Tag Archives: music

On the Merits of Modern Pop (in which I deconstruct Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” in a foolhardy attempt to prove that it is good)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by amelia

Once, in an interview, I asked a Beatles expert whether he listened to any modern Top 40 hits. “They’re fun, they’re great to dance to, but there’s not a lot of meat there, in my opinion,” he said, citing the … Continue reading →

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Best Of: 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 by amelia

This year, along with all the other writers at indie music blog kevchino.com, I was charged with compiling a list of my 15 favorite albums of 2011. Ordinarily I like making lists, a.k.a. arbitrarily ranking things. But it seemed unjust … Continue reading →

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Of Lake Street Dive and Nachos

Posted on September 1, 2011 by amelia

We’ve all heard it said, at some time or another, about a great bar, or a vintage clothing store, or a hole-in-the-wall diner that serves the best nachos in town: “this city’s best-kept secret.” You might think it’s a good … Continue reading →

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Powa

Posted on June 11, 2011 by amelia

tUnE-yArDs: w h o k i l l A version of this review appears on kevchino.com. Merrill Garbus, the singular voice behind tUnE-yArDs, is never in better company than with herself. On the band’s latest album, w h o k … Continue reading →

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A Show I Went To: Starry Mountain Singers

Posted on May 23, 2011 by amelia

The Starry Mountain Singers are not your typical a cappella group. Instead of beat-box-heavy vocal arrangements of Top 40 hits, the eight-piece ensemble—whose members hail from states as far afield as Vermont and North Carolina—specializes in singing traditions from the … Continue reading →

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Album of the week: Lake Street Dive by Lake Street Dive

Posted on May 12, 2011 by amelia

Lake Street Dive knows how to make noise. Armed with only a standup bass, drums, a trumpet, the occasional guitar, and three sets of lungs, the Boston-born, Brooklyn-based indie outfit puts on an electrifying live show, a big, joyful racket … Continue reading →

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Weird Folk

Posted on April 28, 2011 by amelia

In the middle of his rendition of the traditional ballad “Pretty Fair Damsel,” Sam Amidon lets out an unearthly scream. His voice vibrates gratingly on the air for a long, shocking moment. Then, grimacing in mock concentration, he takes a … Continue reading →

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Where? There!

Posted on March 30, 2011 by amelia

Say what you will about Glee, the hit musical dramedy on Fox—if nothing else, it’s a very accurate barometer of pop music trends. Sure, there was the obligatory Justin Bieber episode and the elaborate homage to Madonna, but the show does … Continue reading →

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Time Changes

Posted on March 21, 2011 by amelia

It’s been more than a week since daylight savings but I’m still feeling the drag of that lost hour. Is it really the first day of spring? The minute we’re launched, gratefully, out of stagnant winter, time speeds up. Dismal … Continue reading →

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on my mind

Posted on February 28, 2011 by amelia

I turned on the radio this morning—as the snow fell gently, ominously outside—and caught a lovely set by Sara and Sean Watkins at the end of “A Prairie Home Companion.” I was never a big fan of Nickel Creek, the … Continue reading →

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