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JONATHAN DONALDSON

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Liam Hayes’s Swan Dive


This year brings two revelations from Chicago-born pop/soul/torch-singer Liam Hayes of Plush.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  February 04, 2013

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Kingsley Flood declare new Battles

Cellars by Starlight
For a songwriter as simple and direct as Naseem Khuri, the band he's built around himself is surprisingly multi-faceted.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  February 01, 2013

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What's F'n Next? Widowspeak


Shortly after the release of their 2011 self-titled debut, Widowspeak drummer and founder Michael Stasiak left the band; it was the blow that drove singer Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas to make a better album.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  January 23, 2013

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Mansbach is back

Books
Prior to the meme-tastic success of last year's Go the Fuck to Sleep (Akashic Books), Adam Mansbach had written two acclaimed novels about race and culture.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  January 11, 2013

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No shadow on the Soft Moon


Released the day before Halloween, the Soft Moon's Zeroes is the perfect soundtrack for anyone looking to flirt with their '80s UK-goth dark side.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  January 10, 2013

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The Velvet Underground | The Verve/MGM Albums

Sundazed Music Inc (2012)
Sundazed scores with an LP-only box featuring rare original mono mixes of the Velvet's first three records; Nico's debut, Chelsea Girl ; and an unreleased album heretofore known to fans by legend only.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  November 27, 2012



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Sonic Jr.: On the record with engineer Justin Pizzoferrato

Cellars by Starlight
In talking to a cross section of talented musicians about their craft, certain themes repeat, and sometimes the names of certain people.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  November 26, 2012

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The orchestrated pleasure of Eddie Japan

Cellars by starlight
Sitting with Eddie Japan frontman David Santos, there is suspicion he might be a spy. He's well-dressed, to suit any occasion that might arise, and he refuses a drink.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  November 14, 2012

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Cellars by Starlight: Human Sexual Response


CDs might now be an outdated medium, but there was a time when everything on the format was available — except for one of the great rock records of the early '80s: 1981's In a Roman Mood by legendary Boston punk/new wave/whatever band Human Sexual Response.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  November 08, 2012

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Prince Rama | Top Ten Hits of the End of the World

Paw Tracks Records (2012)
We are used to this kind of thing with bigger stars — where the biography starts to take over and we talk more about how gaga-licious the artist is than about the music — but less so with the underground. Prince Rama don't make it easy, but their music demands that we dispense with their deep-fried, peyote-dipped creamsicle of a story as quickly as possible.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  October 31, 2012

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The recorded rebirth of Mean Creek


Outside their rehearsal space, Mean Creek are standing with their hands in their pockets, excited to dig into some discussion about their anticipated new record, Youth Companion .
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  October 10, 2012



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The simple pleasures of Banditas

Easy rider
Simplicity is not always easy, but sometimes it's the surest path to style and clarity, especially when we're talking about three girls, three instruments, three singers, loads of reverb, no solos, basic blues beats, high-and-lonesome harmonies, and killer songs dying for a smoke.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 12, 2012

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Out: One Night Band flexes Boston’s musical muscle — and dexterity

Circus of our stars
If the theme of last year's One Night Band was fun, the theme this year was star power.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 12, 2012

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Gene Dante gets personal at Jacque’s Underground Cabaret

Glitter bomber
Following the directions to this special private set by Gene Dante and the Future Starlets was a lot like following a scavenger hunt.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 29, 2012

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The Jesus and Mary Chain’s psych renewal

Louder now
For anyone interested in gritty, stylish psych-rock with smoky swirls of noise and ambience, 2012 is a pretty good place to be.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 28, 2012

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Animal Collective | Centipe de Hz

Domino (2012)
Animal Collective deserve credit for not doing what most artists in their position would do right about now — namely, get reactionary.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 28, 2012



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The free-wheeling efforts of Anne Heaton

Solo perch
Singer and keyboardist Anne Heaton never wanted to be a solo artist, but it's been that way since her first album in 2002.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 23, 2012

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Wild Nothing | Nocturne

Captured Tracks (2012)
If critics should be harsh toward the top dogs of the music business for offering nothing new to a particular genre or sound, how should they then turn their pens on emerging artists?
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 22, 2012

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Going off-off-road with MV & EE

Rural rock
As fans recently remembered what would have been the 70th birthday of Jerry Garcia, less sympathetic bystanders might have experienced the lingering taste left by the Grateful Dead.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 15, 2012

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Out: Movers & Shakers bid farewell at the third annual Starlab Fest in Somerville

Harvester of sorrow
This Saturday, Union Square will be abuzz with the happy glow of Starlab Fest 2012, and it promises to be nothing resembling a mellow affair.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  July 24, 2012
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