Roots Report: A Quickie!
Okee dokee folks… This is the short version of my column! The Sandywoods Folk Festival will take place on Sat, May 23 at 11am. For an event that seems so simple, it proved to be very complicated. Russ Smith’s plan of a two-day outdoor festival transformed into a one-day indoor event and involved Russ’ resignation […]
Motif Music Award Winners
On a rainy Tuesday night, an eclectic crowd of roughly 400 musicians and music lovers, from folk to hardcore, from hip-hop to EDM, gathered to swap stories, down drinks and receive awards. Thanks to all who came out, and thanks to the nearly 4,000 Motif readers who took the time to vote for their favorites. It was […]
Alt-Nation: Hot Rocks
Waxahatchee – Ivy Trip (Merge Records) Indie rockers Waxahatchee released their 3rd album, Ivy Trip, last month. Primarily a vehicle for singer/songwriter Katie Crutchfield, Waxahatchee finish up this leg of their US tour at the Greenwich Odeum this Thursday night, March 14. On Ivy Trip, tunes like “Under a Rock,” which reminds me of the […]
Motif Interviews A Troop Of Echoes
One of the most uniquely electrifying bands you’ll ever listen to, Providence artsy alternative jazz rock act A Troop Of Echoes will be playing AS220 on May 14 with fellow noise makers Gertrude Atherton, Gondoliers and Snowplows in celebration of the national release of their latest album, The Longest Year On Record. I got to […]
Rob’s Album Of The Week: Joanna Gruesome’s Peanut Butter
To create a memorable album and harness an excellent sound, it’s vital for a rock band to have a perfect balance of edgy noise and pop aesthetics along with a healthy dose of originality. An amazing example of this flawless mix is Cardiff, Wales’ noise garage pop act Joanna Gruesome and their upcoming release Peanut Butter. […]
Album Of The Week: Rhett Miller’s The Traveler
You might know him as the frontman of Dallas, Tex., alt-country trail blazers The Old 97’s, but Rhett Miller actually started as a solo artist with the release of Mythologies that he recorded as a 19-year-old kid in the late ’80s. He’s kept putting out his own records over the years, but his upcoming release […]