Sometimes the only thing a stagnated artist needs to do in order to be reborn is take a walk through the stacks at his local record store and keep his ears open, searching for new inspiration pressed into old vinyl. It might be a beat that gets the ball rolling, or a lick or a mood or a melody and it might even be found on a record he's heard one hundred times before but simply never noticed before but,...
There are some musical hybrids which just don't sound right. The perfect example of a dubious musical mixture would be a lo-fi version of Phil Spector, for example; on paper, it simply should not work. Yet L.A. band Best Coast pull it off. The similarities that Best Coast's new album, Crazy For You, hold to Spector are right up front; earnest female vocals bouncing on top of a wall of sound. The melodies are very Spector-ish too, and Bethany Cosentino's...
Over the years, the seven-inch vinyl release has been a lot of different things to a lot of different people. By turns, it has been an EP medium for punk bands and a commodity for collectors among other things but, at least for most of the twentieth century, it has been used as a single release either to get the new hot song to listeners (and maybe invigorate album sales), or been the cost effective way for a band to...
Roger Waters finally brought The Wall to San Jose earlier this month, and the two-hours-plus feast for the senses proved to be well and truly worth the thirty years that Pink Floyd fans have waited to see the classic album performed live, and in all its' glory. After taking the stage on putting on the leather trench coat that was waiting for him, Waters immediately got the show on the road with "In The Flesh" and, as a fighter plane...
We're not getting any further away from the big day folks, So have you started doing your shopping yet? Got your eye on a couple of prize items that you'd like to pick up for that special someone, but haven't made it to the store yet? Are you totally clueless? It's totally cool if you are, you're certainly not alone. Four days before Chritmas? LOTS of folks haven't finished shopping yet, and some are still looking for that perfect thing....
Merry everyone ya little so's an' so's,Awright, so we're still nine days oughtta the big day, but EVERYBODY seems ta be gettin' into the act; I don' hafta worry about STEALIN' music right now, cause some bands're just GIVIN' it away inna spirit o' da holidays — it's enough ta make yer head spin an' give ya a holidaze I tell ya. An' it ain't jus' the small potatoes that's givin' their music away either — I didn' hafta steal...
Live 105 once again gave their fans the ultimate Christmas gift, and once again it was in the form of a show with some of the biggest bands of the year. Not only that but, with Broken Bells, The Black Keys, Phoenix, My Chemical Romance, and Smashing Pumpkins all on the bill, there was a present something for everybody. After Broken Bells got the still-filtering-in crowd going, it was The Black Keys who really turned the energy level up a...
The much anticipated release of The Damned Things’ first LP, Ironiclast, has had many diehard metal fans stoked and I would venture to say it won’t disappoint. This somewhat unlikely collaboration includes Anthrax’s guitarists Rob Caggiano and Scott Ian, Every Time I Die’s front man Keith Buckley, and Fall Out Boy's guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley. Despite The Damned Things being formed by musicians with relatively different stylistic backgrounds, the sound they achieve is seamless. While each member...
Remember back about ten years ago when on didn't have to look very hard to find a really good punk rock compilation? It was actually a really cool phenomenon; for the price of just one CD, listeners got the opportunity to sample a bunch of different bands – some big, established names, some that didn't last and some bands who got their first shot with that comp but would later be a big deal – and that quick start on...
The beauty of the Christmas season is that it is an exciting time of year of course, but it's also right there at the end of the calendar year – so it's almost like the exciting prelude to a whole new beginning. It's the last great party before everything starts over again and, for a lot of people, it's a chance to reflect and celebrate both change and growth. At the same time of course, the music industry looks back...