bestnom1000x50
All Authors >

JONATHAN DONALDSON

Latest Articles

fi-list

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

hhl

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

bc4

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 band4

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

beachboys4

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

list_LoudonWainwright_66

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



pom4

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

eds4

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

cd4

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

cs-4

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

hay4

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



pole4

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

drf4

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-4

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

auto4

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

lasera4

La Sera | Sees The Light

Hardly Art (2012)
Sees the Light, the second album from this side project of Vivian Girls' Katy Goodman, is a surprisingly difficult album to review.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  March 28, 2012



ms4

Miike Snow | Happy to You

Downtown/Columbia (2012)
Miike Snow's Swedish production team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg first won acclaim working on Britney's regal but sonically kooky "Toxic."
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  March 21, 2012

list_DevilMusic_66

Devil Music Ensemble heads to China

"Red Heroine" chic
When Boston's Devil Music Ensemble began their quest to write a live soundtrack to the 1929 Chinese silent film Red Heroine , they never would have guessed that they would end up in Beijing.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  March 07, 2012

list_Javelin_66

Exploring staged improvisation with Javelin

Ping-pong sounds
In the spicy euphoria following a Valentine's Day dinner date last week (real-deal bibimbap), Javelin's Tom Van Buskirk and his date tried to hold their own in a Los Angeles Korean table-tennis club.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  February 21, 2012

hunx4

Hunx | Hairdresser Blues

Hardly Art (2012) 
The idea of Hunx and His Punx's Seth Bogart doing a solo album is kind of silly.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  February 21, 2012

fieldmusic-l

Field Music | Plumb

Memphis Industries (2012) 
The buzz about Britain's Field Music has been growing for some time.
By: JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  February 27, 2012


< prev  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |   next >

Most Popular