sam pfeifle

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Remember when

A celebration of our nation's founding is as good a time as any to dig into some old-time country music, either from this country or another. Whether a reissue from 1976 (the Bicentennial!) or a release from just last week, Mainers give you plenty of bac
Getting back to roots for the Fourth
By SAM PFEIFLE | July 02, 2010

Sound of Silver

From Extendo-Ride to Cult Maze to their latest incarnation, Brenda, there has never been any doubt about the songwriting capabilities of Peet Chamberlain and Josh Loring.
Brenda's debut a raucous shade of pop
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 25, 2010

Creature feature

While much of Clara Berry’s new EP, Creature , is alluring and captivating, the first 45 seconds of her “Siren” might be the best 45 seconds recorded this year.
Stay up late for Clara Berry
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 25, 2010

Reviewing a review: Reconstructing Silver Tower

Call it an older sibling being protective of their kid brother, but I wholeheartedly disagree with Sam Pfeifle's review of Brenda's Silver Tower .
Letters to the Portland editor, July 2, 2010
By PORTLAND PHOENIX LETTERS | June 25, 2010

Decades and Days of the new

After the bombast of Grace , Gypsy Tailwind’s sophomore record, full of strings and horns and big arrangements worthy of a Nashville studio, the opening to their brand-new Decades and Days seems decidedly intentional.
Gypsy Tailwind’s with Gervasi, and don’t skip a beat
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 18, 2010

Must be Marie

I’ve always loved Sydney Bourke’s contribution to Satellite Lot’s Second Summer album, and it’s great to see a band built around her excellent lead vocals with the indie-pop Marie Stella.
Marie Stella's debut EP full of pop and Trust
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 04, 2010

One man’s picks for the BiMPys

Pffft. That Phoenix Best Music Poll is just a popularity contest!
Handicapping the Best Music Poll
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 04, 2010

That was yesterday

More than 10 years since their debut, Colepitz have long since had their day in the sun. But sometimes it really is about the music.
Colepitz return to forever with No Tomorrow Tonight
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 04, 2010

Run for Cover

If there was ever the idea that Honey Clouds were just Harpswell Sound with a new rhythm section, let their sophomore album, Cover the Forest , dispel it forever.
Honey Clouds shake the trees and get noisy
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 28, 2010

Daydream believer

Long a young songwriter with buzz, Pete Miller has been woodshedding with Eric Bettencourt all winter working on a debut record that sees the light of day this weekend.
Pete Miller debuts with Shake the Dawn
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 21, 2010

The radio on TV

There is nothing new about bands playing on television. But local bands and local channels? Lately there’s been something of an explosion.
Suddenly local music is all over the airwaves
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 14, 2010

Multi-colored Greetings

You can’t accuse Jeff Beam of lacking ambition.
Getting psychedelic with the Stereo Flys
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 14, 2010

Voice of the County

How boys who grew up a few miles from each other in the County wound up making a record together in Nashville is one of those vagaries of the music business that will never make sense.
Travis James Humphrey gets local in Nashville
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 14, 2010

Confidence men (and women)

For a slice of Portland and scattered folks throughout New England and beyond, Spouse are downright seminal indie rockers.
Spouse open up on their fifth full-length
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 07, 2010

Packets of Sugar

It’s easy to paint Bebe Buell as some talentless pretty face who slept her way to whatever modicum of stardom she has right now.
Bebe Buell returns to town throwing ‘Air Kisses’
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 30, 2010

Chinnock of the North

How did I not know that Bill Chinnock was Dick Curless’s son in law?
The re-release of Dime Store Heroes , and a look back
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 23, 2010

Something in the struggle

It would have taken some favorable odds for me to have put money on Loki celebrating a decade as a band back when they debuted in 2000. Jonathan Taylor’s Sully Erna-like metal-growl was all in vogue with the angry young man set, and there seemed to be d
Ten years in, Loki have seen an Ebb and Flow
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 16, 2010

At the Minimal

Since 2007’s Blown Speaker Project an album full of MCs, Mike Clouds’s solo work has consisted exclusively of instrumentals, the latest being this month’s Minimal Message, a 10-track ranging from the new-agey to the electronica to more traditional boom-b
Mike Clouds has a beat-infused Message for you
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 09, 2010

From Russia with love

The Internet has, of course, ruined the music industry. That’s the conventional wisdom. But for many musicians, the Internet has been a boon.
Moshe’s Thinning the Herd finds its audience
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 09, 2010

Cindy Bullens to run for state senate

Is Cindy Bullens the first Grammy-nominated musician to run for Maine Senate?
Rock and Poll
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 09, 2010

Tough enough

It’s hard to do genuinely new things with roots music, but the Toughcats have proven with their second album what everybody suspected after hearing their first: They are one of the most creative and inventive bands going today.
Stroll, hop, or Run to the Mill
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 02, 2010

Mandolin Fest

At SPACE Gallery, March 27
Music Seen
By BRIDGET M. BURNS | April 02, 2010

Two and fro

It can be easy to get wrapped up in Portland’s pop and rock scene, the singalong stuff you hear in the clubs and on the radio.
Kolosko and Dimow’s Border Crossings
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 26, 2010

Home and away

For many songwriters, home is where the art is.
Zach Jones's diasporic Fading Flowers
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 19, 2010

By the Grace of Ralph

As debut records go, it's rare to find one as textured and fully realized as what Marion Grace have put together in the 10-song Lying Down Looking Up , an arty, smart, folk-rock affair that shows songwriting creativity with some genuinely great ideas.
A debut that is Lying Down Looking Up
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 19, 2010

Holy rollers

This record grabs you by the throat from measure one.
Ten pounds of rock in a six-song Boo Box
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 12, 2010

The most famous rapper from Wells signs with Universal

A few weeks ago, we marveled at the reality of Portland's Top 40 radio station, WJBQ, playing a song by local rapper Spose called "I'm Awesome," an ironic, self-deprecating piece of pure hilarious ear candy.
No, really: Actually awesome
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 05, 2010

How Sophomoric

Hi, Technology is one of the more self-loathing collections of songs I've heard in some time.
Camus and catharsis on Hi, Technology
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 05, 2010

In good Company

Dark Hollow Bottling Company take a piece of their name from an old-school folk/bluegrass tune, "Dark Hollow," possibly made most famous by the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia's Old and in the Way , but also recorded as early as 1926, with popular versio
Dark Hollow Bottling debut a new old-time sound
By SAM PFEIFLE | February 26, 2010

Turkish troubadours

I owe just about all my Turkish music knowledge to Okbari.
Okbari get all lovey-dovey
By SAM PFEIFLE | February 26, 2010

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