So Fall Out Boy is taking a break . Or maybe they aren't, and it's really just a sugar-coated break-up? They're denying it's nothing of the sort , so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but in the meantime we have a few suggestions for how Pete, Patrick & Co. should invest their free time: Pete Wentz Pete has enough going on in his life already besides being in a band – he has his baby Bronx, his wife, and a move to New York now that Ashlee's [...]
It's going to be my album of the year, at least based on its placing in my top 5 of all albums released this decade, but I still didn't know for certain every lyric to every song on the album, which was mildly annoying. Sunset Rubdown hadn't included a lyric sheet with the album's release and although I'd waded through the threads on the Wolf Parade forums and on songmeanings.net at various times this year, there were enough discrepancies to throw me off on more than one lyric in more than one [...]
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Hos, Hookers, Call Girls & Rent Boys collects stories, poems, and essays by sex workers. Compiled by David Henry Sterry and RJ Martin, Jr., the book organizes this collection of refreshingly genuine and brutally honest writings by category (love, life, money, etc.). The New York Times wrote of the book: "From the unappealing title, you might think this is a truly trashy [...]
Yes, we like our lo-fi indie rock as much as the next person. And we especially start swooning when it comes in the form and sounds of The Mother Hips , the talented San Franciscan foursome. In April 2007, the quartet released Kiss the Crytal Flake , the band's sixth studio album which also spawned one of my favorite songs of the 2000's with Time We Had . Now, with their latest album, Pacific Dust , garnering [...]
Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto, all for $10 or less. If I'm missing something you think I should list, or you have any comments, let me know. I star (*) shows that most interest me. Like this list? Join my Facebook group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Subscribe to my podcast (or download the episodes) here , or through iTunes . The latest ones are here . [...]
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. The Simpsons is one of my favorite television comedies of all time, and John Ortved has written an invaluable oral history about the show. Covering the show's inception of The Tracey Ullman Show to its unlikely and unpredicted success in its first season and on through its later years, The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History not only reminds us of the greatness of the show but [...]
Television stars have sometimes had an easier path to success on the charts than other performers. Several have parlayed their success on the tube to a hit on the record. However, few have done it as successful, or been as serious about their craft as John Schneider . The star of the CBS classic The Dukes Of Hazzard also placed 11 top ten songs on the country charts from 1981-1987. In 1987, the sky was seemingly the limit for the New York-born singer. He had just won the "Star Of Tomorrow" award from Music [...]
Top Album Releases: October 2009 Nick's Top Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms Black Heart Procession: Six Califone: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3 The Flaming Lips: Embryonic Monsters Of Folk: Monsters [...]
We're back from Wax:On Leeds' halloween special with these awesome shots from the night! Check it below! Wax:On never fails to impress, this time pulling out all the stops for a total night of mayhem, make-up and monstrous tunes. 3 rooms of top-notch DJs with Fake Blood aptly headlining the event, driving the kids insane in the main room. Bok Bok & L-Vis 1990 took control of the Mine and Joe & Will Ask? totally up the ante and set the standards for the night when we got [...]
I went to a lot of shows in October (including a Shotgun Jimmie instore and an historical Roky Erickson show with The Sadies that I still have yet to tell you about) which means that I think I'm going to chill out a bit for the month of November. I'll still be catching a few, but I'll likely be limiting it to a few of the smaller ones. Still, there's a lot to do, and here are my picks. For more detailed listings, as usual, go check out Stillepost , [...]
So why not send our former intern, Jenny Booth, to a festival in the UK, right? Heck, if it helps her with a press pass, we feel pretty damn good about it. -Ed. Having studied my degree in Cardiff—and always longed for a music festival on my doorstep—it was downright mean of Swn Fest's organizers to start it up the year I left school. Three years on, though, and I'm finally in the right place at the right time—if a little apprehensive as to how one of the world's smallest capital cities will rival last months [...]
Fanfarlo - the first band of my CMJ 2009 experience at The Music Slut Party at Piano's, Ludlow St, Manhattan, NYC. The last ten days in NYC have been amazing. The food (Aoife's got that part covered ), the bars, the hotels, the people, the buildings, - I've consumed what the city had to offer but still want more of it. Of course, the real reason I was there was for CMJ 2009 - a showcase of 1300 bands taking place over five days in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I missed so many bands I [...]
Here's the Old School for the week: Geto Boys ~ " Mind Playing Tricks On Me " dirty version: This year Halloween fell on a weekend Me and Geto Boyz are trick-or-treating Geto Boys classic from 1991. Such a great song for Halloween. Samples: Isaac Hayes ~ " Hung Up On My Baby " [...]
In a very special Halloween edition of the 'Gum Drop, David "Moose" Adamson, aka Jookabox, told us "Evil Nite" -- "a song about the infection taking hold of a pure soul in limbo" -- is an early version of "Zombie Tear Drops" from his Indianapolis crew's zombie-inspired Dead Zone Boys ( Asthmatic Kitty , 11/3). We kept digging. In fact, we dug so deep we didn't have room for the entire discussion in the newsletter. No worries, you can read his thoughts on Varg Vikernes, George Romero, Star Wars , "The Monster Mash," and, of course, zombies [...]
Zigzagging between puddles, I walked hesitantly down 13th Avenue toward The Crystal Ballroom , motivated purely by the thought of my dear friend, Jonathon, waiting patiently for me inside. Though I had never seen, nor listened to these guys, and even though Jonathon had seen them four times before, he insisted that the Jesus Lizard would be the "greatest concert experience of your life." I scoffed at his audacious prediction but, after weeks of his incessant begging, I agreed to go. Basilisks are lizards from Latin America who sometimes run like bipeds across [...]
Another solid week of shows coming up in Chicago this week. Sadly, though, most of the best shows are bunched up at the start of the week, meaning there aren't too many interesting shows I can take my younger brother to when he's in town this weekend. I'm sure we'll find something to do, though - this ain't DC. (Snap!) As always, my picks in bold . Sunday, 10/25 Beat Kitchen (early - 12pm): Shana Sings (special Halloween show) Beat Kitchen (7pm): [...]
Welcome to my weekly roundup of inexpensive indie(ish) musical happenings in downtown Toronto, all for $10 or less. If I'm missing something you think I should list, or you have any comments, let me know. I star (*) shows that most interest me. Like this list? Join my Facebook group to get my weekly Toronto indie music listings. Subscribe to my weekly podcast (or download the episodes) here , or through iTunes . Or just listen to the latest [...]
Day one of CMJ started off with some buzzy indie rock and ended with some lighter folk fare. And there was nothing but a few tacos in between so all in all, a slow start to what many are already considering a lighter CMJ week than usual. After catching up with friends on Ludlow Street (the unofficial center of the post-Fader Lounge CMJ world) it was time to catch Holiday Shores and Small Black at Cake Shop during Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Day Party. Holiday Shores had a couple songs that I thought were [...]
Living in North Carolina has its drawbacks: cops are always busting for small fries given the low crime rates, unless you live near a major city you have to make your own fun (typically illegal substances are involved), and cool events like Lolla are a thousand miles away from you. This year the Tar Heel State snagged a major headliner that I never expected, Insane Clown Posse (ICP)! The Detroit clowns claim the Bang! Pow! Boom! Tour was in part a way to bring a taste of things like Hallowicked to a nationwide audience [...]
Last year I interviewed Blind Pilot because, although they play lighter, pop/folk music, they are exceptional. This year I covered Y La Bamba, whose sparse music highlights a distinctive vocalist. Here are some notable options for those of you who prefer the lighter side of music. Pilar French is undeniably a very good singer. It used to be that you couldn't get to be a star unless you could actually sing; i.e. carry your voice quite a bit better than the person hanging up the washing in the [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
