Michael Keefe is a freelance music journalist, an independent bookstore publicist, and a singer/guitarist/songwriter in a band. Raised on a record collection of The Beatles, Coltrane, Mozart, and Ravi Shankar, Michael has been a slave to music his whole life. At age 16, he got a drum set and a job at a record store, and he’s been playing and peddling music ever since. Today, he lives in Oregon with his wife (also a writer, but not about music), two cats, and a whole lot of instruments and CDs.
Features
Friday, May 1 2009
Coachella 2009: A Musical Oasis
Under the searing sun of the California desert, Coachella shines through again as one of the nation's best music fests…
Wednesday, December 10 2008
The Best Singer-Songwriter Albums of 2008
Former (or current) members of the Dream Syndicate, Fleetwood Mac, and the Wallflowers are just a few of the best singer-songwriters stepping out on their own this year.
Friday, September 26 2008
Pleased to Meet 'Em: The Replacements' Sire Years
Rhino reissues the second half of the Replacements' discography, from the mid-'80s masterpiece Tim to their laid-back 1990 swan song, All Shook Down.
Friday, February 8 2008
Just Another Brick: The Phases of Pink Floyd
Keefe trolls through all the highs and lows of the Pink Floyd catalogue, surveying both their history and offering video highlights of the seminal band's many incarnations.
Thursday, December 13 2007
The Best Singer-Songwriter Albums of 2007
What unites these artists is an individual presence -- a voice -- that is powerful enough to carry an entire album without retreating to the cozy confines of a band.
Various Artists: The Brit Box [20.Nov.07]
Laurie Anderson: Big Science [8.Aug.07]
Charles Mingus: Tijuana Moods [11.Jul.07]
Magazine: A Band from Under the Floorboards [7.Jun.07]
Globespotting: Best World Music of 2006 [12.Dec.06]
Reviews
Monday, August 17 2009
Deluge Grander: The Form of the Good
For progressive rock fans who could do without the words, Deluge Grander delivers with a complex, instrumental rock symphony on The Form of the Good.
Tuesday, July 28 2009
Trashcan Sinatras: In the Music
Post-Smiths Scottish jangle-poppers continue to age gracefully with their lovely new album.
Wednesday, June 3 2009
Elvis Costello: Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Costello's latest completes his trio of 2000s Americana albums. Though enjoyable enough, it is the weakest of the three.
Friday, April 17 2009
Super Furry Animals: Dark Days/Light Years
Veteran Welsh psych-pop quintet continue to evolve, while revisiting the tripped-out, up-tempo sounds of their early days.
Wednesday, April 15 2009
Willie Nile: House of a Thousand Guitars
New York rocker and singer-songwriter Willie Nile unleashes another great set of songs you'll swear you already know.
The Hold Steady: A Positive Rage (DVD) [8.Apr.09]
Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3: Goodnight Oslo [13.Feb.09]
Cheap Trick: Budokan!: 30th Anniversary Edition [12.Nov.08]
The Smiths: The Sound of the Smiths [10.Nov.08]
Podington Bear: The End [28.Oct.08]
The Clash: Live at Shea Stadium [10.Oct.08]
James: Hey Ma [3.Oct.08]
Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun [2.Sep.08]
Old Man Luedecke: Proof of Love [15.Aug.08]
The Ones: The Ones [4.Aug.08]
Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville [21.Jul.08]
Orchestral Manœuvres in the Dark: OMD Live [7.Jul.08]
The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me [20.Jun.08]
Julie Ocean: Long Gone and Nearly There [12.Jun.08]
Radiohead: The Best Of [6.Jun.08]
Tindersticks: The Hungry Saw [14.May.08]
Joe Ely & Joel Guzman: Live Cactus! [6.May.08]
Hayshaker: Black Holiday in Mexico City [24.Apr.08]
Various Artists: In the Name of Love [16.Apr.08]
The Billionaires: Really Real for Forever [26.Mar.08]
The B-52's: Funplex [24.Mar.08]
Sara Melson: Dirty Mind [6.Mar.08]
Allison Moorer: Mockingbird [20.Feb.08]
Ray Davies: Working Man's Café [18.Feb.08]
The Shackeltons: The Shackeltons [30.Jan.08]
Aphrodesia: Lagos by Bus [22.Jan.08]
Eliza Lynn: The Weary Wake Up [4.Jan.08]
Supersilent: Eight [3.Jan.08]
The Capstan Shafts: Environ Maiden [19.Dec.07]
Ari Shine: A Force of One [10.Dec.07]
Hard-Fi: Once Upon a Time in the West [5.Dec.07]
Robyn Hitchcock: I Wanna Go Backwards [30.Nov.07]
Nicole Atkins: Neptune City [27.Nov.07]
Tandy: To a Friend/Did You Think I Was Gone? [19.Nov.07]
Os Mutantes: Mutantes Live [13.Nov.07]
Leigh Marble: Red Tornado [22.Oct.07]
David Bowie: The Buddha of Suburbia [17.Oct.07]
Qui: Loves Miracle [16.Oct.07]
The Coral: Roots & Echoes [15.Oct.07]
Jamie T.: Panic Prevention [2.Oct.07]
Vieux Farka Touré: Remixed [28.Sep.07]
Nellie McKay: Obligatory Villagers [25.Sep.07]
The Modern Lovers: The Modern Lovers [21.Sep.07]
Naked Eyes: Fumbling with the Covers [7.Sep.07]
Save Pluto: Age of Lowered Expectations [5.Sep.07]
Lee Perry & the Upsetters: Ape-ology [5.Sep.07]
Kleveland: Kleveland [4.Sep.07]
(Not That You Asked) by Steve Almond [4.Sep.07]
The Brunettes: Structure & Cosmetics [31.Aug.07]
Look Mexico: This Is Animal Music [30.Aug.07]
Minus the Bear: Planet of Ice [22.Aug.07]
The Waterboys: Book of Lightning [17.Aug.07]
Lee Morgan: The Finest in Jazz [10.Aug.07]
Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen [7.Aug.07]
Luther Russell: Repair [3.Aug.07]
How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper [27.Jul.07]
Bodies of Water: Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink [25.Jul.07]
Life in a Blender: The Heart Is a Small Balloon [24.Jul.07]
Manic Street Preachers: Send Away the Tigers [23.Jul.07]
Sarah Borges: Diamonds in the Dark [9.Jul.07]
The Police: The Police [29.Jun.07]
Of Montreal: Icons, Abstract Thee [27.Jun.07]
The Jesus Lizard: Live [DVD] [26.Jun.07]
The Damned: Damned Damned Damned [26.Jun.07]
Art Brut: Its a Bit Complicated [20.Jun.07]
Sleeping in the Aviary: Oh, This Old Thing? [19.Jun.07]
Jana Hunter: Theres No Home [13.Jun.07]
Richard Thompson: Sweet Warrior [13.Jun.07]
The Bravery: The Sun and the Moon [29.May.07]
Rara Avis: Shaktified EP 1 [22.May.07]
Depeche Mode: Black Celebration [10.May.07]
Maxïmo Park: Our Earthly Pleasures [9.May.07]
Björk: Volta [7.May.07]
The Feeling: Twelve Stops and Home [26.Apr.07]
Maria McKee: Late December [25.Apr.07]
The Go Find: Stars on the Wall [24.Apr.07]
Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare [23.Apr.07]
The Biltmores: Same Story, Same Ending [16.Apr.07]
Bright Eyes: Cassadaga [11.Apr.07]
Damero: Happy in Grey [10.Apr.07]
Jessie & Layla: Kinetic [6.Apr.07]
Various Artists: Roots of Rumba Rock [30.Mar.07]
Lily Frost: Flights of Fancy [29.Mar.07]
Ry Cooder: My Name Is Buddy [29.Mar.07]
69 Love Songs by LD Beghtol [27.Mar.07]
The Fratellis: Costello Music [23.Mar.07]
Emilie Simon: The Flower Book [23.Mar.07]
The Postmarks: The Postmarks [21.Mar.07]
Mary Karlzen: The Wanderlust Diaries [20.Mar.07]
LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver [20.Mar.07]
Harlem Shakes: Burning Birthdays [9.Mar.07]
Steve Swallow with Robert Creeley: So There [6.Mar.07]
Joe Ely: Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch [1.Mar.07]
The Heights: Bad News [22.Feb.07]
Gianmaria Testa: Da Questa Parte del Mare [20.Feb.07]
Minus the Bear: Interpretaciones del Oso [19.Feb.07]
Michael Mayer: Immer 2 [13.Feb.07]
Vieux Farka Touré: Vieux Farka Touré [13.Feb.07]
The Good Mornings: The Good Mornings [2.Feb.07]
The Stranglers: Suite XVI [26.Jan.07]
Clinic: Visitations [22.Jan.07]
The Orders: The Orders [15.Jan.07]
Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity [15.Jan.07]
Tralala: Is That the Tralala [11.Jan.07]
LCD Soundsystem: Forty-Five: Thirty-Three [11.Jan.07]
The Smithereens: Meet the Smithereens [9.Jan.07]
Nicole Atkins: Bleeding Diamonds [18.Dec.06]
Damien Rice: Nine [18.Dec.06]
Roses Pawn Shop: The Arsonist [14.Dec.06]
The Inner Banks: The Inner Banks [11.Dec.06]
Tangerine Dream: The Essential Tangerine Dream [11.Dec.06]
Dead Can Dance: Wake [7.Dec.06]
The Evens: Get Evens [5.Dec.06]
Badi Assad: Wonderland [5.Dec.06]
The Awkward Stage: Heaven Is for Easy Girls [29.Nov.06]
Natalie: Everything New [19.Nov.06]
Lily Frost: Ciné-Magique [16.Nov.06]
Branford Marsalis: Braggtown [15.Nov.06]
The Places: Songs for Creeps [15.Nov.06]
The Ratchets: Glory Bound [13.Nov.06]
The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America [9.Nov.06]
Nellie McKay: Pretty Little Head [6.Nov.06]
Cities: Variations [2.Nov.06]
The Slits: Revenge of the Killer Slits [30.Oct.06]
John Lee Hooker: Hooker [27.Oct.06]
Myra Melford: The Image of Your Body [20.Oct.06]
Ensemble: Ensemble [13.Oct.06]
The Purrs: The Purrs [11.Oct.06]
Tom Zé: Estudando o Pagode [9.Oct.06]
Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Panic in Babylon [2.Oct.06]
The Receiver: Decades [29.Sep.06]
Crowdpleaser & St. Plomb: 2006 [28.Sep.06]
Ska Cubano: ¡Ay Caramba! [22.Sep.06]
The Zutons: Tired of Hanging Around [21.Sep.06]
The Avatars: Never a Good Time [20.Sep.06]
Earlymay: Little Answers [19.Sep.06]
Brothers and Sisters: Brothers and Sisters [14.Sep.06]
Josie Cotton: Movie Disaster Music [7.Sep.06]
Susanne Abbuehl: Compass [7.Sep.06]
Flourescent Grey: Lying on the floor mingling with god in a Tijuana motel room next door to a veteri [6.Sep.06]
Ensemble: Disown, Delete [1.Sep.06]
Easy Star All-Stars: Radiodread [1.Sep.06]
Bruce Cockburn: Life Short Call Now [31.Aug.06]
Isan: Plans Drawn in Pencil [30.Aug.06]
Anathallo: Floating World [29.Aug.06]
Planningtorock: Have It All [24.Aug.06]
Patricia Barber: Mythologies [23.Aug.06]
Cheikh Lô: Lamp Fall [22.Aug.06]
Prince Diabaté: Djerelon [21.Aug.06]
RobinElla: Solace for the Lonely [18.Aug.06]
Adam Gnade: Run Hide Retreat Surrender [17.Aug.06]
The Shapes: The Shapes [10.Aug.06]
Forget Cassettes: Salt [9.Aug.06]
French Kicks: Two Thousand [9.Aug.06]
The Sound: The Dutch Radio Recordings [8.Aug.06]
Ali Farka Touré: Savane [3.Aug.06]
Lenine: Lenine [21.Jul.06]
Moth: Immune to Gravity [14.Jul.06]
Sufjan Stevens: The Avalanche [10.Jul.06]
Talkdemonic: Beat Romantic [7.Jul.06]
Luka Bloom: Innocence [5.Jul.06]
Johnny Cash: Personal File [19.Jun.06]
Pinmonkey: Big Shiny Cars [15.Jun.06]
Stuart A. Staples: Leaving Songs [6.Jun.06]
Zero 7: The Garden [2.Jun.06]
Gigi: Gold & Wax [31.May.06]
Natacha Atlas: Mish Maoul [26.May.06]
Stella Chiweshe: Double Check [11.May.06]
AFX: Chosen Lords [10.May.06]
Anouar Brahem: Le Voyage de Sahar [2.May.06]
Ms. John Soda: Notes and the Like [20.Apr.06]
Richard Butler: Richard Butler [18.Apr.06]
Magneta Lane: Dancing with Daggers [4.Apr.06]
Afterhours: Ballads for Little Hyenas [23.Mar.06]
Cristina Branco: Ulisses [17.Mar.06]
DJ Cam: Revisited by [16.Mar.06]
Maximo Park: Missing Songs [1.Mar.06]
Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice: The Flood [17.Feb.06]
Man: Helping Hand [16.Feb.06]
Jenny Lewis: Rabbit Fur Coat [7.Feb.06]
Hard-Fi: Stars of CCTV [1.Feb.06]
Blogs
Friday, December 11 2009
The Smiths: The Sound of the Smiths
The Smiths: The Sound of the Smiths - Rhino [$29.98]
