If there’s a word that best defines British soul singer Lianne La Havas, it’s authentic. She brought her blend of authenticity, charm, and soulful talent to her performance at Washington,
When it comes to turning the angst and energy of an album into performance magic, Stars is matchless. Simply put, if you have the opportunity to see them in concert, don’t
[rating=8.00] Known for a catalogue of passionate, emotional and cathartic albums and tracks, Stars latest No One Is Lost, (out October 14th) kicks off on a surprisingly, and enjoyably, buoyant
“Somebody’s Talking” is a deliciously catchy, foot-tapping tune full of sass and momentum.
There’s some wit here, and even smart anecdotes on our social media-driven culture, which will keep listeners thinking while they tap their feet, but with uninspired music backing that type of sharp cultural reflection, the result is a somewhat hollow offering from a band that’s shown they’re capable of much more.
Cut Copy fed off the energy of the audience all evening, encouraging dancing and blissfully singing along, and they left the Washington, DC crowd exactly where a band should want them: happily wanting more.
The Civil Wars eponymous second record, likely exemplifying the irony of their band name better now than ever, is an intensely melancholy and yet genre-expanding contribution from a band we may never hear from again.
One leaves a Rufus Wainwright concert torn between the terrible choice of giving in to their desire to listen to songs they just heard as album versions set against the stark reality that the version they heard live will almost certainly cause the audio version to pale in comparison– and this goes even for solo shows like the one at the 9:30 Club.
On their sophomore release Hummingbird, Local Natives engage listeners in an unexpectedly mature and serious album that divides its time well between showcasing vocals, instrumentation and emphasizing emotional melodies.
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No one knows how long the indie-folk moment The Lumineers are spearheading will stay aflame but with performances, and sold out shows like this audiences will likely be able to see a progression and hopefully a maturation from the jam-based folksy energy into something more.
