Every band, especially a singer-songwriter, should be able to produce a sense of prestige and conviction while on stage. Mason Jennings’s performance Saturday, October 5th at The Englert succeeded in both of these aspects, as he sailed through a menagerie of melodic, guitar and piano based tracks. He quickly jumped into his set, with the crowd anxiously awaiting his presence. Within the first few songs, Jennings built a lot of respect from the crowd. He spoke of his family with gratitude, the kind only seen when someone has really taken the time to appreciate his surroundings. This sense of kindness … Continued
Music Staff Picks: The Best Releases of April
billy woods – Aethiopes On Aethiopes, billy woods reestablishes his strengths as a storyteller, with help from producer Preservation’s experimentally jazzy beats. By now, woods has cemented himself as one of hip hop’s greatest writers, and his brooding yet clever introspection sounds especially powerful over Preservation’s musical backdropping. Samples of pianos will twinkle across some tracks, and pound discordantly on others, while electric guitars ring and horns blow. By the time the harmonica enters the equation, the beats here are unparalleled. It is an enveloping atmosphere completed by excellent percussion, which moves between hand drums, full kits, and shuffling jangles … Continued
