There are few things more potentially gruesome and frustrating in the realm of journalism than the thought of a time-monitored interview. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like it should be a big deal; part of the job for any professional musician is self-promotion and it makes sense that one would want to get his or her name into as many markets as possible so a certain amount of time management must come into play, but that puts an extra...
In Part II of Ground Control's interview with the Adrian Belew Power Trio, drummer Eric Slick talks about finding the right fit, tour diets and the Philadelphia music scene. For Part I, click here. Eric Slick – Question & Answer Ground Control: From what I know about you already, if you meet someone and it feels right for you to play with them you just go with it. Eric Slick: Absolutely, if it doesn't feel right I really can't do...
Someone wise once said that if you walk into a room believing that you're the coolest guy in the room, you will be the coolest guy in the room, and Get Set Go obviously took that advice to heart before making a conscious effort to go against it. From the very first notes of "How Now," the band oozes a rare brand of sardonic cool that isn't condescending because it's so lyrically self-deprecating and morose, but it is incredibly infectious....
Twenty-nine years ago, Bob Mould—along with Grant Hart and Greg Norton—helped change the modern-rock landscape and laid the groundwork that everyone from Nirvana to Green Day and more would tread upon—and make history with—in Husker Du. When that band fell apart in 1987, Mould bounced back almost immediately, both with Sugar and as a solo artist. It’s an imposing body of work—no doubt—and now at 47 years old Mould is regularly saddled with descriptors like “living legend” and...
Now I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to "punk rock" shows, I'm a bit jaded these days. Growing up in the S.F. Bay Area I was lucky enough to witness many local bands such as M.D.C., Verbal Abuse, D.R.I. and Attitude Adjustment, all of whom played in glorious, shitty little sweatboxes such as Ruthie's Inn, Rock on Broadway and The Mabuhay Gardens. This was back in the days when there was still a sense of danger...
From my experience the first thing any respectable journalist should do before a phone interview is to test the equipment. I say this because I didn't and it almost bit me in the ass. It was 10:50 and I knew Jus Oborn would be calling me at 11. I set up my mic and recorder then hit go on the speakerphone to set my audio level. All was good to go. The phone rang a second later and with it...
The nature of nationalism when it comes to the arts has always been rather funny. Each nationality is under the misguided impression that they’ve got the market cornered on something and have attempted, with varying degrees of success to lay claim to one art form or another as their own. Think about it—at this point in history and because it has fallen from constant public appreciation, if one says something as simple as "painting" most people will immediately flash upon...
U.K. rap star Dizzee Rascal will release his new album, Maths+English in stores and through online download sources this spring. Previously only available in the U.S. as digital download, this CD will be heading Stateside with added tracks and bonus materials April 29th via Definitive Jux Records. Dizzee Rascal’s debut album Boy In Da Corner received rave reviews and even won the coveted U.K. Mercury Music Prize of 2003. Rascal’s desperate growl and focused anger leads his rhymes, making him...
Swedish metal gods In Flames just inked a new deal with KOCH Records to release their new album A Sense of Purpose, which will be released April 1, 2008. Over their storied metal past, In Flames released a majority of their catalogue on Nuclear Blast and were signed for a few minutes with Ferret, only to try out another label to help get this sure-to-be powerhouse album certified gold. The band’s most recent album, Come Clarity, peaked at #58 on...
For someone who likes music as much as I do, it takes a lot to get me out of the house to see a band. All of that standing around for hours has to come with the promise of a fierce guitar solo, especially if we’re talking about going to a show on a weeknight. Still, I took a chance on Black Mountain at Pop Montreal a couple years ago and I wasn’t disappointed. The show was at Montreal’s Spectrum—an...