Blog: sonic slang

Though the folks at MySpace Music already have a ready-made tagline in the McDonalds-esque "Over a Billion Songs Streamed," their artists still skew a bit too emo/mall punk for my tastes. Occasionally though, you do get a diamond in the...

Obama may not win the election (the last night's debate certainly seemed to help his cause), but with Springsteen rallying new troops on the campaign trail and Rolling Stone publishing a scathing critique on the "Make-Believe Maverick" - just to...

As if we needed further proof that Kings of Leon has forsaken its Southern roots for a new wave sheen and stadium tours, the band has tapped M83 to open on its December tour. Mullet dudes, shoegazers and hipsters together...

Sure traditional album sales back been in the crapper for years now, but if you're a fan of accordion-laden musical parody, the digital age could be a dream come true. Case in point - Weird Al's latest ditty, "Whatever You...

In one of the most bizarre cross-promotions I've ever heard of, Tokyo Police Club is set for a guest turn on Desperate Housewives. How the suits cooked this one up I'll never know - nighttime soaps + quirky MySpace punk...

- An early review of AC/DC's Black Ice is up today [Idolator] - Kanye West premiered the official clip for Love Lockdown, and you guessed it, it's an Ellen Exclusive! Wait what? - Flaming Lips plot another Halloween parade [Pitchfork]...

Weezer's music might be sliding into irrelevancy, but if Rivers and co. keep making videos like the new clip for "Troublemaker" - featuring the world's biggest nacho-based Weezer logo - I suppose we'll keep blogging them once in a while....

Bruce Springsteen's acoustic set in Philly this Saturday, the first of four Obama-supporting gigs, reportedly inspired 21,000 new voter registrations. Not quite bringing down the Berlin Wall, but that ain't too shabby. From his opening speech at the Ben Franklin...

The Clash, who's sure-to-be fascinating autobiography is on the way soon, headline this week's free album streams at Spinner with Live at Shea Stadium. Capturing the band at its prime, just pumping this disc through the PA would have made...

Given my newfound and begrudging respect for Coldplay, the band's upcoming EPs have peeked my interest. First up on 11.10, Lost will feature a new version of the Viva la Vida track sporting a guest turn from Jay-Z, plus three...

The Killers' Brandon Flowers will tell you that Sam's Town was a huge success, but the critical thrashing some bloggers - especially those that drooled over Hot Fuss - gave the Springsteen-aping disc, had to take a toll. In fact,...

Bruce Springsteen's previously noted two Obama gigs has ballooned to four shows - three acoustic sets and one double-bill at Change Rocks in NYC. If this keeps up, by next week The Boss might just be strolling through parking lots,...

A Star Tribune interview with ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson revealed, almost off-handedly, that he spent last week back in Minneapolis "messing around" with Paul Westerberg. OK 'Mats fans, let's not geek out yet. There have been reunion false alarms before,...

It looks like Jesse Malin is beginning to take a page from friend and occasional collaborator, the oft prolific Ryan Adams. Following his 2007 LP Glitter in the Gutter, the former D Generation frontman has churned out three additional sets,...

While a rumored appearance at the Democratic National Convention never materialized, Bruce Springsteen is making up for lost time by committing to not one, but two Obama events in the coming weeks. This weekend The Boss will hit a Philadelphia...

Bob Dylan's upcoming (10.07) Tell Tale Signs, the 8th volume in his "bootleg" series began in 1991, is streaming exclusively at NPR. The disc covers the last 20 years, a period that produced three late-career classics in Love and Theft,...

The Hold Steady, who this week disappointed thousands of drunken, bearded hipsters with the mysterious cancellation of its Fall UK tour, today revealed that guitarist Tad Kubler is suffering from pancreatitis, a serious, but hopefully short-term affliction. The band hopes...

Considering that we're all about to look like extras from the set of Cinderella Man, The Decemberists' new ode to "Valerie Plame" (of the infamous Robert Novak/Wilson drama) feels like small potatoes on political protest song hierarchy. Catchy enough song...

This autobiography from The Clash (due 11.04) should make for some great reading - it's shaping up to be a fascinating account of "the only band the mattered" with zero punches pulled. Even fired drummer Topper Headon collaborated on the...

So it looks like the Led Zeppelin reunion bubble has finally burst, and the guy holding the pin was none other than Robert Plant. In a statement on his official site, the lead singer announced that he has no plans...