known with a stinging electric guitar run on the opening cut, “Trapped Under the Ice.” “Trash... 

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM + This is Happening

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM This is Happening [Capitol] The cliché is that people drink to forget, and the same is true for dance music, as care-nullifying a zone as ever existed. But James Murphy dances—or creates dance music—to remember. The music he masterminds under the LCD Soundsystem banner is at least as focused on lyrics as beats, and the one-man band’s third album, This Is Happening, goes for the gloriously neurotic. It’s very nearly a concept... 

MACY GRAY + The Sellout

MACY GRAY The Sellout [Concord Records] More than 10 years have passed since Macy Gray struck gold with her smash hit, “I Try.” That old-school soul song and the debut album from which it sprang (On How Life Is) served as a kind of gateway drug for the likes of Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone. Gray has since floundered, releasing albums that either lacked direction (2001’s The Id) or were over-polished (2007’s Big). Happily, The Sellout marks... 

WE ARE SCIENTISTS + Barbara

WE ARE SCIENTISTS Barbara [Masterswan/Megaforce] On a micro level—minutes and seconds—We Are Scientists is obsessed with time. On its third album, the New York City trio moves quickly from hook-worthy verses to still-catchier choruses, offering little that cannot be hummed. The stopwatch is constantly running, and even on the Goth-tinged ballad “Pittsburgh,” founders Keith Murray and Chris Cain won’t let things drag. In a macro sense—eras... 

JACK JOHNSON + To the Sea

JACK JOHNSON To the Sea [Brushfire] Jack Johnson may still be strumming his guitar lazily in the sand from time to time, but To the Sea suggests that he’s running into the house more often to experiment with his sound. It’s a low-key compromise for the millions who love him for being so easily digestible and those who were losing patience with his mellow, beach bum vibe. To listeners in the second group, some small changes to the very bankable... 

CAKEWALK A-300PRO 32-KEY MIDI CONTROLLER

The A-300PRO combines Cakewalk’s lauded software compatibility and universality with Roland’s decades of experience. FOR: Keyboard players. In the world of MIDI controllers, expressivity is key. The plug-and-play USB connection and dedicated transport controls are great features for home recording and production, but rarely do we see such responsive, musical action in a 32-key controller. Nine knobs, nine sliders and eight dynamic pads increase... 

TOONTRACK SUPERIOR DRUMMER 2.0 AND MUSIC CITY USA SDX

Superior Drummer 2.0 has a revamped interface and loads of new sample libraries. FOR: Songwriters, producers and even drummers. Superior Drummer 2.0 has improved load times, dynamic and EQ controls, ADSR for sample-playback shaping and compatibility with Toontrack EZdrummer libraries, making it as straightforward or as in-depth as needed. Add the Music City USA SDX expansion for 20GB of pristine drum samples recorded in Nashville by drummer Harry... 

TAYLOR T3/B SEMI-HOLLOWBODY GUITAR

Taylor’s T3/B pairs the best of a hollowbody with some signature features from their SolidBody and T5 electrics. FOR: Electric guitarists in almost any genre. The neck expands on Taylor’s hollow T5 design with more substantial frets, t confidence and comfort in the fingers. The same Style 2 HD humbuckers found on the SolidBody line offer traditional three-way switching, while pulling up on the volume knob engages a coil-splitter. The tone knob... 

M-AUDIO FAST TRACK WITH PRO TOOLS M-POWERED ESSENTIAL

Perhaps the most complete entry-level studio package we’ve seen. FOR: Home and mobile recording. Fast Track has a sexy new look, with top-mounted knobs, rounded edges and monitor switching boiled down to a single button. Speaking of monitoring, the headphone output is louder than in previous builds, making it less of a hassle to find a balance between mic and instrument when recording simultaneously. The bundled Pro Tools M-Powered Essential software... 

SKB 3i-4214-66 WATERPROOF STRAT/TELE FLIGHT CASE

This waterproof case for Stratocasters and Telecasters is the first injection-molded case of its kind. FOR: Traveling guitarists. SKB has spared no efforts in creating the ultimate flight case for two of the most common body styles. The polypropylene copolymer resin is designed to be corrosion- and impact-resistant, airtight, waterproof and even submersible up to certain pressures. Inside, a plush lining supports the neck and protects the guitar from... 

Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed

WHO’S NEXT: ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED HOMETOWN: Boston INFLUENCES: Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding ALBUM: Come and Get It, due out Aug. 10 WEBSITE: elipaperboyreed.com EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR YOUNG ELI REED THE DAY that his father bought a Ray Charles box set, which the family listened to again and again over the course of a summer vacation. Reed was already a fan of vintage rock ’n’ roll and country music, but when he heard... 

Nikki Yanofsky

WHO’S NEXT: NIKKI YANOFSKY HOMETOWN: Montreal, Quebec INFLUENCES: Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday ALBUM: Nikki, out now WEBSITE: nikkionline.ca THINGS HAVE MOVED QUICKLY FOR NIKKI YANOFSKY-AT 12 she was singing in front of 100,000 people at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, by 13 she had been nominated for a Juno award (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys), and at 16 she’s just released her debut studio album,... 

Sons Of Sylvia

WHO’S NEXT: SONS OF SYLVIA HOMETOWN: Rocky Mount, Va. MEMBERS: Adam Clark (mandolin, guitar, vocals) Ashley Clark (lead vocals, guitar, fiddle) Austin Clark (Dobro, lap steel, vocals) ALBUM: Revelation, out now WEBSITE: sonsofsylvia.com ADAM, ASHLEY AND AUSTIN CLARK are Three of 11 children born to traveling ministers Freddy and Sylvia Clark (hence the name of the group), who taught them to play instruments as kids. The three were all working... 

Sarah McLachlan

M Music & Musicians / June 2010 Issue 04 Cover Story: Sarah McLachlan Features: Rock At The Movies, Deal Or No Deal? Gear Feature: Maximum Mixes Musician: Herbie Hancock, Robert Randolph Producer: Hugh Padgham Q&A’s: Jewel, Ozzy Osbourne, 3Oh!3, Timothy B. Schmit, Tift Merritt, Solomon Burke Spotlight: Devo, Dierks Bentley, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Against Me!, Hanson, Punch Brothers, Tonic Who’s Next: Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed,... 
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