• Friday Five

    Ickmusic’s Friday Five: May 9, 2008

    Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down… Spring has finally sprung this week in New England and in a twist of fate it’s pouring outside (it’s been beautiful all week). I guess Meatloaf was right when he sang “two…

  • Hip Hop,  Video

    Roots Rising

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-nyyQrmiQ0 336 278] The Roots – Rising Up (feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele) (Video) It’s been a long time since I’ve exclaimed “that’s my JAM” but after hearing this record I did not walk, I ran to get my hands…

  • Friday Five

    Ickmusic’s Friday Five: May 2, 2008

    For most people, Friday’s just the day before the weekend. But after this Friday, the neighborhood’ll never be the same. It was back to the daily grind this week (day job, well, during the day and Mr. Home-Improvement-Man in the…

  • Rock

    The Art of Zen

    Gavin Rossdale has no delusions about the risk of going it alone after being the frontman of alt-rockers Bush. “There’s such a minefield of people who have gone from bands that had success to the solo thing,” says Rossdale. “There’s…

  • Hip Hop

    Transforming Hip-Hop: Flobots

    It’s been awhile since a tune I heard on the radio made me sit up and pay attention but that’s exactly what happened the first time I heard “Handlebars” by the Hip-Hop collective Flobots. Socially conscious and politically charged and…

  • Rock n' Folk

    First Listen: The Great Outdoors

    What is it about the changing weather that has inspired musicians throughout the centuries? I’ll admit to not being too familiar with the folk-rock ensemble The Great Outdoors prior to receiving their new EP Spring, but that’s something that I…

  • Friday Five

    Ickmusic’s Friday Five: April 25, 2008

    While I’m doing my best Tim Allen impression (the TV version, not the reality version) I’m again going to have to phone in the very late edition of the Friday Five. As I had mentioned last week I’m in the…

  • Hip Hop,  Video

    Can I Kick It?

    Yes you can! The annual Rock the Bells tour line up has been announced and it is, for my dollar, the most jam-packed bill of any tour crossing North America this year. Headlining the trek is the reunited members of…

  • Friday Five

    Ickmusic’s Friday Five: April 18, 2008

    Good Morning Friday Five Family!! My wife and I are in the midst of home improvements and the iPod and iTunes have been providing the soundtrack. In honor of my current project I set up the following smart playlist in…

  • Indie,  Jazz,  Pop

    Jon Regen – Let it Go

    Photo: Merri Cyr Sometimes an album just hits the mark. Let it Go is one of those records. There is something to it that just feels like home. I’ve spent two weeks soaking up the tracks, something that as Pete…