E very genre of music has an ideal listening environment. Classical is best heard at a smyphony. Arena rock should be heard at, well, at a large arena. Electronic music? Nothing beats a dance party. But whether you're a club person, a bar junkie or a house party lover, you've probably encountered a lot of obnoxious people during your nights out. Below are nine of the people we hate most in no particular order. Got any good ideas for future lists you'd like to see? Send them over . [...]
Back in 1997 Anthony Lovett and Matt Maranian wrote and published what eventually became my favorite Los Angeles guidebook. That book's name was (and is) LA Bizarro . A few years ago on this website I talked to Matt about the original book's undertaking ( fun interview with Matt here ). Since that time the two authors have now revised, updated and significantly expanded that original tome, and their collective output was published by Chronicle Books just this fall. In the 2009 updated edition of LA Bizarro (available at the time of this [...]
A Classic Education A Classic Education are a six-piece band from Bologna, Italy whose epic melodramas seem to attracting much attention. They played Indietracks in 2008 and are frequent visitors to London and further afield. Following a trip to CMJ in New York in October, they're back in the UK this month: they play at the Lexington on 26 November and the Buffalo Bar the following night. They have released two records: an [...]
So maybe a few of you are saying "Why the hell are you writing about The Alkaline Trio ?, They suck". Well I'll be honest, recently they have kind of sucked, but back in the day when I was starting to really get into music they where one of my favorite bands. So back to the recent sucking. I kind of feel the same way about this band as I do with Weezer. First couple records where good, then all went to hell. I don't know if this was because they where changing labels every record finally ending up [...]
Here is the final installment of our unscientific, should-not-be-used-for-news-an d-reporting-purposes survey results. As you probably know by now, the following answers were culled from a variety of people in the arts, music and entertainments communities. The last question we asked them was: How do you think we'll listen to music ten years from now? Our respondents' answers ranged from silly to philosophical to downright Sci-Fi! We hope you enjoy reading them. And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to participate. Douglas Wolk, writer: [...]
Here is the final installment of our unscientific, should-not-be-used-for-news-an d-reporting-purposes survey results. As you probably know by now, the following answers were culled from a variety of people in the arts, music and entertainments communities. The last question we asked them was: How do you think we'll listen to music ten years from now? Our respondents' answers ranged from silly to philosophical to downright Sci-Fi! We hope you enjoy reading them. And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to participate. Douglas Wolk, writer: [...]
Every once in awhile a video will pop up that will be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) in hopes of raising eyebrows and being risqué for the sake of being risqué (check out the latest Rammstein video for that). It'll get the blogs talking and cause some media-friendly commotion, all before ultimately disappearing quietly into the night. Well, no longer as this phenomenon is slowly working its way into the mainstream. Get ready to get dirty, because CoS is about to get NSFW. As a disclaimer, if you're reading this at work, you shouldn't. Unless you [...]
Live: KISS and Buckcherry at the Rose Garden, 11.17.09 It's interesting to think about the pre-show rituals for a KISS concert in 2009. There's less beer swilling and doobie smoking in the parking lot, and a lot more face-painting with the fam before packing into the mini-van to head down to the arena. I was standing in front of the stage with four other (real) photographers right before the show. I stared out into the large crowd ... well, not just any crowd-the KISS Army! KISS Nation! Which is sort [...]
We made another trip down to Bloomington for yet another great show last night, this time A.A. Bondy and Elvis Perkins In Dearland at the Video Saloon . Bloomington is now 4 for 4. Good work everyone! Keep it up! Bondy was relaxed and playful, cracking wry jokes between songs and laughing at the screaming co-eds running around outside the venue (oh college). He weaved his songs into a dense atmosphere, letting each song fade in and out and hang in the air as his band made their way through the short set. [...]
Guess this is the sort of stuff you will find under the tree this Christmas - if you have been bad. I'd rather have a gift card, you know? Anyway - here are some new efforts from Big Superstars who are still trying to get your hard-earned money this holiday season, although you need it way more than they do. Norah Jones has sold a zillion albums but she has really put out only four, and The Fall is certainly her liveliest album to date. She's kinda wanting to [...]
The other night me and my homies from Magic City Clothing went out to the Diesel Music show at the Paris theater out here in Miami Beach. The whole thing was beyond fresh. The tickets were free first of all, but the trade off was that you had to wear the wrist bands they give you everyday until the show. You know I wasn't with that. So my homie G who scooped tickets with me, got mcgyvor with it, and took both of ours off without [...]
Interview with Rhymesayers artist Toki Wright – recorded live at The Metro in Chicago, Illinois on November 18 th , 2009. The Fresh Air Tour featuring Brother Ali, Evidence, Toki Wright and BK-One. Being a fan of hip-hop for some time now I have seen quite a few hip-hop shows and have met quite a few artists. I can't enough how true and respectful and giving the artists on the Fresh Air Tour are. This was easily one of the best hip-hop shows I have seen in my life. A total party from start to [...]
Aww, gush! Lykke Li is giving away her cover of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow , for FREE, to celebrate both the release of New Moon, and the subsequent soundtrack on which a new song of hers appears. Here's what the perfectly pitched gal has to sday: "I know its kind of dangerous to be swimming into those waters as so many amazing singers has done it before but I just can't help myself, its like chocolate, I love it and I love singing [...]
By Jace Clayton, a.k.a. DJ /rupture Jace Clayton, a.k.a. DJ /rupture ( Stefano Giovaninni ) A new mix album of mine was released this week. I'm told it is in stores, Google reveals sites in Romania and the Netherlands who've pirated it already, and you can purchase it online, legally, in a variety of digital formats. [...]
Apparently, Adam Lambert was spotted filming his new music video for this single, "For Your Entertainment" in downtown Los Angeles. For those of you who don't know, Adam Lambert was a runner up on American Idol in the eighth season. He was dressed in all black leather, head to toe, and his back up dancers where wearing next to nothing. One of his dancers was captured in this picture (to the left). One word, "scary!" I can barely picture how this music video is going to look. Hearing an American Idol singer using bondage dancers just sets an alarm [...]
I don't know if it's possible to fully love an album without having actually heard it. If it is, then that is exactly what happened with me with Rodney Crowell's 2003 album Fate's Right Hand . On Father's Day in 2003, I drove to Charleston, West Virginia for a taping of The Mountain Stage radio program. This trip was made fairly early in my discovery phase of Americana music, and I attended the show primarily to see Kasey Chambers. Kasey [...]
If you like punk, and you live in L.A., Headline Records is the place to go to. When I have friends from out of town, I make a point to drive down to Melrose. Jean-Luc has seen the scene grow from an international standpoint. And if you have a chance, listen to him talk. Like with Curtis from TAANG, when I'm in Headline, I'm just a student in this punk game. 1. When did you start Headline Records, and what gave you the idea [...]
Like most American kids, I went to camp during the summer. From age 7 to 10 I did all the usual camp things; rode horses, shot arrows, rock climbed and made lumpy ashtrays for the non-smoking parentals in ceramics. Another campfire tradition, in between state-mandated Kum Ba Yas , were ghost stories. Yet another year where our counselor attempted to give us the Gold Arrow camp canard about the B-17 pilot who plunged into the lake, and now whose ghost still haunted the area. By 9 years of age our cabin wasn't buying it, we [...]
When I was in high school, I discovered Anne Rice's vampire novels and-pardon the pun-was bitten. I can hardly remember all the details of the novels now, but I know how hard I fell for the romanticized midnight lives of the tortured, and torturing soulless vampires Louis and Lestat (Claudia not so much). In my 16 year old mind, becoming a vampire was the ultimate form of rebellion, and I dare say that if the opportunity had ever presented itself to me, I might not have been able to refuse. a few years later, when the movie version was finally [...]
Billy Jam says: New Jersey explorer, writer, photographer, filmmaker, welder, artist, skateboarder, avid Passaic River canoe traveler, graffiti lover, urban anthropologist, prankster, high school dropout, WFMU listener, Weird NJ contributor, and as he calls himself "run of the mill trespasser" are all titles befitting Wheeler Antabanez who will be a guest on WFMU today (Nov 20th 3-6pm) on Put The Needle On The Record when he will talk about his passion - New Jersey, especially the rundown abandoned funky parts - and take phone calls from listeners on exploring the abandoned buildings of [...]
new music from vampire weekend – cousins + music video
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
The Beach House Theory of 2k10.
Friday Five: Surf Songs
