For sixteen years now, Noise Pop has taken over San Francisco for a handful of days to play host to some of the best underground and not-quite-underground music, art and film out there. Past performers are a who's-who of indie rock gods and goddesses, and this year's event—which kicks off next Tuesday—is no exception. The Magnetic Fields, The Mountain Goats, Quasi, hell, even screenings of Wesley Willis's Joy Rides. Unlike most festivals, you've got a number of attendance options—either on...
For sixteen years now, Noise Pop has taken over San Francisco for a handful of days to play host to some of the best underground and not-quite-underground music, art and film out there. Past performers are a who's-who of indie rock gods and goddesses, and this year's event—which kicks off next Tuesday—is no exception. The Magnetic Fields, The Mountain Goats, Quasi, hell, even screenings of Wesley Willis's Joy Rides. Unlike most festivals, you've got a number of attendance options—either on...
Britt Daniel, Jim Eno and the rest of the boys from Spoon could be sitting back on their laurels right now. After all, they've had a run of damn good albums, culminating in last year's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (although I personally feel that anything after "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" has to be a step back, just because of the sheer awesomeness of that song). But apparently laurel-sitting isn't on the menu just yet, since the band is...
The Kills previewed songs from their new album, Midnight Boom, at Popscene's Valentine's Day Massacre. The duo from London played their first U.S show in 2008 before embarking full tour starts at SXSW on March 12 (dates below). The Kills played a 45 -minute set in front of a very enthusiastic crowd at this sold -out show. Some of the songs they played were "Sour Cherry," "Kissy Kissy," and "Black Roster." The Kills – 2008 Tour Dates Below:3/12/08 Domino SXSW...
Every punk historian will tell you that the bulk of the genre was built upon a handful of bands in the twilight of the 1970s (Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Clash along with about a dozen others) and hardcore was borne of a few more (Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, The Minutemen and the clutch of groups that the members of those bands started after the originals fell apart) but that can only be viewed as part of the...
I've never been much of a car person. Granted, after 20 years in Southern California I've made my peace with them. I've learned to drive the freeways with ease. I've even been known to express something like affection for my beat-to-shit 1990 Honda Civic (bought brand new; 238,000 miles, thanks for asking). But for the first first 30 years of my life I was firmly anti-car. They were evil—polluting, dangerous, unnecessary. I didn't get my driver's license until I was...
It’s always a weird phenomenon when the band you show up for is the opener and not the headliner—like going to a fabulous restaurant and ordering appetizers, then scoffing at the main course. But all bands—even the more obscure opening ones—have their fans, right? That being said, I’m a huge fan of Hot Hot Heat and was excited to see their name on the marquee, even if it was in roughly 10-point font under Editors. I first saw HHH nearly...
Trend after trend emerges in the music scene, and we chase after them until the next new thing comes around. Sometimes these trends explode into defining eras, but even those shrink back to make way for what comes next. It seems that in all this chasing we can forget about where the music starts: when a jilted man picks up a guitar and sings about the wiley bitch who left him. The singer/songwriter is the one genre that never goes...
When I walked into Slim's on Friday evening, it would have been far too easy to become jaded. The average age of the crowd had to be no more than 18, and looking around it felt more like I was in Hot Topic at some mall in Middle America, rather than a Rockabilly show. I guess that surprised me because at the last Rockabilly show I checked out the average age was probably 20 years older, not to mention the...
NOTE: FOR THOSE OF YOU LOOKING FOR INFO ON CAT POWER'S "SPACE ODDITY" COVER, CLICK HERE. So I heard that that Mark Ronson guy met that Radiohead guy once out on the London-town with some other guys. Story goes, Mark Ronson introduces himself and the Radiohead guy spits—after some memory-jogging head-scratching, “Oh ya, you’re that guy who made our song into a dance song.” Ouch. That’s got to hurt. Covers wouldn’t bother me so much if most of them...