It might surprise readers to discover that Nada Surf never dissolved after their fifteen minutes ran out in 1996 and their hit single, “Popular,” went stale. Readers may be floored to learn that, since then, the band has kept a consistent release schedule (five albums since High/Low came out in 1996 – who knew?) as well as a regular touring itinerary on a sub-basement level of the American rock underground. That the band has soldiered on like they have is...

Happy Christmas Two Junky,Well, I think that's what John Lithgow called it anyway, an' we'll call it that on accountabecause "The Biggest SWAG Report I done in a while, ya lucky punk" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue – ya know what I'm sayin'? So yeah – my great big bag o' SWAG's got ova FORTY pieces up inn'ere junky – whatcha t'ink about'at?! Like da fuckin' cat inna hat, I got big songs an' small songs, short songs an'...

While some listeners may be surprised at the changes Ani DiFranco has made to her style and forms for her new album, ¿Which Side Are You On? (her seventeenth album in twenty-two years), it's easy to forget some of the events which have affected the singer over the last few years may have rendered those changes necessary – and they aren't the ones you'd immediately think of. Yes, DiFranco became a mother in 2007 and, true, many aspects of her...

There is no shortage of great “horrible show” stories scattered through music history, but seldom does an overwhelming air of pathetic fallacy begin to loom even before any of the bands scheduled to play step foot onstage. That's exactly what happened on the night of Elliott BROOD's show at the Starlight Lounge though, and the procession of events only seemed to get darker by degrees before lightening right up. The going didn't get worrisome from the moment I walked into...

Bill Adams vs. Michel "Away" Langevin, drummer of Voivod ML: Hello? BA: Hello, may I speak to Michel please? ML: Speaking. BA: Hey Michel, it's Bill Adams calling from Ground Control. ML: Hey! How are you? BA: Pretty well thanks, how about you? ML: Good thank you. BA: Excellent.  Where are you at right now? I assume you're probably at home…. ML: Yup, in Montreal. BA: That's cool, is it snowing yet there? ML: Not yet. We've gotten a little...

Awrightcha mooks, Yeah, dat's right, I'm a day late, I get it – are ya shakin' junky? Didja miss me or didja jus' miss what we both know yer sniffin' for? It don' matta really, I don' plan on holdin' out on ya, i's jus' fun ta watch ya sweat a little. I gocha stuff right'ere though, so ya c'n quitcher itchin'. Now, firs' an' foremos', I gotta tell ya about the bigges' primo gold nugget I got'ere fo' ya,...

The Decemberists have announced the March 13, release of We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11), a twenty-track live double-album (and triple-vinyl set) culled from the band's 2011 tour supporting their chart-topping, Grammy-nominated album The King Is Dead. With songs spanning their entire first decade as a band — from their debut EP 5 Songs through each of their six LPs — We All Raise Our Voices To The Air is the first-ever live album from...

These days, it seems rare to come across a new band who has reached national recognition without going in front of a panel of judges during prime time television. That seems to be the new American dream: Line up, prove that you want it most and get handed over to a team of focus group-oriented producers who will craft you into the next big thing. That's why I always get excited to come across a band that seems to be...

I'm a big fan of standup comedy. At the same time, I've rarely been to a standup show; or rather, I've never been to a standup show I've actually wanted to see. My only forays into the standup scene have involved comedy clubs with mostly atrocious acts made even worse by the ever-charming two-drink minimum. I have fond memories of those nights, but they mostly revolve around watching drunk and obnoxious hecklers getting kicked out. The "problem" with standup comedy...

Southern California punk quartet Retox recently wrapped their tour supporting Japanese noise legends Melt Banana, and will be hitting the road again for a string of California dates in mid February in support of their recently released debut record, Ugly Animals. Clocking in at just under thirteen minutes, Ugly Animals is a slab of classic punk rock mixed with a bit of guitar driven post hardcore, and is fueled by everything that is wrong with society today. The bands sound...