Alt-J (Cambridge, UK) and JBM (Montreal, CA) September 22nd, 2012* Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN We at Mezzic are not alone in our love for Cambridge-based alt-J. Their irresistible debut album, An Awesome Wave, encourages the listener to remember the original, pre-”80s slang” meaning of the word. A lush mix of sounds that run the gambit from light and(…)
Gimmicks don’t usually do it for me. However, in the case of Harry Oakwood (Millionaire), I have to make an exception. On their website, the London-based quintet claim they formed at the behest of of a millionaire backer who sought “to build a band of brothers who would serve him and act under his name.” Though the(…)
The Daredevil Christopher Wright (Eau Claire, WI), Anaïs Mitchell (Montpelier, VT), and Cuddle Magic (Brooklyn, NY & Philadelphia, PA) April 22, 2012 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN In the vast spectrum of concert experiences, nothing beats a good home show. Solid turn-out no matter the day, intimate no matter the size; they’re the live music(…)
First Aid Kit (Stockholm, SE) and Peggy Sue (Brighton/London, UK) April 7, 2012 The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, MN I could have sworn I’d written everything I knew about Stockholm’s First Aid Kit, but that’s the beauty of live performance; just as you think you have an artist figured out, they go and evolve on(…)
Sharon Van Etten (Brooklyn, NY) and Shearwater (Austin, TX) February 18, 2012 The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota What is it about Sharon Van Etten? I know I’m not the only one with a crush on her. Is it that her take on heartbreak is so disarmingly honest and intimate that listeners can’t help but(…)
Bon Iver, Bon Iver: A review in aesthetic vignettes by Annie Mullins A few months ago, I made a promise: I would listen to Bon Iver’s self-titled album as it was “meant to be heard,” stoned and surrounded by good friends. I take drunken deals unusually seriously, so when the album came out, I held(…)
To say I’d been anticipating First Aid Kit’s sophomore album, The Lion’s Roar, is one hell of an understatement. Since 2008, I’ve been following Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg through their dreamy world of folk-rock, and I still haven’t tired of them. Finally, I went and saw them in-person, and left a more rabid(…)
Lykke Li (Stockholm, SE) and First Aid Kit (Stockholm, SE) November 13, 2011 First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota Real, coincidental symmetry is rare in life, so when it shows up, you have to appreciate it. Two weeks ago, I caught Lykke Li at First Avenue, and saw her perform for the first time in two(…)
