Kristi Kates | Author
A New Shot of Rock from The Vaccines
Feb. 10, 2018
After three years with nary a release in sight, The Vaccines are returning with their much-anticipated fourth full-length album, Combat Sports, a collection of big, bold indie-rock tracks that alternate between brooding lo-tempo numbers and ecstatic rockers. The se…
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Belle and Sebastian – How to Solve Our Human Problems, Part 2 – Matador
Feb. 10, 2018
The second of Belle and Sebastian’s trio of planned companion EPs has arrived (the third will surface late this month), with all three together comprising a full album’s worth of music. This one is a kind of vague, delicate sketched overview of the band’s current sound, fe…
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Beyond the Heart-Shaped Box
Feb. 5, 2018
Two familiar sights this time of year: the red-foil rectangular box of assorted chocolates and the box of candy hearts printed with sayings like “QTPie” “SURE LOVE” and “ALL MINE.” …
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Feb. 3, 2018 Need another reason to get out of Dodge and into some warmer weather this spring? The Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival (April 1–4 in Okeechobee, Florida), has announced it will feature sets by Arcade Fire, Bassnectar, Leon Bridges, and more. Head we…
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Feb. 3, 2018 The first outing at the new major-label home for Nashville indie-rock band Moon Taxi is an interesting switch-up for the band, in that the label shift seems to have pushed the band toward more polished, radio-ready tunes — and farther from the melodically catchy and significantly hipp…
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Jan. 27, 2018 After her husband left her, Jennifer Finnegan Pool craved a place she could go to connect with other single moms. She couldn’t find one, so she created one. Jennifer Finnegan Pool clearly remembers the day that she was, as she calls it, “deposited” in nort…
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Jan. 27, 2018 The companion album to the quirky, minimalistic independent videogame is as quirky and minimalistic as the game itself. With spare piano/string combos, evocative synth lines, and special remastering for the vinyl edition, this set is a perfectly balanced ambient standout that compels from t…
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Jan. 27, 2018 Justin Timberlake (pictured) is dropping his brand new album Feb. 2, just a few days before his upcoming halftime performance at the 2018 Super Bowl. The set, titled Man of the Woods and featuring Timberlake on the cover in a split photo featuring hi…
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Jan. 20, 2018 Of all the things made in Michigan, the things you can make yourself are often some of the best. And if you love our great outdoors in the winter, there is no better DIY than building a set of Michigan’s oldest shoes for yourself. Jan. 20, 2018 Most Michiganians are familiar with big names like Kellogg’s, Faygo pop, Hudsonville ice cream, Better Made snacks, and of course the entire lineup of Detroit auto manufacturers. And closer to home here in northern Michigan, we’ve got American Spoon Foods, Baabaazuzu, Cherry Rep…
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Jan. 20, 2018 The 2018 Grammy Awards are just around the corner, with a whole host of musicians in several different categories lined up to perform at this year’s event. In addition to performances from Childish Gambino (pictured), Little Big Town,…
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Jan. 20, 2018 From Petoskey to Pyeongchang. Jan. 20, 2018 Recorded in Nashville at the historic RCA Studio, East taps some big names to assist with his songwriting on this collection, including the uber-catchy “King for a Day,” which includes musical penmanship by Chris Stapleton, and “All On My Mind,” with contributions fr…
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Jan. 20, 2018 No need to wait until dinner to indulge your winter craving for warm and hearty dishes. Traverse City’s Morsels serves up its Winter Hash as a truly great start to your day. The hash sets aside regular potatoes, instead calling on the more complex flavors of sweet potatoes to …
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Jan. 13, 2018 The 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute concert is prepping to honor Fleetwood Mac on Jan. 26 with a big, elegant event held during Grammy week. The special tribute concert this year will feature performances from Lorde, OneRepublic, …
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Jan. 13, 2018 With every album U2 releases, old fans bemoan the fact that its work no longer sounds like its eager underground-bar breakouts of the ’80s, and newer fans discuss how all of the band’s new songs sound too much the same. This set (pictured) should quiet both issues, since it adro…
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Jan. 13, 2018 Not a fan of freezing weather? Does the idea of hopping on skis, skates, or snowshoes make you shrink back into your triple layer of sweaters and woolly socks? Time to think outside the flat screen. Here are 15 indoor pursuits to get you off your couch and help you while away the winter.Read More >>
Jan. 13, 2018 On the opposite end of the spectrum from those who hibernate their way through winter are those who embrace the season and all the opportunities it brings. Jan. 6, 2018 If you’re like most of America, one of your 2018 resolutions is to get in shape. The hard part — well, besides sticking to a program — is finding a program you can stick to. The Express tapped into three of the much-talked-about diet and fitness app…
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Jan. 6, 2018 Brand New (pictured), which is currently on tour in support of its Science Fiction album, has announced that it’s only going to be a band for another year, confirming longtime rumbles of an impending breakup. Fans are less than thrilled about the news, but Brand New h…
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Get Revved Up for Festival Season
Moon Taxi – Let the Record Play – RCA
Single MOMM on a Mission
David Housden – Thomas Was Alone Original Soundtrack – Black Screen Records
Justin is a Man of the Woods
Build Your Own Classic Snowshoes
…
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Made in Michigan
Are You Ready for the Grammys?
The Indomitable Tyler Cain
It has an exotic sound to it, much like “speedskating” might in northern Michigan, as it’s one of the less common sports here.
But Tyler Cain of Petoskey has made succes…
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Anderson East – Encore – New Elektra
Morsels’ Winter Hash
Honoring Fleetwood Mac
U2 – Songs of Experience – Interscope
Fun at Subzero
Learn to Love Winter
If you feel you’ve limited yourself to hiding inside for far too lo…
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Make Your Body a Machine
Brand New is breaking up with us.