Articles by Liz

The Music Hall of Williamsburg was at capacity last night, filled with fans eager to sway thoughtfully through this bill of sweet, quiet folk. Amidst hoots of recognition, North Carolina’s Bowerbirds began with Hymns For A Dark Horse opening track “Hooves,” perfectly setting the tone for their lovely set. Phil Moore’s luscious voice floated through [...]

In what seemed a bit of an odd coupling, teen band Ponytail got the crowd grinding with their frenzied yelping and insane energy before the main event, Chicago’s Joan of Arc. Or perhaps the varied bill makes perfect sense, since throughout their surprisingly long career JOA have defied categorization and continually changed and updated their [...]

Large in size but with each member expertly holding their own, North Carolina’s Annuals played many new numbers from their forthcoming album, a follow-up to the excellent Be He Me. At times main guy Adam Baker sings with the smoothness of a lullaby, but where this band really shines is when the songs explode into [...]

Summertime music festivals have long been synonymous with severe discomfort, due to thousands of sweaty bodies pressed close, overflowing portable bathrooms with sticky floors, and the furious beating of the sun’s remorseless rays. Why don’t they hold events such as these during those lovely times when the seasons are transitioning? But I’m not here to [...]

The explosion in popularity of blogs and their opinion shaping power has a significant role in the darling success story of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, the accidental wonders from Smalltown, USA. As I reached the Music Hall of Williamsburg to find a teenage boy begging the Doorman to grant him entrance, because “Look, [...]

As my pal and I rounded the corner towards the Bowery Ballroom, legally purchased tickets in hand, we were approached by several hopeful buyers eager to catch this season’s hot new band. In the midst of these potential transactions, I caught sight of Fleet Foxes’ drummer lingering outside the stage door, casually taking in the [...]

When considered without any contextual information, it’s difficult to group Fleet Foxes immediately within the tumultuous Seattle music scene from which they’ve emerged. With their long beards, country guitar sound, and tale-telling lyrics, one imagines rather that their self-titled debut is the result of its members spending several months strumming strings ‘round a camp fire. [...]

When I originally heard them folks in Hollywood were adding a fourth film to the beloved Indiana Jones trilogy, I couldn’t help but think this was a somewhat awful idea. It irks me when tired movie makers dig up and reuse an idea that is already solid in movie history and holds an important place [...]

In a time not lacking in sensitive guitarists who would love to spill their weepy hearts all over us, David Ford succeeds in making his musings unique with his charming demeanor and stunning performance techniques. The singer-songwriter categorization may not thrill every music fan, but last night at the Bowery Ballroom Ford quickly put doubt [...]

What happens when a band whose catalog is loaded with ever changing rhythms, wicked fast guitar pickings, and three layers of high notes performs live and in concert? I walked into the Music Hall of Williamsburg wondering what sort of brain-churning mishmash we attendees might be getting ourselves into on our date with the Dirty [...]