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What to Do Tonight: WPA

Published Dec. 12, 2009 at 8:19 a.m.

History buffs and old-timers know that WPA stands for the Works Progress Administration, the landmark New Deal-era agency that guided public-works construction, social-relief programs and arts projects. It’s this last category that relates most to the band that shares its name. This all-star Americana ensemble began as a partnership between former Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips, Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins and session fiddler Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas). But

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What to Do Tonight: Justice Rocks!

Published Dec. 4, 2009 at 8:51 a.m.

Shares YP wants to connect young people with causes they can feel passionate about. Formed earlier this year, the group is an offshoot of Community Shares, which raises money for progressive social-justice causes. Combining entertaining, socializing and education, it hosts Justice Rocks! at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124) tonight. Early Girl, Oldboy, Tastycakes and Vitium will provide music, while Community Shares and other social-justice organizations will provide

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Sen. Feingold Gives Props to Bon Iver and Wilco

Published Aug. 6, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

A few montha ago we told you about Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold’s new project, Feintunes. Between pushing his support for health-care reform and Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation and opposing the deployment of more troops to Afghanistan, Feingold solicits suggestions from the public for new tunes to program into his iPod and posts his monthly artist pick on his website ... In past few months, he’s spotlighted Bon Iver, Calexico and Wilco, and posted a little video introducing each. He

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Soundcheck: Graeme Edge

Published Aug. 5, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.

Moody Blues drummer ... by Jeff Niesel ... For more than 40 years, the Moody Blues have soldiered on as progressive-rock giants, unfazed that the world has moved beyond the type of high-minded art-rock they pioneered in the late '60s and early '70s. But nostalgia for classic rock doesn't die easily. The band is now touring behind the DVD release of Live at the Isle of Wight, which features footage from the group's appearance at the 1970 festival. Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge spoke about the

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Wilbert's asks, What's it worth to ya?

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bands, cleveland, clubs, downtown, indians

Published Aug. 5, 2009 at 3:07 p.m.

As the economy continues to falter, concert promoters and nightclub owners are getting creative as they vie for a cut of your paycheck. The world’s biggest concert promoter is dealing in volume. And in downtown Cleveland, one club owner is using a performance-based honor system ... This week, Wilbert’s owner Michael Miller has debuted a model he calls “FPAYG,” which is short for “Free! Pay as You Go.” For 21 of the 27 shows on his schedule, music fans can enter for free. If they

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CD Review: The Most Serene Republic

Published July 22, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.

And the Ever Expanding Universe (Arts and Crafts) ... The Most Serene Republic ... And the Ever Expanding Universe (Arts & Crafts) 1/2 Hot on the heels of April's Digital Population EP, which remixed five tunes from 2007's Population in 16-bit Nintendo-style, this album shows off the Most Serene Republic's uncoventional streak. The Toronto group's first two records of sprawling, progressive indie-pop are solid, but ultimately forgettable ... And the Ever Expanding Universe fairs a little better,

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Pilgrims of Pop

Published June 24, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.

Thirty years on, the Church still haven't found what they're looking for ... by Keith Gribbins ... Wandering rock 'n' roll's backroads for decades, the four members of the Church have been quietly exploring the outer reaches of progressive pop music over 30 plus records. Known to '80s music nerds as the ethereal Australian rock band that spun the beautifully nebulous "Under the Milky Way," the Church have never stopped making increasingly excellent records. In fact, it's the band's quest that

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CD Review: The Mars Volta

Published June 24, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.

Octahedron (Warner Bros.) ... It was pretty easy to find fault with the first four Mars Volta albums. All of them were basically the same dense slab of sonic masturbation — equal parts aural bliss and epic clusterfuck. And yet, the El Paso-based progressive rock band continued to sell more records and play to ever larger crowds, while defying current record-industry practices in about a hundred different ways. Octahedron, the band's fifth full-length, has got something going for it that the

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Serengeti and Polyphonic

Published June 24, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.

Terradactyl (Anticon) ... Chicago's Serengeti & Polyphonic proved they work better together on their 2007 debut, Don't Give Up. Both were making waves as solo artists before the collaboration. Serengeti's genre-hopping rhymes on Gasoline Rainbows had garnered buzz, while Polyphonic's spacey Abstract Data Ark helped him land production work. Eventually, Don't Give Up caught the ear of Anticon's Adam "doseone" Drucker, who signed the duo for their sophomore release, Terradactyl. Like its

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New Music Festival Debuts at Cain Park

Published May 6, 2009 at 4:15 p.m.

Three local independent entrepreneurs have joined forces to present the first annual Big Cool Cats Music Festival, taking place at Cain Park’s Evans Amphitheatre ifrom noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 ... The event is the brainchild of Steve Presser (owner of the Big Fun toy and novelty store on Coventry Road) and Denis Devito (founder of busy roots-rock/county band Cats of Holiday), who then put in a call to Tom Mulready of e-mail newsletter coolcleveland.com, an experienced festival

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