October 5, 2012 7:40 am by: Laurie Gallardo
Even from the beginning,
The Calm Blue Sea struck me as a band with a huge, orchestral presence larger than itself, even larger than life. It was music for cinema, even without a film to accompany it. It essentially goes beyond merely enjoying the music and into this completely engrossing sonic experience.
The local quartet made its debut with their 2008 self-titled album. It was a slightly rocky beginning, leading to a three year hiatus before the band returned to re-release their debut on a major label. They now have a new album,
Arrivals & Departures, which has already received rave reviews from
NPR’s All Songs Considered. The music is more than worthy of such national attention. They've created this mind-blowing coalescence of elegance and explosiveness. You’re caught off guard as the songs, at first,...
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Really, you get the best of both worlds with an artist like Dana Falconberry. The Austin-based songwriter is not only very talented, which, in turn, makes for some incredible music, but she's also absolutely genuine. That warmth and sincerity shines through her music and draws the listener into a completely different world, inhabited by a most gentle spirit.
I’m smitten with Falconberry's new album, Leelanau. Each track flows in a beautiful, mesmerizing cascade of orchestral folk-pop, punctuated by delicate bursts and breathtaking sweeps, almost like an autumnal fairy tale brought to you in a crystal clear, angelic voice. A lot of attention... » read more
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Cory Branan is now based in Austin, but he’s originally from Southhaven, Mississippi. He grew up with a drummer dad, so a life of music was inevitable for young Branan. He soo…...
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Singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster’s latest release is The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. The truth is, it will knock your socks off.
Ever since making her debut with her f…...
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Like any great artist with a Southern background, JJ Grey knows the power of storytelling. So, on the one hand, you have a talented musician who’s inspired by other greats be…...
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This is a story of getting back to one’s roots. Musician Topaz McGarrigle left Texas to get schooled in jazz at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Washington D.C. He sta…...
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In case you were wondering – maybe you weren’t, but let’s just say you were – indie pop-punkish songwriter galore Pink Nasty is actually Sara Beck, orig…...
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Brett Dennen has an unmistakeable voice, bottom line. You know it when you hear it.
Dennen’s first release was a self-titled album in 2004. Not long after his second release…...
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Amy Ray, one half of prolific songwriting duo the Indigo Girls, started an independent label called Daemon Records in 1990. Her mission was to support local musicians and show the…...
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Singer, songwriter and pianist Dr. John is known for hits like “Right Place, Wrong Time.” Which is just fine. That is one awesome, funk-ified tune. But he’s al…...
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Apparently, the story goes like this: The four members of Berkeley, CA indie pop band The Morning Benders met each other when they were working at Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disn…...
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Jonathan Meiburg, songwriter and vocalist of Austin band Shearwater, pays meticulous attention to detail in each Shearwater song. It’s an artform. The composition is in…...
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It’s a shame the video of Tapes ‘N’ tapes performing on Late Night With Conan O’Brien isn’t online anymore. That was a good example of the frantic…...
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Yes, indeed. John Legend, R&B/soul superstar, had the privilege of performing at a special pre-Presidential inauguration event at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.…...
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At first glance, one may observe that it looks like a tight fit for the eight-piece provocative pop ensemble The Tiny Tin Hearts. Especially on a small stage; setting up the instrum…...
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Perhaps…just perhaps, if you happen to ask Jeff Hughes what kind of stuff he plays, he may tell you, “True country music.”
He has, in the past, covered some rock…...
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