(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...
If UNKLE had some master plan to lure me into listening to their latest album War Stories by packaging the promo in a sweet cardboard envelope with images of monochromatic Joshua trees and skeletons on the cover, it worked. Let’s face it, it gets pretty old...
“It is only just begun/…don’t forget to close your eyes” singer/songwriter Rose Kemp advises and comforts in the opening track, “Little One” – a fair, and thoughtful, warning to the listeners not knowing what is fast...
When I first spoke with Lou Barlow, it was under very different circumstances than the second time around. The last week of February in 2003 found the singer, songwriter and bassist contemplating what was to happen next as, with the record of the moment, The New Folk...
It is possible to compare the recording studio to a painter’s canvas—both are tools used to record and preserve the artist’s ideas, tendencies, and, well, art. The main difference, though, is that musicians rarely own a studio whereas a painter...
For all of those worried that all their favorite Independent bands were slowly selling out their sound for fancy cars and soundtrack deals (I’m looking in your direction The Shins); rest assured: Indie-Pop is alive and well, particularly in the hands of Philly...
The minute I received the Kemado Records compilation Invaders, released early last year, a song blasted in my ears that made me feel like it was 1987 again, when metal actually meant something. The first notes of “Circle of Servants Bodies” is metal at its...
There were so many outstanding moments on this year’s Vans Warped Tour. The mere fact is that this is our first Vans Warped Tour and we had no idea what to expect. However, not only did Warped Tour meet our expectations, it completely surpassed it. I think the...
Buck 65 was on the tip of everyone's tongues in 2005 with his critically acclaimed record, This Right Here is Buck 65, a collection of songs from 5 previous works, that was lauded by critics. While Buck 65 found great success in America, his label V2 was on...
Justice just keeps proving itself to be the Christian-Electronica-Band-That-Could. With their 2007 debut album, Cross, they managed to merge the sounds of Daft Punk with the sounds of neo-dance rock bands like LCD Soundsystem and Ratatat. Coming out of Paris, France,...