https://atwoodmagazine.com/author/ben-niesen/ For the Love of Music Fri, 16 Aug 2024 19:46:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://atwoodmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-Atwood-Magazine-Circle-Logo-2020-32x32.png https://atwoodmagazine.com/author/ben-niesen/ 32 32 68941247 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2404-oneohtrix-point-never-live-review-wonder-ballroom-portland-2024/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2404-oneohtrix-point-never-live-review-wonder-ballroom-portland-2024/#respond Mon, 29 Apr 2024 16:46:41 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=196289 Oneohtrix Point Never live in Portland was an experience to remember, even if he left me still trying to understand it.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2404-oneohtrix-point-never-live-review-wonder-ballroom-portland-2024/feed/ 0 196289 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2403-angie-mcmahon-live-review-star-theater-portland-2024/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2403-angie-mcmahon-live-review-star-theater-portland-2024/#respond Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:56:03 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=194548 Singer/songwriter Angie McMahon’s sensibilities speak to the first steps of healing, if not a commitment to honesty. She created a therapeutic experience for all in attendance of her concert at Portland's Star Theater, bringing the songs off her sophomore album 'Light, Dark, Light Again' to life with care and cathartic passion.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2403-angie-mcmahon-live-review-star-theater-portland-2024/feed/ 0 194548 https://atwoodmagazine.com/mrlc-the-murlocs-interview-music-feature-2023/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/mrlc-the-murlocs-interview-music-feature-2023/#respond Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:04:13 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=182357 I talked with Ambrose Kenny-Smith for The Murlocs’ 'Rapscallion.' Then I had a nervous breakdown. In the time since, they released another record, Calm Ya Farm. Seven months in the making, consider this a review of a band’s evolution, its tragedies and its successes.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/mrlc-the-murlocs-interview-music-feature-2023/feed/ 0 182357 https://atwoodmagazine.com/jopr-john-oates-interview-pushin-a-rock-music/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/jopr-john-oates-interview-pushin-a-rock-music/#respond Fri, 11 Nov 2022 05:00:01 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=171226 Hall & Oates’ John Oates has always had an air of mystery about himself; we discuss his rework of “Pushing a Rock Uphill,” men’s mental health, and bringing back that iconic mustache for Movember.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/jopr-john-oates-interview-pushin-a-rock-music/feed/ 0 171226 https://atwoodmagazine.com/ppf22-portola-music-festival-2022-preview/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/ppf22-portola-music-festival-2022-preview/#respond Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:05:06 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=169020 Portola Music Festival 2022 has finally arrived, and Atwood Magazine has some artist recommendations for festivalgoers, courtesy of the casual rambler himself.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/ppf22-portola-music-festival-2022-preview/feed/ 0 169020 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2208-feels-pickathon-2022/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2208-feels-pickathon-2022/#respond Thu, 08 Sep 2022 01:00:25 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=168417 I don’t mean to be jealous or envious for anyone here, but FEELS deserved more. That’s why I’m rambling about it.  am writing this...]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2208-feels-pickathon-2022/feed/ 0 168417 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2207-freakscene-dinosaur-jr/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2207-freakscene-dinosaur-jr/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:11:32 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=168000 It should have not been surprising that I would need closed captions for the words that would come out of J Mascis’ mouth. A Casual Ramble about 'FREAKSCENE: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.']]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2207-freakscene-dinosaur-jr/feed/ 0 168000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2206-odesza-tour-2022-the-last-goodbye/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2206-odesza-tour-2022-the-last-goodbye/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2022 02:26:16 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=167158 This was supposed to be a live review for Odesza, but because I didn’t take many notes — okay, I didn’t take any at all — I have to influence the history with impressions and thoughts. What resulted is a tried and true ramble.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2206-odesza-tour-2022-the-last-goodbye/feed/ 0 167158 https://atwoodmagazine.com/spbd-spoon-benders-interview-music-2022/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/spbd-spoon-benders-interview-music-2022/#respond Tue, 02 Aug 2022 17:45:19 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=166996 Balancing the image and music of punk with an inner peace has always been the golden goose for any garage rock band, but Spoon Benders do so through a love of purpose and each other.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/spbd-spoon-benders-interview-music-2022/feed/ 0 166996 https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2205-summer-french-cassettes-california-sound-2022/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2205-summer-french-cassettes-california-sound-2022/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 19:46:26 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=166064 A Casual Ramble about Summer, the California Sound, and how it has nothing to do with French Cassettes' stellar second record, 'Rolodex.']]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2205-summer-french-cassettes-california-sound-2022/feed/ 0 166064 https://atwoodmagazine.com/geese-band-interview-music-2022/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/geese-band-interview-music-2022/#respond Tue, 28 Jun 2022 14:56:21 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=165742 Listening to anything by Geese is to be hit by the collective musical weight of an entire city. New York City, to be precise.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/geese-band-interview-music-2022/feed/ 0 165742 https://atwoodmagazine.com/wrlt-warpaint-radiate-like-this-album-review/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/wrlt-warpaint-radiate-like-this-album-review/#respond Fri, 27 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=163826 Warpaint are no strangers to getting under people’s skin, and on their fourth studio album 'Radiate Like This,' they find more ways than one to do just that.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/wrlt-warpaint-radiate-like-this-album-review/feed/ 0 163826 https://atwoodmagazine.com/bpag-bloc-party-alpha-games-interview-music-2022/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/bpag-bloc-party-alpha-games-interview-music-2022/#respond Thu, 19 May 2022 16:14:02 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=163407 Kele Okereke pieces together stories like a spider, skittering across multiple threads excitedly as he regales how Bloc Party’s latest record 'Alpha Games' came to be.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/bpag-bloc-party-alpha-games-interview-music-2022/feed/ 0 163407 https://atwoodmagazine.com/kzlw-omnium-gatherum-king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-album-review/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/kzlw-omnium-gatherum-king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-album-review/#respond Thu, 05 May 2022 16:20:14 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=162690 'Omnium Gatherum' is a conundrum: A grab-bag of all things, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's dizzying double album will leave listeners picking favorites and forgetting others.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/kzlw-omnium-gatherum-king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-album-review/feed/ 0 162690 https://atwoodmagazine.com/tmf10i-treefort-music-fest-2022-interview-feature/ https://atwoodmagazine.com/tmf10i-treefort-music-fest-2022-interview-feature/#respond Thu, 28 Apr 2022 22:16:19 +0000 https://atwoodmagazine.com/?p=162417 Nobody knew when Treefort Music Fest would return. Some feared it wouldn’t, but through emergency support and sheer force of will, Boise’s own bounced back big.]]> https://atwoodmagazine.com/tmf10i-treefort-music-fest-2022-interview-feature/feed/ 0 162417