Elliott Smith fans who have cursed the fact that they never got to be friends with him take note: the troubador is the subject of an upcoming book from Smith's friend, photographer Autumn de Wilde. Titled Elliott Smith, the book features interviews with some of...
As far as GC is concerned, Midlake is allowed to change their name to something more productive like Roscoe or Steve or even King Ferdinand of Spain if they want to. That's because The Trials of Van Occupanther is easily one of our favorite albums of the...
Everyone's favorite actual brother sister duo (well, second favorite. Let's face it, the loss of the Carpenters hurt us all) is hitting the road, and hopefully not each other. Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, along with their assorted compatriots that make up...
Sounding like the result of a fetish party turned filthy orgy between The Beastie Boys, Bitch and Animal, and Luscious Jackson (who carried the baby is anyone’s guess), Northern State’s sophomore effort expands upon the wildly eclectic flow of the...
Ground Control Radio listeners were in for a big treat as L.A. band Amateurs visited the Little Radio studios to talk about their new record, Speak Easy, and played a semi-acoustic set featuring reconfigured renditions of songs like "Atlantis" and "Six...
The Echo is a strange little dimension of the Los Angeles nightlife. Certainly unmatched for its people-watching prospects, the tiny venue sits directly on top of an adjoined venue, the Echoplex. On August 4th, the night that I’m about to discuss at length, two...
Come on, who honestly out there doesn’t like Shout Out Louds. Even the heaviest of metalheads would have to admit that these Swedish indiepopers know their stuff…well maybe not metalheads… In any case, in honor of their sophomore full length Our Ill...
Billy Corgan must be pissed. The Pumpkin’s new album is receiving bleh reviews as it falls from the charts and, to add insult to injury, Corgan’s “triumphant” return is being stifled once again by none other than his old adversary, 90s rocker,...
It’s no surprise that a songwriter as legendary and prolific as Frank Black, aka Black Francis, aka Charles Thompson, needed to put out a greatest hits record. Undeniably one of the hardest working and original musicians on earth, the man is a songwriting...
(Last month I explained how the punk rock explosion of the late 70s shaped my musical taste for years to come. It wasn't just that I developed a liking for loud, aggressive music, although that did happen. The early days of punk were notable for a broad...