Old News

Sean McGowan River Coffee By Chris Darling Well, in this huge world of music, with “umpteen” artists debuting their work way before their time, few artists I’ve come across match the readiness and musical knowledge of native Mainer, Sean McGowan. Throw in the sonically pure steel-string guitar prowess & Sean’s masterful delivery and this Solo Guitar (DEBUT) release River Coffee displays, and your in for a treat. As a matter of fact, many artists, veteran…

This debut release from Sydney, Australia’s Ides of Space arrived at WMPG late last year and promptly blew my teenie little indie mind. Completely skipping a gawky musical adolescence, this quintet managed to show up on the first day of school with a nearly flawless balance of lush, shoe-gazing melody and carefully controlled bursts of thunderous, fuzzy guitar. Patrick Haid’s airy, but confident and cleanly recorded vocals and the band’s brilliant soft-loud-soft pop mechanics echo…

Clan/destine Amajacoustic By Valerie Cartonio This is the third release for this band out of Tempe, Arizona. Last year they walked away with a Native American Music Award (NAMMY) for Best Pop/Rock Recording of the Year. Recently, “Clan/destine” was nominated for Best Duo/Group of the Year. Amajacoustic is a wonderful blend of sweet guitar sounds mixed with traditional instruments : flute, rattles and hand drums. This is by far the very best recording Clan/destine has…

Macy Gray The Id By Lenny Smith Macy Gray set the bar extraordinarily high for herself with her debut album, On How Life Is, her tremendously commercially and artistically successful 1999 release, but with her second offering, The Id, she may have surpassed it. It may take a few thousand more listenings to know for sure, but then, like her first LP, The Id is tremendously repeatable. While this album feels in no way like…

Paul Weller 22 Dreams Yep Rock Records, 2008 By Ron Raymond WMPG Music Director Once the musical force behind two memorable 80s bands, The Jam and The Style Council, Paul Weller has since made taken his Brit pop/rock to all different kinds of levels. His new album, his ninth solo effort titled 22 Dreams, is no exception. “After [2005’s] As Is Now, I thought the time was right to make the sort of record I wanted to make,” he…

The Replacements Don’t you know who I think I was? Best of the Replacements Rhino Records, 2006 By Ron Raymond WMPG Music Director Minneapolis rock heroes The Replacements (led by a rock hero in his own right, Paul Westerberg) have had a best-of compilation before (the fantastic 1997, 2-CD Reprise collection All For Nothing, Nothing For All immediately comes to mind), and I know what you’re saying – why review a compilation that’s already 2 years…

David Byrne & Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today Todomundo, Ltd./Opal, 2008 By Ron Raymond WMPG Music Director Alt-rock legends David Byrne and Brian Eno have teamed together for the first time since 1981’s brilliant My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts on a release that, on the one hand, is less experimental and funky than Bush Of Ghosts, and on the other hand, is a more mature recording. Bush Of Ghosts was…

The Smiths The Sound Of The Smiths Sire/Rhino Records; 2008 By Ron Raymond WMPG Music Director Over the years, 80s modern rock heroes, The Smiths, have had their share of greatest hits collections, including the brilliant 1987 collective LOUDER THAN BOMBS. Now, Sire and Rhino have teamed up once again to bring fans THE SOUND OF THE SMITHS, a 23-track, one-CD offering of this 4-man band’s most memorable hits. Included are favorites like “Hand In…

THE CURE 4:13 Dream Suretone/Geffen Records; 2008 By Ron Raymond WMPG Music DirectorHow does a 32-year-old alt-rock/goth band get the fans excited about a new album months in advance of the album’s release date? Well, to prepare for the 13th album by 80s alt-rock/goth heroes The Cure, 4:13 Dream, the 4-man band led by Robert Smith, released singles on the 13th of each month leading up to the album’s initial release date of September 13th….

Next time you bring back bottles and cans you can help support your favorite local community radio station…And you don’t even have to get dirty! CLYNK, a new local redemption program, will let you turn in a bag of bottles and/or cans at any participating Hannaford and will credit it to WMPG. There are special bags, which you can pick up here at WMPG, that have a barcode. Want us to mail you a few…