Almost everything written about Iron and Wine immediately states that it is merely the stage name of one Sam Beam. And although this is true, it is only in part: on November 30th at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, the statement was most certainly more false than true… Iron and Wine started out in 2002 as the bedroom musical project of a cinematography professor. Channeling the spirit of Nick Drake mixed with romantic notions of the Deep South, Sam Beam...

After 19 albums in 18 years, Ani DiFranco has made an indelible impression upon the pop and folk music worlds as well as the political conscience (both sexual and federal) of her listeners. Her fans worship her and that makes a biblically entitled collection of her songs appropriate; Canon culls some choice cuts from the singer’s storied and celebrated career and presents the enduring image of DiFranco in the general public’s consciousness: a politically aware and emotionally charged songwriter that...

First things first: Go to a Spank Rock show! Right now. He brings more energy to the stage than anyone I’ve ever seen as he spits fast rhymes and bounces around like an old school MC. Almost every song mentions sex in the least discreet way possible, and you just kind of have to stand there and watch in a fascinated disbelief. When Bangers & Cash came out a few weeks ago, I was excited to see that Spank Rock...

Let me start by stating that upon first listening to this album a memory was triggered. Maybe it was just the name of the song “The Alchemist” that reminded me of the song, “The Necromancer” by Van Der Graaf Generator. Other reviewers of this album have been strict about denoting the roots of Witchcraft's sound as coming from forefathers Pentagram and Black Sabbath, but I would like to suggest that there is an earlier influence evidenced in the sounds and...

It's safe to say that the Black Lips have garnered their fair share of buzz over the last few months. Honestly, I'm slightly sick of hearing about them. But that won't stop us from satisfying the needs of Black Lips fans by clueing them in: The Black Lips are going on tour. No one can deny the power and debauchery of a live set from these boys, so look for allegations of donkey-rape or whatever weird shit they plan on...

You've got to hand it to KCRW for finding the right combination of artists to put on a sonically diverse show. Tuesday night's line up of Cass McCombs and Jose Gonzalez at the Henry Fonda Theatre was no exception. While most of the audience was there to witness the hauntingly beautiful voice of Jose Gonzalez, Cass McCombs should not be dismissed as just an opener. His recently released album, Dropping the Writ, shows an interestingly schizophrenic approach to the singer/songwriter...

The writing on a t-shirt that a kid in line for this night’s show was wearing said it all: "Exhume the wretched body from its timeless slumber." The death-roars that singers of metalcore and death metal bands use is the voice needed to awaken the dead. Tonight I was going to witness a perturbed spectacle, an obvious oxymoron of musical and spiritual intrigue—a Christian death metal band (hardcore genre-ists, please forgive me if you feel I am generalizing the use...

“Is ok?” These were the first words from Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, who was clad in draping body wrap, a deep blue turban and the unlikely addition of a single cutaway Martin acoustic guitar. At this point the show had barely begun and the band had only completed two numbers with a stripped down accompaniment of an acoustic guitar, a muted electric rhythm guitar and a choked hand drum. Fans of Tinariwen’s recordings, a thirty-something crowd who filed in late to...

While I have to admit that my heterosexual crush on Damon Albarn failed to reach frightening proportions until I first heard The Good, The Bad and The Queen, I’ve always been a huge fan of his work with Blur and Gorillaz. His Britpop days with the former cemented him as a star in Europe; yet, it wasn’t until his work with latter (the animated band named after a couple of monkeys) that he garnered the widespread attention of Americans. Naturally,...

Check out a photo series from the performance at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco from November 17. More on Johnette Napolitano here: www.johnettenapolitano.com More on David J here: www.davidjonline.com More on The Minor Canon here: www.myspace.com/theminorcanon...