Acoustic folk band Buxton, from La Porte, TX, releases its second full-length album, A Family Light, on Saturday, January 19th at Houston's Walter's on Washington. Before they hit the stage, I got a chance to sneak a listen to the album and emailed some questions off to the band, who were kind enough to answer them. For its part, the new album is quite impressive, with well-thought-out lyrics, smooth, expansive sounds that seem to be coming in off the Great Plains, and even some rowdier songs where the Buxton guys show the energy they bring to their live shows... (Buxton plays their CD release show at Walter's on Washington (4215 Washington Ave, Houston, TX. 77007), with By The End of Tonight, Papermoons, & Ghost Mountain.) [more] || [Pedro] || [01/18/08]

When a band like Metallica plays live backed by a symphony orchestra, it's understandably a matter of notable oddity. However, when classic rock group Kansas did exactly that last Saturday night at the Stafford Centre, it was a completely natural and perfect fit. Openly heralding a celebration of the 30th anniversary of their Point of Know Return progressive concept album, released in 1977, both the longtime original stalwarts and resurfacing line-up members of Kansas joined forces to revel in the time-tested AOR popularity of the unique sound that they've established and honed throughout the last four decades... [more] || [Bill Reed] || [1/22/08]