1993. High school parking lots, headphones, closed bedroom doors—Smashing Pumpkins were everywhere the disaffected youth needed them. Notebooks bore the long, skinny heart logo and guitar teachers taught simple, memorable songs like “Disarm” and...
There was nary a distortion pedal in sight. The evening was clean and crisp like a boot camp bunk—except, of course, for Rob Crow's formidable beard. Perhaps it was said beard that needed all the room that The Grove of Anaheim provided. And provide room it...
I have to be cautious with my wording when I recommend Gogol Bordello to friends. Foremost, I have to make sure they understand the extreme matter-of-fact tone that I use when I say they are undoubtedly the greatest live act currently performing. Certainly, I could...
Of all the events of my life that have led me to be the audiophile that I am, none was more shaping than a week of summer camp in which my counselor mentioned to me that I should listen to the new Radiohead album, OK Computer. This was mid-July 1997. Since my counselor...
"It's a contributory factor to epilepsy. It's the biggest destructor in the history of education. It's a jungle cult. It's what the Watusis do to whip up a war. What I see in the discos with people jogging away is just what I've seen in the...
I awake to a friendly, apologetic voice of a gal pal asking for forgiveness for her birthday-bash plans that have taken us to a rather rashly hip, hot and sticky London club with a DJ bill tough enough to satisfy any pair of skinny jeans. The venue is three stories...
A pregnant woman stood stage left amongst a packed Troubadour crowd for Wednesday night’s sold out Tokyo Police Club show. For a few hundred revelers and the potential hipster in the making, tonight would mark the first audio/visual outing of the young group who...
Last night, Ground Control (or at least three members of the GC team) was lucky enough to catch Tokyo Police Club as they played to a packed, sweaty house at L.A.'s Troubadour. You can look forward to the forthcoming review, but take our word for it now, they...
If a new Interpol album and tour wasn't enough for the post-rock fans out there, the Liars have confirmed their own new album as well as plans to tour North America alongside Interpol this fall. "Liars", the Liars' fourth album, will be released...
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, labels need to embrace the free mp3 download revolution. Barsuk Records, from Seattle, WA, are embracing it like a mofo. We’ve been in touch with them a lot lately, covering artists like Rocky Votolato, John...