Since The Alcatraz Kid was released independently in 2006, Jeremy Messersmith has been praised for his elegant and literate songwriting style. While love songs and lullabies are not new territories for the emo/indie genre, Messersmith manages to create a unique sound by combining subtle lyrics and attention to instrumental detail. His latest record, Heart Murmurs, has […]
Since The Alcatraz Kid was released independently in 2006, Jeremy Messersmith has been praised for his elegant and literate songwriting style. While love songs and lullabies are not new territories for the emo/indie genre, Messersmith manages to create a unique sound by combining subtle lyrics and attention to instrumental detail. His latest record, Heart Murmurs, has […]
I was convinced that Taylor Hicks would not only win the 2006 season of “American Idol,” but would also become wildly successful as a recording artist. I was so convinced of his ability to appeal to a range of audiences, that I told anyone who would listen he’d be the most popular “Idol” of all time. […]
Have you ever really stopped and listened to lyrics like those in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” or Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty?” It’s startling when you hear some of the words that kids sing today. But that’s where programs like Mobile Music Mission come in. As a local company that lets kids become a part of […]
John D’earth was about 4 when his father—“a great listener, but not a musician”—taught him an important lesson about making music. He was at his grandmother’s house. He toddled over to the piano, climbed onto the bench, and started pounding away. He was having fun, just enjoying the noise of it, but he could hear […]
With it’s recent Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, Vampire Weekend bites into a variety of styles with inspiration from Afro-pop and rock music of the past. Formed in New York City in 2006, and taking its name from a failed film project, the band rose to the top of the music world with […]
The Oklahoma duo Miss Brown to You featuring Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg plays a mix of jazz and folk in songs that are endearing and serene. Both musicians employ their classical training, performing original music on a range of instruments, while Reynolds sings from the heart with what the Tulsa World calls “the most […]
The brooding tones of electric synth may exude the soul of the ’80s, but there’s nothing retro about the music of Dead Fame. Spiking its music with elements of modern rock, the group revitalizes the genre with new energy, creating its own version of a classic sound. The group’s new album, Vicious Design, pays tribute […]
David Bromberg doesn’t take interview calls until 5pm. That’s when the work day is done at his violin retail and repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware. It’s a humble existence for a guy who was once Columbia Records’ second-best recording artist behind Bob Dylan, but a few minutes on the phone with Bromberg reveal that he […]
When the galleries close up after First Friday and you’ve had your fill of early summertime patios, climb the stairs to the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar for some hot live music. Heat rises, and it tends to feel like summer for 10 months out of the year in the Tea House. This is triply true […]
If you’ve yet to see Moby Brown perform with his band, you’ve been missing a rock ‘n’ roll firestorm. Originally formed at UVA in 2002, the local power troupe’s line-up has evolved over the years resulting in high-energy gigs that draw comparisions to Otis Redding, Chris Robinson, and Joe Cocker and have made Moby and […]