“Hype” is probably the nastiest of all four-letter words these days, and no band on earth right now has more of it than the Arctic Monkeys. Over the last seven months, the Sheffield quartet–none of whom is of American drinking age–has been lauded as 2005’s “Best Breakthrough Act” at the…
Though many avoid the number 666 like a leaking condom full of AIDS, some heathen entertainers see June 6, 2006 (6-6-06) as a once-in-a-century marketing opportunity. The remake of The Omen will be released, and speed-metal pioneers/pentagram enthusiasts Slayer long planned to release their follow-up to God Hates Us All…
When Gram Parsons died of an overdose in 1973, he left behind a staggering body of work for a man of only 26 years–four albums with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the International Submarine Band, as well as two classic solo records–and it’s a pretty safe bet that…
Before the tres cool producer legend of note came the ultra-cool, left-field and decidedly cult artist whose eclecticism and artiness–albeit mixed with his gritty Fort Worth roots–likely kept him from becoming, say, Elvis Costello (who Burnett produced and is half of the Coward Brothers for a track here). What made…
To spectators of the Rust Belt garage-rock revival, the Raconteurs must seem like a dream come true. For Detroit darling Jack White, the band is the perfect chance for him to ditch his lubberly sidekick, Meg; for his Motor City counterpart, Brendan Benson, it’s a way to grab some sack;…
Neil Diamond (who in his later years has come to resemble a Soho clothing retailer) has always been an unlikely lightning rod, bringing forth scorn from rockers and adoration from housewives and AOR program directors. Sadly, most detractors associate Diamond with his ’70s and ’80s dross period: shit like “You…
Compared with the mild-mannered groups that usually take the miniature stage at Lower Greenville’s Cavern, Austin’s Gorch Fock should tear this place up. Wall-of-tribal primitive Jesus Lizard fire melds with bizarro trombone bursts and some kind of intoxicated, seafaring lyrical theme. Edinburgh, Scotland’s Country Teasers headline, bringing their charming/sloppy/noisy brand…
Last year’s With Teeth stressed the rock half of Nine Inch Nails’ industrial-rock attack, layering blistering guitar fuzz over Dave Grohl’s pounding drums. The band’s live shows since the album’s release have seen Trent Reznor re-embracing the assertive-front man role he seemingly abdicated in the late ’90s, back when dude…
An aging hipster and a 16-year-old girl stroll through the mall, each absentmindedly enveloped in their respective iPods. They collide. “Hey, watch where you’re going,” says the hipster, “you got pop sensibilities in my drone-y shoegaze.” The 16-year-old girl cocks her head: “Nuh-uh. You got your lame ass shoegaze all…
No longer just an Earthy-crunchy songstress with a clever bent (her token song about marijuana, “College Girl,” both extols and debases it), Dar Williams finally gained some depth through fuller arrangements and a deeper exploration of herself on 2003’s The Beauty of the Rain. “The World’s Not Falling Apart,” one…
Three Dog Night weren’t exactly hip even in their late ’60s heyday. Nearly dated before they formed, Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells were a trio of good harmony singers who actually knew a good song when they found one. Hell, they made a hit out of “Mama Told…
In 1989, Lee Coombs began his dance floor career spinning at acid-house parties in London and Cambridge. He quickly became the resident DJ at the now-legendary Eclipse raves, and a swift, natural evolution from the decks to the studio led to releases under several monikers such as the Invisible Men…
Juicy chunks of fresh lobster,lightly bound together with mayonnaise and served on buttered, toasted bread. Spicy, bubbling étouffée laid out over a bed of steaming white rice. Succulent Chinese dumplings stuffed with garlicky pork, floating in a rich vegetable broth. Fucking delicious. That’s according to Derek Fudesco, anyway–the Pretty Girls…
Non-joke joke band Eagles of Death Metal are back with Death by Sexy, the stompy/feel-good follow-up to their ’04 debut, Peace Love Death Metal. This time, founding Eagles Josh Homme (drums, also of Queens of the Stone Age) and mustachioed singer Jesse Hughes gloss things up with a more dance-driven…
With his nondescript, boyish appearance, local multi-instrumentalist/ producer Todd Gautreau talks about his music with a casual enthusiasm, discussing his art with the same demeanor he might use in talking about his day job as a graphic designer. “I think what I do reflects a struggle,” he says. “I try…
Paul Simon and Brian Eno? The very idea reads like a trick false answer on a pop-music trivia quiz. Then again, so did the marriage of Simon and hometown darling Edie Brickell, which by all appearances has turned out to be a successful (and fertile) union. And so is this…
The crazed mind behind Fantômas, Mr. Bungle and other sonic mindfucks has finally released his first self-described “pop” record. It’s the musical equivalent of Godard filming a summer blockbuster or Italo Calvino writing a grocery-store romance novel, but the aforementioned director and author never delivered what Mike Patton has on…
When this Boston post-punk outfit reunited in 2002 after nearly two decades, observers didn’t hold their breath in anticipation of what maturity had done to Mission of Burma’s sound. After all, guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley and drummer Peter Prescott sounded mature right out of the gate, outfitting their…
The perfect setting for the Theater Fire’s blend of rustic Americana and Southwestern music would be under a full moon on some sweltering backwoods back porch, where listeners slap mosquitoes on their sweat-slicked skin, pass around XXX-embossed jugs of hooch and laugh when the hounds howl along with the performance…
In Spanish, the word for soap opera is telenovela. And as anyone with even a limited knowledge of the Latin music scene knows, the eight years of Corpus Christi’s Kumbia Kings has been full of drama of the highest order. Supposedly, this is their last tour, as founding members A.B…
When he was 13, Montreal’s Alain Macklovitch [no relation, I swear -Ed.] used his bar mitzvah money to buy a used Technics turntable and a mixer. While still in his teens, Macklovitch was holing up in his basement listening to Jazzy Jeff records and focusing his vision. A decade later,…
Hate to break the bad news, but Austin’s Sharks and Sailors may have picked the wrong city to play on Sunday. The quartet wears its love for D.C. punk on its short, black sleeves, and the result reflects the cutthroat gall of Red Animal War and the abrasive guy-girl shouting…
