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JONATHAN DONALDSON

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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

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

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

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

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

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

Fang Island | Major

Sargent House (2012)
Although I admit that I was won over when I saw that their press photo is an Olan Mills portrait, I am happy to report that Major is pretty incredible.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | July 24, 2012

Tracing the sound of the Head and the Heart

Vital organs
With the twist of classic pop that they bring to the dourness of the current indie-folk sound, the Head and the Heart were one of the breakout acts of last year’s Newport Folk Festival.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | July 25, 2012

Bethany Cosentino settles into a comfort zone

Still California dreaming
Best Coast have caught a lot of flack for not sounding like themselves on their new record, The Only Place (Mexican Summer).

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | July 10, 2012

Debo Band deliver Boston to a world stage

Great expectations
It's no mystery that the the refreshing clarity, lightness, intricacy, and vibration of Debo Band's forthcoming homonymous debut album is worthy of all of the space dedicated to this article.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | July 03, 2012

The Beach Boys forget the past in order to embrace it

In harmony
For the past 50 years, the Beach Boys have been selling myths, and we've been buying them.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | June 21, 2012

Loudon Wainwright III ages appropriately

Grown man
The reason why Loudon Wainwright III drives us crazy is the same reason why we love him so much.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | June 05, 2012

Pomegranates | Heaven

Modern Outsider
Although the songs on Heaven might not be uniformly good, the Cincinnati-based Pomegranates bring the charm via killer guitar sounds, creative keyboards, and the girlish vocals of twin tenors Isaac Karns and Joey Cook (whose lighter-than-air musings buoy this collection).

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | May 29, 2012

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros | Here

Community Music (2012)
Maybe I'm feeling the ghost of Levon Helm, but it's hard to find many flaws in this new disc from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | May 22, 2012

Out: Richard Davies reconnects his Cardinal roots

On the fly
Last Thursday was full of surprises at Cambridge's Plough and Stars, as Australian singer/songwriter Richard Davies and one very lucky pick-up band were set to perform the music of Cardinal — the legendary duo whose 1994 homonymous LP was perhaps the most influential baroque-pop revival record of the 1990s.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | May 15, 2012

Craft Spells | Gallery

Captured Tracks (2012)
Craft Spells certainly live up to their name on this six-song EP, with the charm of its effortless, pixie-light production and the warm, plangent harp sounds of their major-key melodies.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | May 15, 2012

Colin Hay keeps life in perspective

Still at work
Last month, tragedy struck when Men at Work's Greg Ham was found dead April 19 in his home.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | May 01, 2012

Stefan Betke returns with new discoveries

Pole positioned
As one of the pioneers of the dub and glitch sub-genres of electronic music, Stefan Betke's reputation as a producer and mastering engineer almost supersede his identity as a composer.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | April 25, 2012

There is no prescription for the Doctors Fox

Above the influence
Picture this: you walk into a room and some interesting music is playing.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | April 10, 2012

Lightships | Electric Cables

Domino (2012)
Aside from Lightships being a boss band name and Electric Cables being a righteous title, what this hot number really has going for it is that it's the first solo outing from Teenage Fanclub bassist/co-vocalist/co-songwriter Gerald Love, the singer with the really soft, gentle voice that's usually juxtaposed with Norman Blake's more direct, pleading hooks.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | April 03, 2012

The tight post-punk structure of Autochrome

Polished finish
Sitting around the kitchen table listening to music with Autochrome bassist/singer Jeff Bartell and guitarist Richard Murillo, I realize that before we even started talking, we certainly agreed on this: when the guitar kicks in on "Senses" from their forthcoming self-released album, Separation Realms, it sends chills down the spine.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | March 30, 2012

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