Internationally renowned singer/songwriter Sade Adu has never ceased to amaze listeners all over the world with her seemingly simple but thoughtful lyrics. Those words combine with seemingly simple rhythm and of course Adu’s unique, nostalgic and soothing voice. Her style of harmony is filled with melancholy, yet in combination with other musical elements, it creates a marvelous effect. Graceful, shocking and mysterious are three words that best describes this award-winning bi-racial superstar. Adu’s life and past is what breathes life into her music. The sorrowful animation of her intriguing voice is reflected in her words during an interview with Robert Sandall of...

By Idris Busari • November 17, 2010 • Arts

Sufjan Stevens has stunned die-hard fans once again with his newest release—The Age of Adz (pronounced odds)—an album that takes a dramatic shift from Sufjan’s usual, both in musical and thematic content.  As a long-time Sufjan Stevens fan, I was among the many who initially mourned the loss of “the essential Sufjan” sound after a first complete listen of The Age of Adz.  However, this long-awaited album deserves a second chance. Perhaps the largest complaint of The Age of Adz derives from Sufjan’s shift away from the usual banjo-plucking, falsetto-lulling sounds of his previous albums. Instead, The Age of Adz...

By Mary Roth • November 10, 2010 • Arts

What is Elizabeth and the Catapult? A medieval epic about the English queen and her use of projectile weaponry? A summary of what happened when I asked my ex to return my stereo? Or a beautifully toned band that recently produced an album that is as incredible as it is cheap? While all of the above may be true, the latter option is the one that I will choose to focus on. Elizabeth and the Catapult’s latest album, The Other Side of Zero (available on iTunes for $5.99, a bargain!) is, admittedly, my first encounter with the group. However, I...

By Matt Lehman • November 3, 2010 • Arts

I first heard the music of Jónsi this summer as I was perusing through a bookstore in Portland, Ore. The poignant falsetto voice and compelling beat made such an impression on me that I temporarily paused my book search to soak up the music. “This sounds like an English-speaking, one-man version of Sigur Ros,” I thought.  I was right. Well, mostly. Jónsi is typically recognized as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, a group that formed in 1994.  The band has since gathered a cult following, known for their beautifully spacious songs.  However, after their...

By Mary Roth • October 6, 2010 • Arts

Abby Owens may not be well known to music fans outside the Southeast, but she soon will be. This aspiring singer-songwriter’s latest project, Indiantown, is the perfect vehicle to introduce her talents to new audiences. Producer Jason Isbell rightfully showcases Owens’ voice as the lead instrument throughout the album. Her six-song EP is a smart move.  There’s no fat or forced tracks on this CD; it’s all solid material.  From the title track that tells the story of her Florida hometown to musings about lost loves, missed opportunity, friends and family, each song leaves you with anticipation for the next....

By Jason Samuel • September 30, 2010 • Arts

I first heard the song “Mr. Pitiful” by Matt Costa on a playlist that a friend gave me and I immediately fell in love with it. Matt Costa is an artist known for his ability to write honest lyrics, accompanied by acoustic guitar melodies. When I sat down to listen to Costa’s newest album, Mobile Chateau, I fully expected the same kind of lighthearted, catchy music I had encountered earlier. I was sadly disappointed. The catchiness of “Mr. Pitiful” is long gone, replaced with something I would describe as stereotypically indie. After the first three tracks, the songs start to blend...

By Matt Lehman • September 22, 2010 • Arts

Album Review: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs After releasing two highly praised albums in six years, Arcade Fire has raised the bar once again with their newest release, The Suburbs.  Husband and wife duo, Will Butler and Régine Chassagne, guided Arcade Fire to commercial and critical success with their edgy, emotionally charged debut LP, Funeral in 2004 and an equally brooding, overtly political follow-up album, Neon Bible in 2007.  The Suburbs, released in August, is no less compelling in its musicality and message than its predecessors. Musically, The Suburbs branches out from Arcade Fire’s usual minor focus. “Month of May”...

By Mary Roth • September 15, 2010 • Arts

Most know Robert Plant as the rock-god front man for Led Zeppelin. Some know him transforming into a roost singer as the better half of Alison Krauss when they released their folksy 2007 album, Raising Sand. Some may even know about the early ‘60s pre-Zeppelin rock band, Band of Joy. Now, he is making noise with his highly anticipated solo release that revives the name of his very first band: Band of Joy. Robert Plant smartly carries over the learned musical tastes of roots folk/rock to the new Band of Joy. Discovering that collaboration can make the album that much...

By Trisha Danielle Handrich • September 9, 2010 • Arts

Three years have past since Matisyahu released his sophomore and major label debut album, Youth. Two years ago he announced he was working on the third to be released early 2008, making it the longest time he has ever spent making a record. However, the release date of the album was pushed back multiple times because of tour off and on, making fans wait even longer for the anticipated album to drop. He then announced that it would be released the “summer of 2009” because he wanted to record some more new songs. Fans were growing weary of being disappointed...

By Trisha Danielle Handrich • September 23, 2009 • Arts

A “Break Up” is what happens when a truly under-rated musician and a world-renowned actress get together to make music. Although this break up is a fictional story between Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, it makes for a great 11-track album.Three years after the making of the album in Yorn’s garage, the duo decided it was time to share their love story. The idea of the album came to Yorn in a dream in the aftermath of—that’s right—a break up. “I sat up in bed, and the whole thing was in my head, fully formed,” says Yorn. The album was...

By Trisha Danielle Handrich • September 9, 2009 • Arts

Where most album cases bear an official-looking warning from the FBI forbidding would-be pirates from distributing copyrighted material, Gina Holsopple’s new album reads: “Unauthorized duplication, while not recommended, is better than no music at all.” Holsopple, a 2000 Goshen College graduate, does little to belie the inviting tone of this anti-warning throughout her sixth studio record, “Unless.”  After rejecting the big-city folk scene of New York City, Holsopple moved to upstate Oswego, New York where she lives and works among nature. Pastoralist imagery is everywhere in Holsopple’s lyrics on a disc overflowing with metaphor, both to its benefit and detriment....

By Ben Noll • March 11, 2009 • Arts

3 out of 4 Maple Leafs All those still mourning the gaping hole in the emerging “new-grass” scene left by Nickel Creek might find comfort in “Adrienna Valentine,” the latest release from Harrisonburg, Virginia-based singer/songwriter Trent Wagler. “Valentine” is overflowing with lush bluegrass harmonies highlighted by Wagler’s warm, unique lead vocals and Jay Lapp’s expert mandolin picking and backup singing. They seamlessly transition from the upbeat folksy twang of “Darlin’ Cory” and “Honey Bear” to the beautiful, subdued Americana sounds of “Corinne” and “I Will Love You.” “Riverside” effectively blends Wagler’s blues influences with a gospel choral arrangement. It’s the...

By Ben Noll • February 11, 2009 • Arts