Merce Lemon is a Pittsburgh-based artist whose musical journey has been shaped by the community and culture of her hometown. Growing up in a creative family and surrounded by a supportive music scene, Merce has been part of local shows for years, often performing with her parents’ friends and, at times, alongside her father and…
At this point, The Decemberists have a nice music history. The group formed in 2000 when Colin Meloy moved to Portland, Oregon, meeting Nate Query, Jenny Conlee, and Chris Funk. Their sound blends folk rock with complex narratives and varied instrumentation. The Decemberists produce rich, evocative arrangements; and they incorporate elements from different genres, producing…
You have to wonder if anyone thought about the possibility that they might be wearing the band name Teenage Fanclub still, over thirty years later, while the principal members were getting close to 60? Whether they were expecting to be a flash in the pan, or were in it for the long haul, long gone…
Nora O’Connor’s list of credits providing backing vocal support, both in the studio and on tour, is as long as her arm. She’s recorded and toured with Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Robbie Fulks, and sang on Mavis Staples’ “You Are Not Alone” album produced by Jeff Tweedy. Knocked off the road during…
Indie folk/rock quartet The Ophelias return with a third studio album, Crocus. While the four members came together after playing the role of the “token girl” in a male band, their collaboration grew from their combined creativity marked by the unique voice of guitarist and singer/songwriter Spencer Peppet and the violin of Andrea Gutman Fuentes….
On the current single from his new album, “Sanctuary,” singer/songwriter MC Taylor, a.k.a. Hiss Golden Messenger, gets that the world is a mess right now. “Feeling bad, feeling blue,” he sings, acknowledging that “I know it feels like hell now/‘Til we get to the otherside,” he wants to offer solace and security but “I can’t…
In 1991, when Scottish band Teenage Fanclub first broke in No. America with their third album, Bandwagonesque, their sound was brimming with electric guitars turned up so they were humming on the edge of feeding back, brisk pop song rhythms with Beatlesque hooks and harmonies, and two strong singles in “Star Sign” and “The Concept.”…
“Thank you and goodnight” is what you could hear after the opening track, “EKG,” on Wilco’s new surprise ninth record Star Wars. The disjointed instrumental affair is loose and free and would fit nicely into this veteran groups encore to say goodbye. Instead, it is the greeting and welcome mat on this solid and free…
