Wilco is back, with the appropriately titled Wilco (the album), and Ken Shane is here to tell you how it stacks up against the band’s critically adored earlier work.
Ken Shane
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Ken Shane
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There’s a well-known saying that if you think Woodstock was great, you weren’t there. The point is that the mud, drugs, lack of food and water, and often bad music…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Some really good music has come to us from the mountains so far this year. First, from New York’s Adirondacks, we had the Felice Brothers with their brilliant Yonder Is…
Ken Shane
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In this week’s Cratedigger, Ken Shane blows the dust off a copy of Stephen Stills’ early ’70s apogee, Manassas.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Before you ask, yes, they are named after Manson Family member Linda Kasabian. She achieved fame for being the getaway driver following the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969. I’m not…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
I get a lot of albums sent to me for review. The vast majority are things that I’ve requested from publicists or record labels. Occasionally, though, a person whose taste…
Ken Shane
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Old 97’s leader Rhett Miller has a real knack for taking lyrically dark material, and setting it to a upbeat tune. He takes that ability to a whole new level…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
NON-COMMvention is the premier annual event for North America’s noncommercial Triple A radio stations. It was founded by Dan Reed in 2001, when he was at radio station WFPK in…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Goodness gracious — Ken Shane has made his way through every moment of Neil Young’s ten-disc Archives, Volume 1. What will you get for your $280? Read his review to find out.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
There is really no rhyme or reason for the way these things go, but lately I’ve noticed a very definite increase in the amount of people who are discovering, or…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Listen up, Americana fans: Ken Shane says Justin Townes Earle is going to be a very big star. Read his interview with the singer/songwriter here!
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The first thing that you notice about the new John Vanderslice album, Romanian Names (Dead Oceans), is the sound. The album has a definite sonic quality that is akin to…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Cold hearted orb that rules the night, Removes the colours from our sight. Red is grey and yellow white, But we decide which is right. And which is an illusion?…
Ken Shane
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Perhaps you’ve heard their story. A bunch of GIs find themselves stationed in Germany in the mid-’60s. They decide to form a band, which they call the 5 Torquays. The…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
One of rock’s most distinctive and respected keyboard players, Ian McLagan has appeared on a long list of hits by other artists — and he’s got an excellent new album out, all of which were topics of discussion during his recent chat with Ken Shane.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Cratedigger is a regular (well, maybe semi-regular) column in which I’ll discuss some of my favorite vinyl. The Royal Scam was released almost exactly 33 years ago. It is, in…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Last week I told you about the Hold Steady’s new DVD, A Positive Rage. You may recall that it is strictly a lo-fi affair, and really more of a documentary…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Today is Record Store Day in the United States and 17 other countries worldwide. According to the website, “This is the one day that all of the independently owned record…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
“There are so many of these indie-rock shows that you go to that are so joyless. I just want people to feel this joy and celebratory nature of rock and…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
The definition of “cool” is a very amorphous thing. Basically, it depends on who’s doing the defining. One thing that a lot of people agree on these days is that…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
Do you like those smooth soul ballads? Maybe you like to kick back with your lady, or man, and chill out with the lights low, and the Delfonics singing softly…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Hazards of Love (Capitol Records), the fifth Decemberists album, is a romantic fairy tale, albeit one with some extremely dark passages, and a very sad ending. Musically, Colin Meloy…