Brett Milano

Boston

Print and Online Editor at OffBeat Magazine

Contributing Editor at Harvard Gazette

Contributing Editor at Harvard Law Today

Articles

Despite big changes, Big Country keeps '80s sound fresh

2 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

It’s still a Big Country, but the population is a little different nowadays. “I used to be the youngest one in the band, now I’m the oldest,” says guitarist and leader Bruce Watson. “My head and my heart and still very much into doing it. Even though there are times when my body says, ‘This is getting a bit silly, isn’t it?’”The classic Scottish band headlines the “Totally ‘80s” tour at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, N.H. on June 19, with Tommy Tutone, Bow Wow Wow and Gene Loves Jezebel.
Behind the scenes with Norman Greenbaum's 'Spirit in the Sky'

3 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

“People hear the name Norman Greenbaum and they say, ‘Who?’,” notes the singer from his adopted California home. But they hear the words ‘Spirit in the Sky’ and they say, ‘Oh yeah, I love that!’”Greenbaum may be a one-hit wonder, but it’s a heck of a hit. “Spirit in the Sky” is not only a rock classic, it’s easily the best Jesus song ever written by a Jewish kid from Malden.
The Head and the Heart brings acoustic back to the mix

4 weeks ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

When Seattle indie folk band the Head and the Heart called their new album “Aperture,” it didn’t mean they’d suddenly become camera buffs. It mean they’d been thinking as usual about the deeper meanings of what they do. “The aperture of a camera determines the amount of light that is let into an image,” explains singer/guitarist Matt Gervais. “That doesn’t mean you’re going from dark to light; it’s about choosing which information to expose.
Bob Dylan and Scott Aiges

1 month ago | offbeat.com | Brett Milano

Concert review: Bob Dylan and Scott Aiges tributes. It was something of a Wilbury weekend in New Orleans, as tribute nights were on tap for two musical legends who also happened to be Traveling Wilburys. On Saturday, a roomful of local favorites took the stage at the Broadside to commemorate the 84th birthday of Bob Dylan.
10,000 Maniacs ready to span eras at Armory show

1 month ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

Even when they were pop stars, the members of 10,000 Maniacs weren’t really pop stars. “That didn’t have much effect on us because we live in Jamestown,” says keyboardist Dennis Drew, speaking from the rural upstate New York town where he’s still based. “So we played ‘Saturday Night Live’ and everybody’s patting us on the back for the next couple of weeks.
Need some hope? Check out Smoking Popes

1 month ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

They’re called the Smoking Popes, and they’re from Chicago. And yes, they’re aware that the coincidence is too perfect for words. “I think all of us in the band are excited to welcome our new member, Pope Leo,” singer Josh Caterer said this week. “And we’re delighted to have him joining us on all of our tour dates through the rest of the year.
90's pop powerhouses hit the stage at Sonia

1 month ago | bostonherald.com | Brett Milano

The three frontwomen who are playing at Sonia tonight have a few things in common, including all being friends. They were all on major labels during the ‘90s. They all had next-big-thing status at least once. And they’ve all proven to be first-class singer/writers of hard-edged pop songs. Headlining the gig is ex-Fuzzy/Shepherdess/Monsieurs member Hilken Mancini, promoting her first official solo-band album.
Minow urges kindness in a time of division - Harvard Law School

1 month ago | hls.harvard.edu | Brett Milano

In opening her Last Lecture, Martha Minow, the 300th Anniversary University Professor at Harvard University, invoked one of Harvard Law School’s most prominent dropouts, Henry James. The famed writer once said that three things in life are important: The first is to be kind, the second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind. Minow was one of four professors chosen by class marshals to impart wisdom and advice in a Last Lecture to the graduating Class of 2025.
Saturday, May 3, 2025

1 month ago | offbeat.com | Brett Milano

Cowboy Mouth It was a good day for surprise cover tunes at the Festival Stage. First came Cowboy Mouth's cowpunk version of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls," which not only worked musically but punctured all the grandiosity of the original. They also played a faithful version of a song more obviously in their wheelhouse, the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait." Both are on a new, all-covers album they're releasing in the summer.
Friday, May 2, 2025

1 month ago | offbeat.com | Brett Milano

Fabulous ThunderbirdsKim Wilson claimed in our OffBeat interview that the current lineup of the Fabulous Thunderbirds is the best there's ever been-which is the sort of thing that you always expect bandleaders to say. But they were decidedly no slouch, with two lead guitarists (one doubling on keys) who holds their own against the heavy hitters who went before.

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