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Best Songs of 2012: Cloud Nothings - "No Future/No Past"
Adam King
December 12, 2012
When Dylan Baldi first appeared on the radar a couple years back‚ he seemed to live in a timeless gap between Pavement and The Ramones. The first time I heard this opening cut from January's Attack On Memory though‚ I realized this kid was evolving…fast. Plenty of bands have tried to sound like Nirvana before‚ but this is the closest anyone has come to truly feeling like them since Kurt pulled the trigger. A dark cry of apathy hasn't felt this warm in quite some time.



Best Songs of 2012: Kaki King - "Bowen Island"
Garret K. Woodward
December 11, 2012
I was driving headlong into a blizzard on the desolate roads of southeastern Idaho. It was 2008 and I held a steady pace on the slushy pavement. The latest album from Kaki King (Dreaming of Revenge) echoed from the speakers of my old pickup truck. Each snowflake hit my windshield like each guitar note hit my eardrums.

I found myself zoning out‚ pulling apart the conflicting memories in my mind‚ trying to rearrange them in some organized fashion to make sense of my choices that led me to this point‚ where fate finds itself on hairpin curves‚ while impending black ice licks the tires I carefully steer.

King possesses that power to grip your soul and hold it in place‚ shaking it out of the ordinary‚ causing one to take a step back from the daily routine and see exactly how deep the hole is we've all dug ourselves into. She saves us from the mundane‚ acting as a crusader of fleeting moments and visions that haunt you late at night or early in the morning‚ right when you pour your first cup of coffee and stare blankly out the kitchen window into the backyard.

Recently transplanting myself into the high peaks and low-hanging valleys of Western North Carolina‚ I once again find myself confronted with a new Kaki King record (Glow)‚ just as my life finds itself at a crossroads.

The sonic soundscapes and hummingbird fluttering of her guitar wizardry on "Bowen Island" captivates the senses. Where there was once snowflakes hitting the windshield‚ now a barrage of fallen leaves cascade from the depths of the southern foliage season. The melody provokes your foot to keep the gas pedal going. You don't want to turn into your driveway‚ rather you want to drive around the block‚ around the town or around the county for that matter‚ seeing where each subsequent song on the record and steady steering hand direct you.



Best Songs of 2012: Alabama Shakes - "Hold On"
Adam King
December 10, 2012
Man‚ we've all really fallen back in love with the blues these past few years‚ and luckily that means the Alabama Shakes aren't stuck playing dive bars in Alabama. The androgynous snarl of Brittany Howard's lead vocals is angelic in its attack‚ and there's no denying its power in "Hold On." Saying you don't like this track is like saying you don't like beer‚ but then you get caught pounding a 6-pack in your driveway with this tune blaring out the car stereo. Undeniable power.




photo by Pieter M. van Hattem Wilco's Solid Sound Festival Returns to Mass MoCA June 21-23‚ 2013
Mike McKinley
November 29, 2012

Wilco's Solid Sound Festival returns to Mass MoCA on June 21-23 after taking 2012 off. Early worm tickets go on sale tomorrow, November 30th.

This is great news. If you haven't heard much about this unique festival yet, our coverage from 2010 and 2011 is good place to start. Stay tuned for more details.




photos by Mike Wren Video: Jimi Hendrix - "I Don't Live Today"
Mike McKinley
November 27, 2012
So many of my music loving friends on Facebook reminded me that today would have been Jimi Hendrix's 70th birthday. When I was in 2nd grade I fell in love with Hendrix -- what can I say‚ I was lucky to have friends with really cool older brothers. His music hit hard right from the start. It sounded so free and powerful. And it was just so bad ass and mysterious. It made MTV‚ Michael Jackson‚ Van Halen and whatever other music I was consuming in the early 80s seem so packaged, watered down and tame. I guess listening to Hendrix at that age was my first transcendental experience with music. Without being able to put my finger on it and explain it‚ I was experiencing music's power and potential.

Here's a live shot of "I Don't Live Today" from 1969 -- my favorite song when I was a kid. As anecdotal as it may be‚ I think what sets Jimi apart and solidifies him in that higher echelon of musicians is that no matter what age I am‚ he always sounds fucking brilliant.

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