At Ground Control, we've become big fans of Cat Power for any number of reasons; the video for “Lived in Bars,” the fact that she's actually able to complete a live set now, her unparalleled taste and vision for cover songs, and—most importantly in a world where you live and die with web traffic—the benefits of the confusion that surrounds her cover of David Bowie's “Space Oddity.” See, not unlike “Baba O'Riley” (ask around and see how many people know...
When a friend of mine suggested to me that I go check out Bullet For My Valentine at the Warfeild Theater with him, I was a bit hesitant. I really hate to say it, but it seems that most of today's metal bands just don't seem to have that spark, or special something, that the bands I grew up listening to had (and still have) and having never heard BFMV before I was pretty skeptical that they would win me...
Fans and critics alike have always wondered: “How much input does any given artist have in the track selection of a greatest hits or best-of compilation?” The question’s both obvious and reasonable, any fan can tell you that usually such sets are characterized by what’s absent in the run-time than what’s actually there and, by and large, outside of the odd outtake, B-side or unreleased track, titles of the “Best Of” variety tend to be comprised of a whole lot...
I’m honestly not sure if you’re ready to do battle with these guys. I tried, only to be trampled over by back-to-back tracks that beat me down with not only the unexpected, but those pounding vibes that make me rock my head at work involuntary. Not only that, but I’ll take a quick peak around to see if anyone’s looking, and maybe bust a move. I came in knowing a few facts about the Stanton Warriors. Dominic Butler and Mark...
While Rise Against’s affinity for Black Flag has been well documented over the years (they even portrayed Henry Rollins and company on stage in the movie Lords Of Dogtown and, to date, have had former Black Flag and Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson man production duties on three of their five albums – that’s only one produced by someone else since they broke with Revolutions Per Minute in 2003), listeners might be surprised to learn how deeply that affection and respect...
Sometimes when I read reviews from other publications to check some of my facts, I often wonder if we were actually at the same show. One pub’s writer stated, “At the Aragon however, made the choice to destroy all expectations and flog his songs until there was blood.” I have to be honest, I’ve seen Beck about 6 times and of the 6, this was my least favorite, but the other 5 just happened to be absolutely amazing and...
When Metallica emerged in the 80s, it was written in the blood of Kill 'Em All that their legacy would be built on defining an entire musical genre. Rolling though the late 80s and early 90s they cut a path of destruction releasing Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, …And Justice For All and Metallica (aka, The Black Album). Unfortunately, the band had started to loose their way through a series of unfortunate attempts to build a bigger, better sound...
If you’re regular reader of Ground Control I know what you’re probably thinking. “What the hell was Raymond Ahner, the guy who covers all those punk and metal shows, doing at a concert like this?” Well, let me ask you a question. If you were given the chance to photograph three legendary bands, have a few beers, and take in live versions of "Dream Police," "Magic Man" and "Wheel In The Sky" on a warm Autumn evening, wouldn't you seize...
Fans confused by the guitarist’s first solo record will be gratified when they discover that, for The Fabled City, Tom Morello has steeled himself and put his own name on the front cover in addition to his anonymous nom de folk, The Nightwatchman, That single act implies that the guitarist is brave enough in these songs to stand up behind them, be counted and face any arrows that might get thrown in the direction of his music. That spirit manifests...
It has never been easy for me to get into gothic culture. While the fashion sense has always been easy for me (I look good in black and don’t have to hide from the sun to boast a sort of eerie pallor) the music has, with only a few exceptions, always gone out of its’ way to make sure that the musicians performing it say just the right things in absolutely the right, shadow-clad way. More than most genres, “goth”...