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Banks: Goddess
Though it echoes tones of Portishead, Morcheeba, and Massive Attack, the debut collection from Banks never quite catches up to any of those predecessors\’ efforts. There\’s a good bit of style — and another bit of substance — in Goddess, but it has, unfortunately, an uneven application. The first few tracks showcase the thinner, warbled…
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Five Questions: Lera Lynn
With her airy, butter-smooth voice and easy, country-tinged songs, singer/songwriter Lera Lynn wouldn\’t have been out of place amidst the ladies of the canyon (Laurel Canyon, that is) in the \’70s. Pretty much everything about her could sidle right up alongside the artists of that era — the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, CSN, Judy Collins, et al —…
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All Space, No Pressure: An Interview with Butterfly Boucher
Ten years ago, Australian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Butterfly Boucher made a very impressive debut with Flutterby on which she wrote, played, and sang pretty much every note. The effort caught the attention of folks like David Bowie, Madonna, and Sarah McLachlan, along with a die-hard group of fans. Flash forward a solid decade and she\’s done it…
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The Power of Linda Perry
Linda Perry doesn’t give a fuck. Actually, she does. She gives a fuck about a lot of things, but what other people think isn’t one of them. An artistic powerhouse and Renaissance woman, Perry exploded onto the scene 25 years ago as the front woman for 4 Non Blondes. Their iconic \”What\’s Up?\” would be…
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Ben Glover: Atlantic
When an album starts with a song titled “This World Is a Dangerous Place,” it\’s hard to know whether that\’s a dire warning or a mere observation. In the case of Ben Glover\’s Atlantic, it\’s a bit of both. The tune goes on to sketch out details of life that are not so thoroughly drawn…
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LP: Forever For Now
Though it\’s not, necessarily, a bad thing, Forever For Now is a little bit relentless as 11 of its 12 tracks overflow with dance beats that pulse and drive underneath LP\’s thoroughly formidable voice. Hers, though, is a different kind of vocal prowess than many pop lovers are used to. LP\’s pipes are big in…
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Intention and Interpretation: An Interview with Sinéad O'Connor
As the world comes unglued — in Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and Missouri — and as we lose some of our most fearless, most peaceful leaders — Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou, among them — many people turn to music to make sense of the madness. For members of Generation X, Sinéad O\’Connor, whether she…
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Generation R: How Roots Music Calls and Cultivates Young Artists
The first time artist manager Denise Stiff encountered a 15-year-old Alison Krauss singing at a bluegrass event, she knew she was witnessing something special. “I was floored,” Stiff recalls. Krauss\’ talent was immense, even back then; but there was something else about her — a wisdom, poise, and maturity that does not seem as prevalent…
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Bridging the Cultural Divide: Perla Batalla
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla has enjoyed an incredibly varied career. Not only has she performed on some of the world’s greatest stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center, but Batalla has also performed with some of the world’s greatest artists, such as Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson and, perhaps…