Rod Stewart, “Atlantic Crossing” / “A Night On The Town” Collectors Editions (Warner Bros.)
These days, Rod Stewart may be more akin to the “Poor old Granddad” from his work with the Faces than the ’70s heartthrob who taunted us with the rhetorical question, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” Two of Stewart’s greatest achievements, 1975′s “Atlantic Crossing,” and ’76′s “A Night on the Town” came at a unique time in the singer’s career. In leaving the Faces and moving from London to Los Angeles, Stewart had [...]

A head-banging good time was had by all at the White Rabbits show on Friday. Photos by Lindsay McWilliams.
The cover of White Rabbits’ new record, “It’s Frightening,” sports a picture of frantic, multi-instrumental motion in a pretty accurate portrayal of most of the record’s musical content. But what the band did in the studio only hints at what they’re doing in front of packed house after packed house on this year’s tour. Their show at the Bluebird Theater Friday night added to their growing reputation [...]

Denver pop-rockers Meese, from left, Mike Ayars, Ben Haley, Patrick Meese and Nathan Meese, will release its big-label debut on Tuesday. Photo by Dan Monick.
In the music world, being from Denver is a good thing right now. A very, very good thing. But you don’t need to tell the brothers Meese that. The Cleveland-bred duo and their bandmates signed to Atlantic Records in 2007 based in large part on the buzz from local radio play on KTCL-93.3. It doesn’t hurt that they’re friends and tour [...]

Vieux Farka Touré (center, with guitar). Photo of previous show from getmziki.com.
Vieux Farka Touré is taking the dynasty to new levels. Son of the three-years-gone African blues guitar legend Ali Farka Touré, the Malian scion to that searing desert guitar has stepped in where his dad left off. With a relaxed grace and dizzying agility, Vieux Farka Touré led a rhythmic African renaissance Saturday at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. Touring in support of his latest release, “Fondo,” Touré is on a worldwide jaunt and his newly-forged [...]

Thomas Mars and Phoenix presented their unabashed French pop-rock on Thursday at the Bluebird Theater. Photos by Chandra Carney.
Thursday’s Phoenix show at the Bluebird really was one of the better concerts I’ve been to this year (in a year only half-through and already chock full of great ones), so let’s start by making sure we’re staying honest overall, and take care of the negative outright: Butt-rock.

As we first told you last month, Monolith Festival, the indie-centric music party at Red Rocks on Sept. 12-13, is slowly (and cleverly) announcing its lineup via Twitter and Facebook in order to remain on everyone’s radar for a bit longer. The biggest news of the day? New York fashion-rockers and indie icons Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be headlining Saturday, Sept. 12, a.k.a. Day 1 of the festival.

Telekinesis singer-drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner pounds his set at the Hi-Dive on Tuesday. Photos by Denise Chambers.
Seattle indie rockers Telekinesis hit the Hi-Dive on Tuesday with Australian duo An Horse, and Reverb’s Denise Chambers was there to document the final night of the band’s tour. “There was definitely a party sort of feel to the night,” Chambers said. “It wasn’t jam packed but it there was a pretty decent crowd.”

Bill Callahan — former Smog leader, prolific songwriter and all-around weird dude. Photo courtesy of Drag City.
Once in a while, a song’s performance makes you feel more like you’re remembering it than discovering it. You know you’ve never heard it before, yet you feel yourself hooked by something that resonates within you, so familiar that you can’t believe you haven’t spent most of your life humming it. It doesn’t happen often, in my experience, but when it does, the intimacy increases exponentially, regardless of — [...]

Mike Farris wows the outdoor crowd at this year’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Photos by Brian Carney.
By Susan Viebrock
Mike Farris sang gospel on Sunday morning. His set, his sentiment, summed up Telluride Bluegrass: 36 years and counting, the music festival second to none never fails to take Festivarians higher and higher.

The Jonas Brothers, from left, Joe, Nick and Kevin, showed off their showmanship Wednesday at the Pepsi Center, even handing off the vocals for a while to a sell-out crowd that knew every word by heart. Photo by John Leyba.
As the Jonas Brothers took on “Gotta Find You” (one of the teen sensations’ many earnest love ballads) halfway through their Pepsi Center concert Wednesday night, frontman Joe Jonas led his brothers to a satellite stage. That platform then rose 20 feet into the air and, [...]