Music - The Eastern Echo

The Maine’s “Forever Halloween” is a solid release

By Jess Salisbury · Monday, June 17, 2013

When Arizona-based band The Maine dropped their most recent album “Forever Halloween” on June 4, my initial feelings were mixed.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Matt on Music: The Uncluded Concert Review

By Matt Rice · Monday, June 10, 2013

Comprised of anti-folk singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson and indie rapper Aesop Rock, The Uncluded have been my favorite new band of 2013 since I first heard their album, “Hokey Fright.” So when I heard they were performing in Detroit on June 5, I had to go. While driving to and from the show, I listened to the album a total of three times.

Matt on Music: The National

By Matt Rice · Monday, June 3, 2013

Cincinnati indie band The National may have seemed a bit ordinary on their 2001 self-titled debut.

Matt on More Music: Kimya Dawson

By Matt Rice · Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Kimya Dawson gained mainstream attention when many of her songs appeared in the 2007 film “Juno.” Still, she had a following in the indie scene years before that.

Matt on More Music: Rilo Kiley

By Matt Rice · Tuesday, May 21, 2013

When Rilo Kiley announced via Facebook that they were working on a news album, fans became ecstatic (after all, the band had announced their breakup less than two years earlier). As somebody who considers them one of the greatest bands of all time, I was one of those fans. Then, everyone realized it was just a rarities album.

Matt on Music: Vampire Weekend

By Matt Rice · Monday, May 13, 2013

Vampire Weekend’s second album, “Contra,” opened with “Horchata,” a calypso-influenced ditty that stated, “Winter’s cold is too much to handle.” “Modern Vampires of the City,” the band’s new album, shows them at long last forced to face the cold up close.

Matt on Music: "Wussy Duo"

By Matt Rice · Monday, May 6, 2013

This year, Record Store Day fell on April 20th, which meant that the day meant a lot to more than just one group of people. It was also on this day that Cincinnati band Wussy released their second Record Store Day release, “Duo.”

Grand Rapids band creates unique sound

By Carmen Bojanowski · Monday, May 6, 2013

“Everything from Bach to rock,” is cited as an influence on Grand Rapids band The Outer Vibe’s Facebook page.

Matt on Music: Brad Paisley

By Matt Rice · Sunday, April 21, 2013

Here is the new format for Matt on Music. Rather than just reviewing one new album, I’ll review several older albums with a connection to a new release and then finish with a review of said new release. This may manifest itself in partial discography reviews, or just a series of reviews of albums in similar genres. (My reviews already feature so much exposition, so I might as well use it to comment on more than one album.)

‘Encore’ shows Eminem at his most humble.

Matt on Music: Eminem

By Matt Rice · Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Eminem, Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady—whatever you want to call him, the man is a genius and one of the most important artists in the history of American popular music (at least before his lame last couple albums). Here is a list of his 15 best songs.

They Might Be Giants’s new album, ‘Nanobots,’ has flaws but perfect opening tracks.

Matt on Music: They Might Be Giants' 'Nanobots'

By Matt Rice · Sunday, April 14, 2013

Mainly based around John Flansburgh and John Linnell, alternative rock band They Might Be Giants first formed in 1982. They became popular on college stations and over time became one of the few college rock bands to become a household name along with R.E.M. and The Smiths. Since releasing their debut album in 1986, they’ve never gone more than three years without releasing an LP.

String Teachers hosts fundraising concert

By Mariya Gefter · Sunday, April 14, 2013

Spring is in the air, and Eastern Michigan University’s music students have a lot in store for the campus community. The American String Teachers Association is holding a fundraiser concert in the Alexander Music Building Recital Hall Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. The concert will feature music arranged in the pop and rock style for string instruments.

Bands play tribute to The Replacements

By Matt Rice · Sunday, April 14, 2013

Several bands paid tribute to the influential band The Replacements at Woodruff’s bar in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town on Saturday.

Matt on Music’s 15 favorite songs of the ’90s includes the Backstreet Boys hit ‘I Want It That Way” (1999) at No. 4 and Kris Kross’ 1992 hit ‘Jump’ at No. 15.

Matt on Music: 15 favorite songs of the '90s

By Matt Rice · Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The early ’90s was one of the best times for alternative rock and the late ’90s was one of the best times for pop singles. The ’90s were just an awesome time for music overall, so here are my 15 favorite songs of the decade.

Bands play tribute to the ‘Mats

By Matt Rice · Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Bastards of young, dope smokin’ morons, girls who play make-up and wear guitar. If any of that describes you or you’d just like to hear a group of bands pay tribute to one of the greatest American rock groups of all time, come to Woodruff’s, located at 36 E. Cross St. in Ypsilanti, on Saturday at 9 p.m. for ‘Mats Fest.

The songs in Low’s new album, ‘The Invisible Way,’ work splendidly.

Matt on Music: Low's 'The Invisible Way'

By Matt Rice · Sunday, April 7, 2013

“Mormons can’t rock. There, I said it,” a friend of mine quipped about Low after I posted my overview of the band on Facebook. In response to that statement, I must bring up the Butler brothers of Arcade Fire and New York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane, as well as the fact that Low isn’t a particularly rocking band. Their style is mainly based around minimalism, harmony and beauty; three things that many people, including my friend, love about The xx, and what I love about Yo La Tengo’s “Fade.”

Low captivates with mind-blowing harmonies.

Matt on Music: Low

By Matt Rice · Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Low is a Duluth-based slowcore band fronted by married couple Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, both practicing Mormons. Although Sparhawk and Parker have been consistent members since the band’s formation in 1993, they’ve changed bassists three times.

Sophomore Donald Lajiness was born with only one arm, but you couldn’t tell that by listening to him perform.

Guitarist overcomes disability to play well

By Jess Salisbury · Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Guitarist Donald Lajiness, a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University, steps to the front of the Alexander Music Building’s auditorium to a burst of ecstatic applause. He sits down in the proper classical guitar position— foot up, fretboard raised —and begins to strum the opening chord of the mysterious-sounding “Koyunbaba,” a modern piece with Turkish influences composed by Carlo Domeniconi. After a nearly flawless recital, the musician basks in the glow of his fellow music majors’ collective cheering and praise.

William Shatner’s ‘Seeking Major Tom’ is No. 5 on the list.

Ranked by hilarity: Worst album covers

By Matt Rice · Friday, March 29, 2013

Awful album covers are incredible. For every “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” or “The Velvet Underground & Nico,” there’s a few amateur (or even, sometimes, mainstream) artists whose album cover designs are just absurd. Sometimes, this turns out quite disturbing (every Cannibal Corpse album cover) or just creepy (“Julie’s Sixteenth Birthday”).

Ypsilanti musician Watabou works on new projects, shows

By Carmen Bojanowski · Sunday, March 24, 2013

Travis Jarosz is a pretty common name in the Ypsilanti music scene. He’s been involved in a few musical projects, ranging from metal bands to some short-lived jazz projects. He’s currently working with indie band Walk Your Bike, electro-punk Crochetcatpause and his electronic side project, Watabou. Watabou started in April 2009 as a general outlet for Jarosz’s musical ideas. He was involved in a couple of bands, but many of his bandmates were focused on the sound their band was creating or weren’t able to fully dedicate themselves to being in a band.