After 19 albums in 18 years, Ani DiFranco has made an indelible impression upon the pop and folk music worlds as well as the political conscience (both sexual and federal) of her listeners. Her fans worship her and that makes a biblically entitled collection of her songs appropriate; Canon culls some choice cuts from the singer’s storied and celebrated career and presents the enduring image of DiFranco in the general public’s consciousness: a politically aware and emotionally charged songwriter that...

First things first: Go to a Spank Rock show! Right now. He brings more energy to the stage than anyone I’ve ever seen as he spits fast rhymes and bounces around like an old school MC. Almost every song mentions sex in the least discreet way possible, and you just kind of have to stand there and watch in a fascinated disbelief. When Bangers & Cash came out a few weeks ago, I was excited to see that Spank Rock...

Let me start by stating that upon first listening to this album a memory was triggered. Maybe it was just the name of the song “The Alchemist” that reminded me of the song, “The Necromancer” by Van Der Graaf Generator. Other reviewers of this album have been strict about denoting the roots of Witchcraft's sound as coming from forefathers Pentagram and Black Sabbath, but I would like to suggest that there is an earlier influence evidenced in the sounds and...

It's safe to say that the Black Lips have garnered their fair share of buzz over the last few months. Honestly, I'm slightly sick of hearing about them. But that won't stop us from satisfying the needs of Black Lips fans by clueing them in: The Black Lips are going on tour. No one can deny the power and debauchery of a live set from these boys, so look for allegations of donkey-rape or whatever weird shit they plan on...

You've got to hand it to KCRW for finding the right combination of artists to put on a sonically diverse show. Tuesday night's line up of Cass McCombs and Jose Gonzalez at the Henry Fonda Theatre was no exception. While most of the audience was there to witness the hauntingly beautiful voice of Jose Gonzalez, Cass McCombs should not be dismissed as just an opener. His recently released album, Dropping the Writ, shows an interestingly schizophrenic approach to the singer/songwriter...