One look at a map of Canada tells the story of just how sorrowful a lot the province of Manitoba has been handed in life. From a national character standpoint, Manitoba is regularly forgotten; it is regularly forced to play straight man for the clowns to the left of it (the prairie provinces and British Columbia) and the jokers to its' right (Ontario, Quebec and The Maritimes) and, were that not enough, the province STILL doesn't get much opportunity to...
Having first encountered Jessica Lea Mayfield haunting Dan Auerbach on the chorus of the Black Keys' “Things Ain't Like They Used To Be,” this second full length might have listened like a victory lap for Auerbach, who handles production on Tell Me. His own band finally came into their own on their most recent effort Brothers (if it took them six albums to get there, well, blues traditionalists have a lot of road to hoe before they need to chase...
In the hip-hop genre, retirement carries about as much irreversible significance these days as death does in comic book mythology. Mike Skinner, however, has claimed that the 'hip hop' genre hat is one less he'll be wearing. The man is moving on to greener pastures while the moniker he's made his mark on the world with is being put out to the old one. The title of The Streets’ swan song, Computers & Blues, works as both a nod to Skinner's...
Hey – how ya keepin' junkie? I'm doin' great, I am. It's a good day an' ya know what? It's even betta 'cause I got a buncha bran' new stuff for ya ta sample! 'At's right I'm walkin' at full stride steal now baby! I got about forty new tines 'ere, an' some of 'em are pretty good – check 'em out. This week, I foun' FOUR brand new tunes by dis band called Family Of The Year – an'...
The Black Angels and Reverberation Appreciation Society proudly announce updates to the Austin Psych Fest lineup. The fourth annual event is set to take place April 29 – May 1 2011 at Mexitas Events Center. Important here to note that this is a new venue for the festival. Due to new city zoning and event restrictions, APF4 has been moved from The East Side Drive-In to this new indoor venue. The band and the RAS are very excited about this...
The Black Angels and Reverberation Appreciation Society proudly announce updates to the Austin Psych Fest lineup. The fourth annual event is set to take place April 29 – May 1 2011 at Mexitas Events Center. Important here to note that this is a new venue for the festival. Due to new city zoning and event restrictions, APF4 has been moved from The East Side Drive-In to this new indoor venue. The band and the RAS are very excited about this...
There are Rock Festivals, and then there is Soundwave. Now in its' fifth year of traveling to Australia's major cities, the 2011 Soundwave Festival has a line-up that will most surely not be topped by any other festival, no matter what country. Rolling into five major cites (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth) in just ten days, this year's Soundwave will offer one of its' most diverse line-ups to date. From metal legends Iron Maiden and Slayer to punk stalwarts...
Not many bands can sell out a 2800-seat venue without having a new record to support. Ween did just that when they hit the Fox Theater in Oakland last week though and, judging from the rabid reaction they received, the band has not lost any of its' fan base despite not having released any new material (with the exception of "DC Won't Do You No Good," a web only single released in 2010) since 2007. Opening the show with "Fiesta,"...
The recent passing of Captain Beefheart leads me to make a confession which might surprise some of you. I'm someone who loves weird music (and I pride myself on that love), yet I never really got into Beefheart. In fact, I never listened to Trout Mask Replica (widely acknowledged as his masterpiece) until a couple of years ago, and then I was disappointed. Why was I disappointed? Frankly, it wasn't weird enough. when I finally put it on after years...
It's funny how times have changed in punk rock. There was a time when, unwilling to wait for something to happen to them, a clutch of bands took matters into their own hands and made their careers exist of their own accord. They cobbled together their own records and often either self-released them or released them on small labels. They booked their own tours and manufactured their own merchandise to sell from the side of the stage at shows, and...