Barbershop like you've never heard before: The Gas House Gang; music on a leaf from The Kronos Quartet; another great unknown: Dromedary; a dreamy instrumental from The Frames; a perfect afternoon with Josh Ritter; looking back at the remarkable Patti Smith; a puzzling tune from Cornershop.
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The Frames, Kronos Quartet, Patti Smith
The William Tell Overture
Barbershop quartets usually bring to mind groups of white men in candy-striped suits. But the music has its roots in African American culture.
Perfidia
The Kronos Quartet has built its reputation on breaking the boundaries of the classical establishment. Here they feature a melody played on an ivy leaf.
Fado Tríado
Dromedary sound out of place in the alternative rock scene of their hometown, Athens, Ga. Their sound is an acoustic journey across Appalachia, East Africa and Central Europe.
In the Deep Shade
After more than a decade of trying, the Frames finally get a hit with their fourth CD, For the Birds.
Me & Jiggs
Josh Ritter's sound is part Nick Drake, part Johnny Cash. Just 24 years old, Ritter is drawing critical praise for his smart and sensitive story-songs.
Free Money
In 1979, Patti Smith waved goodbye to rock and roll, only occasionally appearing on a handful of albums since. Now she's back with a retrospective of her work called, Land.
Staging the Plaguing of the Raised Platform
This is Cornershop's first CD in nearly five years. It's been well worth the wait.