CD Review: ‘Far From Sleep’ by Agent Cooper
I initially heard about Agent Cooper’s album, Far From Sleep, during my first interview for Better B# over two years ago. During what turned out to be an incredibly long, but fun, talk with Cooper guitarist, Mike Martin, he told me about the work ...
How I got into THAT band: Styx
Two weeks ago I was given an opportunity to interview Lawrence Gowan, one of the members of the classic-rock band Styx. The group, famous for songs like “Renegade,” “The Best of Times” and “Come Sail Away,” is on tour again this fall and is performing in ...
How I got into THAT band: The Front Bottoms
How I got into THAT Band: The Front Bottoms By: Mary Lynn Ritch I was invited to see The Front Bottoms last summer at the Drunken Unicorn. I paid $10 and had no idea who the band was. To my surprise, The Front Bottoms were pretty amazing a ...
How I got into THAT band: Black Lab – review of ‘Raven’
I was actually looking for a song by a different band back in 2000 when I stumbled on “Wash It Away.” I knew that I had heard that song somewhere before so I kept digging and discovered that it had indeed been a hit for the band back in 1997. I picked up ...
CD Review: “One By One” by Walking With Giants
Notes ring off the strings, echoing as if from reverberating bells. Thus is the beginning of Baltimore-based Walking With Giants' new EP, One By One, set for release on June 21. This promising hard-rock act blew me out of the water last year with its deb ...
CD Review: Into The True Country – David Benedict
I expect that most of you have never heard of David Benedict. It's not your fault! He's the new guy in town, hailing from the Southeast, and he's just getting settled. That being said, I'd like to introduce you to him. Since 2009, he has been ins ...
Live Review: Shamrockfest 2014
All photos © Kristen Mankowski at The Muse Juice Cafe. There wasn't much of a breeze, but there was still a bit of a draft for quite a few kilt-wearers celebrating their Celtic pride at Shamrockfest D.C. last weekend. Plaid man-skirts in an array ...
Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall at The Barns at Wolf Trap – March 6
Stepping within this quiet sanctum, I could almost hear a pin drop. We weren't alone, my girlfriend and I, as we walked into The Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., but it certainly felt that way due to the atmosphere these walls evoked. I'm not s ...
CD Review: “Inward:Outward” by Mire
Slaving and working to serve the Hive... It's been some time since I listened to a truly progressive record. The last may have been Dream Theater's Train Of Thought, but even that was mainly a metal album from an artist considered to be progressi ...
Interview with Hannah Holbrook of SHEL
Image above used with permission. © Taylor Ballantyne. Last year, after becoming infatuated with learning the mandolin, I stumbled upon a young woman's Youtube video in which she played Bach on an octave mandolin. Her name was Eva Holbro ...