Whether you like rap, rock, classical or country, you'll find your favorite music at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy, MA.
Posted in Alt Rock, Indie, Rock/Pop, Roots Rock, Southern Rock on Jan 30th, 2013
“As a storyteller, Isbell’s tales of dashed hopes and Southern pride are powerful, realistic, and keenly intelligent, and he and the band bring them to life with just the right touch. …If you haven’t seen Isbell and the 400 Unit on-stage, Live from Alabama will likely convince you to show up the next time they [...]
Posted in Alt Rock, Country Rock, Indie, Rock/Pop on Jan 30th, 2013
“Someone lit a fire under Band of Horses’ porch. The quintet usually specialize in beard-y reverie, somewhere between Built to Spill’s guitar majesty and Seventies AM folk of America. But the Horses rough things up on Mirage Rock, from the ‘Brown Sugar’ bounce of ‘Electric Music’ to the crackling ‘Knock Knock,’ where Ben Bridwell sings [...]
“Muse have specialized in drama-rock gigantism for more than a decade – long enough to get really good at it… Against orchestral swirls, bass drops and lush Radiohead pantomime, a British scientist direly informs us that ‘an economy based on endless growth is unsustainable.’ It’s bad news that makes for some fine spectacle.” –Rolling Stone [...]
“[A] megalithic symphony would seem to be an ambitious suite of rock music, and the album fits its title if one interprets the ambition as an unfettered eclecticism and sense of whimsy, as tethered to constant dance beats… Megalithic Symphony engages the ear from moment to moment and allows Aaron Bruno to try out a [...]
Posted in Alt Rock, Indie, Movies, Rock/Pop, Soundtracks on Jan 5th, 2013
“Since Breaking Dawn is the final installment of the Twilight Saga, it’s fitting that the film’s soundtrack is dominated by ballads that feel like a long goodbye to Bella, Edward, and Jacob….While Breaking Dawn isn’t one of the more dynamic Twilight Saga soundtracks, it is one of the more emotive ones, and just may help [...]
Posted in Alt Rock, Holiday, Indie, Rock/Pop on Dec 18th, 2012
“Holidays Rule attempts to shake up the standard holiday listening with a cross section of artists ranging from ragtag indie acts to legitimate pop icons having a go at time-honored Christmas classics and wintry holiday songs. The collection features contributions from 17 diverse acts….” –All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
Posted in Alt Rock, Alt-Country, Folk, Indie, Rock/Pop on Dec 18th, 2012
“[A]miable, quaint, mischievous, sad, and disarmingly sincere. …[A] relatively simple, country-folk record, albeit one with a college degree, and when it connects it hits that sweet spot between joy and despair that has served as the target for many a dusty brimmed singer/songwriter over the years. The Avett Brothers aren’t rewriting the book, they’re just [...]
“‘Acousto’ is…stunningly beautiful. Recorded live and accompanied by just his guitar and two violas — yes, Viola performs with violas — he has created a song cycle of great intimacy and warmth. With his sweet husk of a voice, Viola explores everything from self-doubt…to the meaning of love….” –Boston Globe Check Our Catalog
“[T]he album unleashes a kind of churning, rumbling urgency in which intensity stands in for speed. Ornate but not wispy, these songs aren’t merely pretty; they also convey power that builds subtly. Sugaring Season waits until its closer, ‘Mystery,’ to really dial back to something entirely gentle and spare. When that song finally rolls around, [...]
“A sparkling debut album with echoes of Byrne and Bowie. …Londoner Max McElligott’s debut has been a long time in the nurturing and crafting, and it shows. …[I]t will be interesting to see where a talent like Wolf Gang’s travels to next” –NME Check Our Catalog
“Grizzly Bear were gone for a few years after Veckatimest, but the amount of extracurricular projects they tackled during that time — Chris Taylor’s work with CANT, Daniel Rossen’s solo EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile, and the band’s reconfiguring of their own songs into the Blue Valentine soundtrack — means they never really went away. Shields [...]
“[T]his brisk, cheerful collection of pop is a relief after the operatic ambitions of 21st Century Breakdown. The hooks fly furiously, the attack is precise and the hooks, in both the melodies and riffs, are so huge, they gleefully bludgeon doubters into blissful submission. It’s the work not of punks but of road warriors eager [...]
Posted in Alt Rock, Folk Rock, Indie, Rock/Pop on Dec 1st, 2012
“Martha Wainwright is an artist who has absolutely no fear of emotional honesty, a quality that has long figured strongly in her work…and she has plenty to open up about on her fifth album. …Come Home to Mama isn’t always an easy or cheery listen, but anyone familiar with Martha Wainwright’s work knows not to [...]
“Regina Spektor’s sixth outing, the predictably unpredictable What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, feels a little like a Wes Anderson movie. By now, you’re either on board with the Russian-American’s unique blend of East Village anti-folk and immaculately detailed thespian indie pop, or you’ve swapped her wares for the more accessible quirkiness of Fun. [...]
“As the record rolls on, the Wallflowers dabble with a number of different sounds. …The Wallflowers don’t abandon their identity as rock & roll classicists, they just now feel the freedom to mess around, and they’ve come up with one of their loosest, liveliest records that not-so-coincidentally is one of their best.” –All Music Guide [...]
“The album finds that magical middle ground between sugary pop and heavy rock that Weezer once dominated in the days of the Blue Album. The brothers Orrall have tightened up their sound into something thicker and more cohesive while stepping further away from the looser, more psychedelic sound of Heavy Days, and in the process [...]
“Six years between albums would be a lifetime for many artists, but Cat Power’s Chan Marshall managed to pack a couple of lifetimes’ worth of experiences between The Greatest and Sun. …Sun lives up to its name, but its album cover is more revealing: like the rainbow crossing Marshall’s face, these songs are the meeting [...]
“Four — an album title that reflects the years between the band’s albums, the number of its members, and its place in Bloc Party’s discography — shows there’s more life in their music than most would have predicted. …[T]hey sought new life in their music and their collaboration, and they found it. Four may not [...]
“It’s always been easy to overlook the romantic nature of the band that ran underneath the loud guitars and outfits, but it’s always been there and it proudly steps to the front on Researching. The more cynical listeners may call it a mellowing, but that discounts the passion, energy, and power the band invest in [...]
“Mann has brightened her palette considerably, surrounding herself with synthesizers and trebly guitars, keeping the hooks spiky and precise. …Her livelier numbers, of which there are quite a few, aren’t exactly frivolous, but they have a pulse and plenty of color which, combined with album’s concise running time…give Charmer the feel of an immediate, engaging [...]