Meet the New Soul Stirrers!
What’s the difference between nu-soul and old soul? Terminology of course! Sharon Jones, at right, is proof of that thesis: She’s been around for awhile. It’s just us that have […]
music that matters
Invasion of the Cover Bands!
The Flaming Lips’ cover version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, out on vinyl in April and disc in May, and the band is even performing it in […]
Name That Film-Based Band!
Murder By Death is one of the most ridiculous, and ridiculously hilarious, spoofs of all time. A smoking cast, a conscienceless goof on mystery greats like Hercule Poirot and Sam […]
Firefly Reboots! And Other April Fool Headlines
Sigh. Do you ever wish for the return of Joss Whedon’s Firefly, a reunion of the original Pink Floyd lineup, great films made from Alan Moore’s brain-melting comics, Neuromancer the […]
Dark Side Eclipses Concept Album Classics
On March 10, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon turned 37. So given that it is my favorite concept album ever, I decided to call it the overall greatest […]
In a Parallel Universe, These Songs Win Oscars
From “Purple Rain” to “Kickapoo” to “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life” to “Uncle Fucker”
My Favorite Album Covers? Check Filter
Hey pals, I’ve been reviewing for Filter Magazine for awhile now. As usual, they ask me what my favorite this and that is for each issue. This time? Album covers. […]
Lesson Up! Black History Month Revealed
African-Americans have contributed so much to popular music, it’s no wonder that many of them have never really received their proper due. February is Black History Month, so here’s a […]
Nouvelle Vague Stay Smooth
Led by Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, French collective Nouvelle Vague have weirdly reiterated pop and rock classics through genre filters, hot chanteuses and all-star cameos. On their latest effort, […]
Trip Out to 2009’s Best Unheard Music
From Trans Am’s revved jams to chilled hypnotics by Swervedriver’s Adam Franklin, there’s plenty of unfairly unheard music from 2009. Wrap your ears around a head-trip’s worth in the streams […]
Metromixed! Built to Spill, Rakim, Dinosaur Jr., Gift of Gab, The Bravery
I finally wrangled some more of my musical content from 2009. Here are four of my Metromix reviews involving the smoothest rappers alive, a guitar army, and a dark dance-pop […]
Best Music of the Millennium (So Far)
What’s crazy is that few saw it coming.
The Heavy Merges Power Soul, Hip-Hop
[Remy Schneider, Morphizm] The Heavy, The House That Dirt Built First listen Sentence Fragment: Garage-funktronic swing sung by a testosterone-injected Nina Simone. Further Analysis: The House That Dirt Built morphs […]
Devo Returns, This Time With Rugs!
“De-evolution seems even more a part of our daily reality than ever. There is more misinformation, humans have overrun the planet, and it is not nuclear bombs we must fear, but the human mind. Or lack of it.”
The Prisoner Inspires Dhani Harrison’s TheNewNo2 Experiment
“It’s kind of like opening up a massive can of worms.”
The Happy Hollows Cast Spells On Me
Led by unhinged front woman Sarah Neghadari, Los Angeles power trio The Happy Hollows make deranged art-rock with one foot in alternative music’s past and another in the YouTube future. […]
Difference Engine Reboots, Recomputes
“A friend suggested the William Gibson and Bruce Sterling book title for our band name, and we immediately took to it, since it encompassed our sound, which is a blend of human and machine.”
Mike Watt’s Spooky Sunrise
Mike Watt, kickass bassist for everyone from The Minutemen to The Stooges to his own various bands like The Secondmen and Dos, sends out evocative photos to his list of […]
The Black Keys’ Drummer Creates Band Called Drummer With Drummer Pals
One of the most fun interviews I’ve conducted recently was with a hung-over Patrick Carney, drummer for The Black Keys and architect of the new band called …Drummer!
Q-Tip Resurrects Kamaal the Abstract
A Tribe Called Quest architect Q-Tip created a hypnotic solo album that stretched hip-hop’s envelope years ago. So why did it just drop today? File this one under “Lessons the […]
To-Do List For All Tomorrow’s Parties
Named for the famous Velvet Underground song and founded by Barry Hogan, All Tomorrow’s Parties has defiantly offered bleeding-edge music, comedy and more since its inception.
Five On Five With The Beatles Rock Band
What, no Strawberry Fields Forever? Are you kidding?
These United States Rock The Folk Out
If you’re using the United States in your band name, you better have reach. Good thing Jesse Elliott and his merry crew of 21st-century folk rockers have plenty. In the […]