Nearing the end of their 2009 Pandemonium tour in support of their latest release Yes, Pet Shop Boys return to the U.S. promising another avant-garde performance. Original members Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe—with four Grammy awards, dozens chart-topping hits and...
When he tried to sum up singer Richard Thompson's place in the grand scheme of the alt-rock pantheon in 1994, Spin/San Francisco Bay Guardian contributor Dirk Richardson wrote: “Even when his impeccably crafted tunes are covered by such established stars as...
I love shows with such a diverse line-up of bands that it not only crosses multiple genres of metal, but still bring out so many different types of fans, from the Stoner Metal Weedeater fans to the slightly geekish Melvins fans (I only say that because I am on of...
The problem with progress has always been that, as time marches forward and new ideas ultimately become the norm (well, if they're any good), invariably a few really good, established stylistic ideas lose ground and run the risk of being forgotten. It's...
To say that the last five years (give or take) have been less than charitable to bassist Nick Oliveri is a polite understatement. Since his eviction from the bass seat in Queens Of The Stone Age, Oliveri has bounced to any and every outfit goodly enough to have him...
If music is the food of life but every second of an album chronicles one man's struggles with addiction, might said record be considered a gateway drug? This is the sort of question that comes to mind as a listener is ensnared by the answering machine message...
On tour in the US for the first time since 1991, the Happy Mondays hit the road last week, kicking off their 26-city tour. Original members Shaun Ryder, Mark “Bez” Berry and Gary Whelan will be supporting their 2007 reunion album Uncle Dysfunktional. Along...
What a difference a few months can make in the development and growth of an entity. Nine months ago, Eagles Of Death Metal singer Jesse Hughes could (and was) quoted as saying, “Eagles Of Death Metal is a success story of the way it should be. Josh has been...
There are times when, even from the very beginning of an album, it's very easy to tell where a band is from. That is not to say that it's simple to geographically profile a sound – most large city centers have a wide array of sounds at work in them and a...
I’ll be honest. I do not know these guys. Which is a point of contention for a music reviewer; you pride yourself on knowing obscure groups that no one around you knows. It’s how you get cool points, and for a girl who spends her days shut in an apartment...