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JONATHAN DONALDSON

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Sweden's Radio Dept. create musical graffiti

Art for pop's sake
Growing up in the small Swedish town of Björntorp, Johan Duncanson didn't have bright explosions of spray paint on underpasses to remind him that art could exist outside the lines of commercialism. Instead, music, movies, and comic books provided the language he could jump into.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | February 02, 2011

Fitz and the Tantrums blow up the soul party

With a rebel yell
On a recent performance on Daryl's House , a monthly webcast starring Daryl Hall and his featured musical friends, new Los Angeles soul combo Fitz and the Tantrums got to kick it old school with the '80s master of rock and soul.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | January 18, 2011

Justin Townes Earle fights the family tree

No country for young men
No one wants to stand in the shadow of his famous family.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | December 14, 2010

The historical strum of Bert Jansch

Folk lure
There was a time not too long ago when British folk-music titan Bert Jansch would have been remembered mostly as a footnote in pimple-faced Led Zeppelin mythology.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | December 10, 2010

The boy with The Thorn in his side

On the record with Jesse Gallagher and Biff Rose
This could be a fairy tale.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | November 23, 2010

Stereolab | Not Music

Drag City (2010)
Despite making their online announcement of an indefinite hiatus last year, Stereolab haven't exactly been sitting on their keyboards.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | November 22, 2010

The Autumn Defense carve a niche beyond Wilco

Seasonal fortitude
The South isn't really what comes to mind when we think of candy-sweet pop music. But according to the Autumn Defense's Pat Sansone, maybe it should be.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | November 02, 2010

Wyatt, Atzmon, Stephen | For the Ghosts Within

Domino (2010)
Enough has been written about Robert Wyatt's voice that there's no need to elaborate on his genius.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | November 02, 2010

Sword and tailor

Warp Riders brings a new concept to metal
The concept of the rock opera strikes fear into the hearts of many — and rightly so. Yet heavy metal since Zeppelin has always been friendly to hobbity tales of mirth and mayhem.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | October 13, 2010

Belle and Sebastian | Write About Love

Matador (2010)
As the obviousness of Write About Love 's title implies (it could have been called Play and Sing! ), Belle & Sebastian are looking to get back to basics with their first album since 2005's tremendous The Life Pursuit .

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | October 12, 2010

Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest

4AD (2010)
The only reason Halcyon Digest doesn't get a perfect four stars is that absolute classic isn't Deerhunter's style.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | September 28, 2010

Teenage Fanclub are back on the scene

Beyond the shadows of Glasgow
Teenage Fanclub singer/guitarist Norman Blake has finally left the unlikely European pop-music center of Glasgow that he helped build.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | September 21, 2010

Broken Social Scene shake up convention

Experimental wisdom
Prior to the popularity of Animal Collective, indie-rock fans long denied any genetic relationship to the types of bands ( i.e. , the Grateful Dead) you had to see live to get the "real" experience.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | September 13, 2010

Br1ght Pr1mate step up their game, boy

Monkey shines
Br1ght Pr1mate aren't sure what you're going to think of them. (And you'll have your chance when they come to the Middle East this Saturday.)

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | August 31, 2010

Review: Fitz and the Tantrums | Pickin' Up the Pieces

Dangerbird (2010)
The Achilles' heel of so many bands who try and go for that big vocal sound is that they can't really sing.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | August 31, 2010

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs | God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise

RCA (2010)
Beneath the crusty-mountain-man exterior and the surly attitude toward the entertainment business, Ray LaMontagne wants you to like him.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | August 24, 2010

Inside the retro-futuristic world of Stereo Total

All aboard electro-pop's Mystery Machine
The experience of watching Stereo Total (pronounced "to-TAL") live is a little like watching one of those old Hanna-Barbera cartoons — say, Scooby-Doo , where one second the gang are driving along in the Mystery Machine and the next second a rock song is playing.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | August 20, 2010