Author Archives: Andrew Bain

Sweet tea is the perfect beverage for the end of summer. It has the slightly acidic bite of the iced tea, as well as a kick of sweetness from what must surely be an unhealthy amount of sugar.

When John Frusciante quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers for good, fans of the band were nervous, and understandably so. Frusciante played with a fire that would no doubt be hard to replace. Fans need not worry. The band’s new album, “I’m With You,” is one of the band’s best to date and will leave listeners satisfied and wanting more.

There is something fresh and invigorating about listening to an album with vocals sung in a different language. Many music fans have discovered this through Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and many more are about to discover it via “Tassili,” the new album from the Malian ensemble called Tinariwen.

It’s not often that an album comes out that borders on impossible to classify into one genre or another. “Mirror Traffic,” a new release from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, dabbles in several genres, from rock ‘n’ roll and country to folk and indie rock.

Released in the wake of the Newport Folk Festival, Ollabelle’s “Neon Blue Bird” is in a good position to take advantage of folksters new and old looking to further explore the genre.

If Bob Dylan were to ever form a band and record an album that incorporates ambient and alternative rock, it might sound something like “Slave Ambient” by The War on Drugs.**

Rival Sons have successfully revived another era – the classic rock era – with “Pressure & Time.”