August 6, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Alejandro Escovedo – Tender Heart Alejandro Escovedo – “Tender Heart” Though he has made music of all types: early alt-country with Rank and File and the True Believers, chamber music with his string quartet, and his own solo records, Alejandro Escovedo has probably gained more acclaim from his most high profile fan, Bruce Springsteen. The… Read more »
August 5, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Spoon – “Out Go The Lights” Britt Daniel has gained critical acclaim with his band’s stripped-down version of pop music. Since forming Spoon in 1994 with drummer Jim Eno, the band has released a series of records to a growing audience that appreciates their tense, often sparse sound. Their latest, Transference, continues this trend, though… Read more »
August 4, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
The Clash – “Train In Vain” This song, which almost wasn’t included on the legendary London Calling turned out to be The Clash’s first US hit. Sung by guitar player Mick Jones, the track wasn’t even listed on the cover art, as it had been added while the record sleeve was already being produced. The… Read more »
August 3, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Soul Coughing – “Circles” This song, from Soul Coughing’s 1998 record El Oso, features a few of the band’s signatures: Mike Doughty’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics and repetitive, almost hypnotic bass and drums. After scoring a minor hit with “Super Bon Bon” from 1996’s Irresistible Bliss, the release of this single garnered them national acclaim, though they… Read more »
August 2, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – “Angel Dance” When the former Led Zeppelin frontman decided to create a new incarnation of his pre-Zep band (which included drummer John Bonham), he looked to guitarist Buddy Miller, who played on his Grammy-winning Raising Sand record with Alison Krauss. Miller brought in folk-rocker Patty Griffin and… Read more »
July 30, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Matthew Sweet – “Girlfriend” Hard to believe that the record of the same name came out almost 20 years ago, after Matthew Sweet was dropped from his label. His rocking power pop complimented his sugary sweet melodies, making this record a breakthrough smash. Along with “I’ve Been Waiting” and “Evangeline”, this song gave Sweet national… Read more »
July 29, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Gomez – “Airstream Driver” This song, from Gomez’s sixth record A New Tide, shows the expanse of their musical talents, pulling in blues, catchy pop melodies, and quirky indie rock sounds. Despite finding success with their first two releases Bring It On and Liquid Skin, they have bounced around between labels before landing on Dave… Read more »
July 28, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]renderVideo(“video_player_871126721”,’http://kxtradio.tumblr.com/video_file/871126721/tumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx’,500,375,’poster=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx_frame1.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx_frame2.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx_frame3.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx_frame4.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l68jle18sm1qcz7fx_frame5.jpg’) The Avett Brothers – “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” This video, for the song from the Avett Brothers’ latest record I and Love and You, animates the paintings of Jason Ryan Mitcham. Mitcham reportedly altered a single painting over 2600 times to illustrate the theme of… Read more »
July 27, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Tift Merritt – “Mixtape” This tune from the Raleigh, NC native’s fourth record See You On The Moon perfectly highlights the soulful voice that has given Tift Merritt acclaim since her first record Bramble Rose. This latest effort, produced by Tucker Martine (husband to Laura Veirs) simplifies her sound to the basics, highlighting her songwriting… Read more »
July 26, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Good Old War – “Coney Island” You might have heard “My Old Sinking Ship” on our airwaves, from Good Old War’s latest self-titled effort, but this song, the lead track from their 2008 release Only Way To Be Alone was the song that initially gained them critical acclaim. The band hails from Philadelphia, and their… Read more »
