It seems as if Dan Bejar has put some of his many other projects (The New Pornographers, Swan Lake and Hello, Blue Roses) on the temporary back burner in order to take his flagship, the HMCS Destroyer (not actually a ship in the Canadian Navy's fleet, just go with me on the wordplay) out on tour. The two month jaunt—which is preceeded by an appearance at the Merge Records showcase at SXSW—is in support of the new Destroyer album Trouble...

The middle of this decade marked yet another significant shift in heavy music. Bands such as Saviours, Torche and Early Man were dropping debut albums; at the same time, more established indie-metal bands like Mastodon, Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall were signing major label deals. Headbanger’s Ball was back on the air and tons metal festivals were crisscrossing the globe with fans of all ages supporting metal acts that spanned close to 40 years. And for probably the first time...

When Beck first released Odelay in 1996, it was to both a very eager and excited audience and to critics just waiting to sharpen their claws. The success of “Loser” earned the singer an advance critical chorus of “probable one-hit wonder” or, given the deluge of small-potatoes material in between Mellow Gold and Odelay, at most critics like Eric Weisbard of Spin were charitable enough to call him a “one-album wonder.” Beck was staring down the barrel of a monstrous...

The first sign of dedication to the music of Adrian Belew I witnessed was seeing about 30 people standing in the rain outside of Slim's waiting for the box office to open. The next was to hear how far some people travelled to see this show—one man I stood next to in line flew in from Kansas City, I overheard another say he came from Houston, and yet another said that she had driven from Tahoe, where she saw the...

Ground Control's continuing live coverage of Noise Pop makes a stop at Mezzanine to catch The Rosebuds and SF locals Foxtail Somersault, who won the chance to play at Noise Pop along with eleven other bands by being voted on by visitors to www.ourstage.com . Be sure to check out all the photos, and stay tuned for more Noise Pop coverage. And be sure to check out the rest of the schedule. For more info, visit www.noisepop.com/2008 More on The...

Standing on the floor inside of The Fillmore waiting for the show to start, I was feeling like a bit of a badass. Here I was with my shaved head, goatee and Motörhead shirt, standing in a sea of mullets, receding hairlines, 40-something-year-old women in spandex, and some dude wearing a Tesla t-shirt tucked into a pair of Dockers. I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb, and I was loving every minute of it. As I...

The biggest problem with huge festivals like Noise Pop is the fact that there are almost too many shows to count. It's hard to keep track of everyone who is playing and where. Luckily, our contributors are all over San Francisco, making sure that we get amazing photos from shows like Stellastarr*. We've got 35 photos that get up close and personal with the band, so don't forget to give 'em a look. And be sure to check out the...

Out of all the music festivals around the world, only one has the sheer magnetism that Austin’s SXSW has. Coachella is too hot, Bonnaroo has a funny name, but SXSW is just right. This year is no exception. And to kick off the festivities, the Free Yr Radio campaign, created by Yaris and Urban Outfitters, is kicking off 2008’s SXSW with Free Yr Radio activities including: A launch party on March 12 at La Zona Rosa, co-hosted by Austin's independent...

Of all the music festivals around the world, only one has the sheer magnetism that Austin’s SXSW has. Coachella is too hot, Bonoroo has a funny name, but SXSW is juuuuust right. A this year is no exception. To kick off the festivities, the Free Yr Radio campaign, created by Yaris and Urban Outfitters, is kicking off 2008’s SXSW with Free Yr Radio activities including: • A launch party on March 12 at La Zona Rosa, co-hosted by Austin's independent...

To kick off our 2008 Noise Pop Festival coverage, we got 40 photos from last night’s show featuring The Walkmen, The Broken West, Nyles Lannon and A Modern Machine at The Independent in San Francisco. Due to some complications and a really strict, yet cool, house manager, there's no review for the show. But, there are lots of photos so just use your imaginations… And be sure to check out the rest of the schedule. Stay tuned for more Coverage...