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JONATHAN DONALDSON

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vandelles-list

The Vandelles ride a different kind of wave

Technicolor noir
If you were listening to the audio version of this interview, you might find yourself sifting through lots of reverb and the rumble of a passing motorcycle.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  October 05, 2011
highplaces-list

High Places | Original Colors

Thrill Jockey (2011)
High Places have changed their sound a great deal since their cool ride together began five years ago with a fresh breeze of homespun sounds, household percussion, and trickling vocals.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  October 04, 2011
list_onenightband_66

Out: Some one night bands you don't forget

40 Rock
Last Saturday, for the third consecutive year, Boston Band Crush's Ashley Willard and Richard Bouchard hosted One Night Band.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 29, 2011
mekons-l

The Mekons | Ancient & Modern

Bloodshot (2011)
Considering that the Mekons have made almost 20 albums and have been around since CHiPS debuted on television (1977), they are keeping it pretty fresh.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 20, 2011
elbow-list

Dissecting the enveloping sound of Elbow

Full bodied
Like a husky boy after his second plate at the Thanksgiving table, Elbow's music has become pretty damn comfortable.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 20, 2011
crashsafely-l

Boston rock bands together for Crash Safely

Landing spot
If music can be a refuge for the open-minded, it should also be able to take the lead in changing entrenched attitudes.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 14, 2011
list_oliviatremor_66

Olivia Tremor Control emerge from their time machine

An excellent adventure
Until recently, the hazy chronicle of the Athens-based Elephant 6 collective had begun to resemble a late-'90s high school yearbook.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  September 07, 2011
Ganglians-l

Ganglians | Still Living

Lefse (2011)
Perhaps because of the magical rays of the California sun — or maybe just a good-natured adventure with a bottle of peroxide — this time around, these Sacramento boys have turned beachy; and just in time to turn in one of the best records of the summer.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 16, 2011
WarOnDrugs-l

The War on Drugs | Slave Ambient

Secretly Canadian (2011)
On Slave Ambient, Granduciel's love of tranced-out, yet strangely filtered arena rock jams is on full display.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 09, 2011
Nicole Atkins is back

Nicole Atkins finds peace in her darkness

Fade to black
A lot seemed to go wrong for Atkins after Columbia Records released her classic-pop imbued debut Neptune City four years ago. The singer of the newly rechristened Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea watched everyone responsible for getting her signed to a coveted major label deal get fired within months.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 09, 2011
NFF list

Newport Folk Festival expands its scope

Plugged into 2011
Indeed much has changed since the historic and genre-defining Newport Folk Festival resumed in 1986 after a 15-year hiatus.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  August 01, 2011
TIO List

The In Out | The Venal Column

Sell You (2011)
The In Out are one of Boston's true underground rock bands.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  July 26, 2011
Ladybug Transistor in Boston with Hallelujah The Hills

The Ladybug Transistor create a new pop shade

Growth spurts
Brooklyn might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about overgrown blooms and country air. But for the past 16 years, Gary Olson of the Ladybug Transistor has made the city parks and street-lined canopies of Flatbush his own private garden.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  June 29, 2011
df list

After two decades, the Del Fuegos find a personal cause for reunion

Making a right turn
At the Paradise, expect a celebration of Giessmann and Right Turn’s achievements and of the music of the Del Fuegos, as well as a promise of continuing to help others.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  June 27, 2011
gruff list

The wyrd, wyld Welsh wyrld of Gruff Rhys

Animal on the loose
In his new film Separado!, Gruff Rhys is riding around São Paulo when his Brazilian driver asks the shaggy-haired musician where he is from.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  June 09, 2011
sl list

The complicated pop world of Sondre Lerche

Naming rights
Anyone who has spent any time with one of his albums knows that it's not going to be your typical grab-a-coffee, "how's-the-missus?" sort of day.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 26, 2011
boris list

Boris | Attention Please

Sargent House (2011)
Two new albums are out this week from Boris.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 25, 2011
AR list

Age Rings | Black Honey

Self-released (2011)
With the MP3 emerging as the king format these days, anything longer than a 40-minute CD is just too long.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 26, 2011
Papas Fritas list

A reunited Papas Fritas find their way home

Around the world and back
The road from the first basement jam session to the indie-record deal isn't always clearly delineated with reflectors and mile markers — but hindsight usually reveals some kind of plan.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 12, 2011
destry list

From afar, Destry bring vintage allure to Boston

Cowboys in waiting
When Destry's Michelle DaRosa tells me she grew up watching musicals excessively, I find myself listening to her singing voice just to see what type of musical heroine she'd be.  
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 06, 2011
jules list

Julian Lynch | Terra

Underwater Peoples (2011)
Although experimentation in music nowadays is certainly in vogue, there aren't many records that will straddle the line between commercial plausibility and healthy art-for-art's-sake like Julian Lynch's Terra.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  May 06, 2011
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