The Shins are an American indie rock band founded and fronted by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, James Mercer. The Shins were formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but are now based in Portland, Oregon.The Shins began in 1996 as a side project for singer/songwriter James Mercer, whose primary band was Flake Music in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mercer formed Flake Music in 1992 with Neal Langford on guitar, Phil Higgs and then Marty Crandall on bass, and Jesse Sandoval on drums. During the next 5 years Flake Music released several singles, a full-length album, and began touring largely due to the help of other bands like Modest Mouse.In 1996, Mercer began writing what would eventually become The Shins' first record. Fla...
If you happened to walk by a certain street in a deserted part of El Paso, Texas last fall, you would have heard unusual sounds amid the clanking next to a furniture factory. Leaking out through the cracks, from what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, were mysterious sounds of despair, growth, renewal, faith lost, and faith gained. Some of it was melodic, and some was dissonant, but all had a certain constant energy. If a passerby were a student of alternative rock, the warehouse songs would have been at once familiar but also distant, like a refrain lost in memory. Inside the warehouse were the four men of Sparta, and those sessions were the genesis of Threes, out from Hollywood Records on October 10, 2006. That this much- anticipat...
The Snake The Cross The Crown played/slept/ate/worried/hoped in a single house for four years. Some worked the 6a.m. shift at a corporate bookstore. One sold groceries, once giving Paul Hogan the wrong Marlboros. All of them loved music and each other. They carpooled in a big white diesel van, which was very loud and very spacious. Their half ton of equipment had made a habit of staying set up in the garage.It was the first time any of them had lived in their own house, the first year they had ever handled gas/water/electric bills, the first time they wrote music collaboratively, and it was the first time they played a show as The Snake The Cross The Crown. They were all from Alabama, they all missed Waff...
"Our first thought was that it was some mean joke from a friend," begins frontman Ryan O’Neal. Sleeping At Last’s musical road could easily be a mean joke, just as their chance meeting with former Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan could be. "[Corgan] offered to sort of take us under his wing," continues O’Neal, "his support shaped how we approach creativity." With Corgan’s blessing and help, Sleeping At Last signed with Interscope Records to launch their sophomore album Ghosts before jumping into a nationwide tour with Yellowcard, The Format, and Something Corporate. The roller coaster ride ended with a 75 day recording session for their new album, Keep No Score. "We approached this record...
Phoenix are one more time into extreme relevance. Coming back with a new album, 18 months after Alphabetical and 30 Days Ago, their live album released within the 30 days that followed their 2004-05 tour (150 dates across 3 continents). After their last show in August 2005, they decided to stay away from reality and get straight into the next album process. Four Parisian boys with brotherly love, set out for Berlin last summer, settling down at Planet Roc studios, in former East Germany, without a single song written but determined to write, record and produce their third album themselves with no outside participation and no compromises. The studio is a no man’s land haunted by the ghosts of a past state radio, a people...
(All answered by Dickie Haydon) So, I got to know, what’s the story behind the Beechee’s wrapper from your YouTube studio videos?? Well, that’s when the tube in my amp blew. We had to go to RadioShack to buy a new fuse and they were handing out free gum, so, there you go. The brand of the gum was Beechee’s and we thought it was funny. Yeah, those videos are pretty embarrassing. We were just goofing around. How was recording the record? It was awesome, it was a lot of fun, it was a lot of work too. Well we started in January, we started the tracking and everything, the tracking and everything, and finished the tracking in April, and then making and mastering, so it was a really extensive process especially f...
Ever gotten free gum from RadioShack? If you haven’t, you should check out Petticoat, Petticoat, because they have, and that gives them status over the rest of us gumless rabble. And don’t worry, that impressive fact isn’t the best thing about these guys (and girl), splendid though it is. What is the best thing? It may be their lyrics, simple yet beautiful tales of love, trust, family, and home. "The easiest songs are the most beautiful," sings vocalist Kristin Messina in the opening track "It’s So Easy" and it could not be a better motto for the album. Many of the songs carry a loving feel throughout them (probably because they’re written from love letters) and dance on the edge of sappiness but safety remain impressive with s...
The Birthday Massacre is from Toronto, Canada. Combining their interests in various musical and artistic styles, the band has successfully accumulated an impressive international fan base, press accolades, and defied categorization with their unique sound and visuals. ...
Stephen Christian ▪ Vocals Joeseph Milligan ▪ Guitar Deon Rexroat ▪ Bass Guitar Nathan Strayer ▪ Guitar Nathan Young ▪ Drums When Anberlin signed to Tooth & Nail Records in the summer of 2002, you could almost see the stars in their eyes. Though wide-eyed awe generally accompanies a brand new, blooming band upon being given a major green light to their prospective career, there was something so instantly captivating about these Florida boys that immediately made believers of their biggest skeptics. And with one of the most electrifying line-ups in tact, singer Stephen Christian, guitarist Joseph Milligan, bassist Deon Rexroat and protege drumme...
Ugly Casanova is an American band on Sub Pop Records. The band has only released one album:Sharpen Your Teeth. The legend of Ugly Cassanova is based around the character of Edgar Graham, a.k.a. "Ugly Casanova", who (according to the Ugly Casanova press release) met the band Modest Mouse while bac...
For a short period in the early 90's the parallel worlds of hip-hop and skating went askew and converged. At the time both were still perceived by the mainstream as antisocial behaviors and temporary fads. Hip-hop was not "real music." Skating was not a "real sport." In 2006, these perceptions couldn't be further from the truth, as both disciplines have become fully integrated into the mainstream consciousness, not to mention multi-billion dollar industries. Somewhere along the way their paths diverged and these days they have few intersections even though they remain brothers in spirit. Yet there are some who walk among us that remember those days when hip-hop was an integral part of skating. Tion Torrence, aka Bukue One, is a product of t...
Katatonia formed in 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden and was brought together by long time friends, Anders Nyström (aka Blakkheim) and Jonas Renkse (aka Lord Seth). After more than a year of rehearsals and composing, the first real fruits of their labour came to light in mid 1992 with the release of the demo ‘Jhva Elohim Meth’, recorded at Sweden’s Gorysound Studio and produced by the multi-musician Dan Swanö. The demo sold out immediately, bringing Katatonia to the attention of Dutch label Vic Records, who went on to re-release the demo as a mini CD, titled ‘Jhva Elohim Meth – the Revival’. With the CD selling out fast and their reputation spreading like a wildfire through the underground, the duo knew they would need a fuller line-...
Growing up in a rickety house in rural Maryland between an abandoned cement factory and a power plant, Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark first experienced music at church. Indeed, her mother was devout enough to have even studied to be a minister but, according to Becky “she got kicked out of ministerial school for being too wild and being into rock and roll and wearing miniskirts”. For the Starks, music was its own religion. “My mum had a lot of old ‘45s and on Sunday mornings instead of going to church we would all sit round and she’d make us learn all the lyrics to the songs. Our Sunday morning ritual was all about music.” But, despite singing as part of a state department-sponsored children’s choir – who once suppo...
Richard Swift – even to look at him, he positively emanates with a vintage, good-time, entertainer persona. They don’t come around often, the ones with that kind of pure showbiz class, which dusts itself off and gets on with the show, and to hell with it all. But Richard Swift (even his name sounds like it was meant to be up in lights) is one in a million. His prestigious Polydor debut presents his all-round winning combination of talents, whether it is in the studio, at the song-writing coalface, and not least of all onstage, where his sparkling charisma lets you know he’s in control. An holy trinity that materialises only so very rarely. Now, after the kind of setbacks that would floor lesser mortals, this mo...
Holy Fuck are creating a legacy based on near stupidity. It’s a simple concept, to mimic modern electronic music without using modern fail-safes like laptops and programmed backing tracks… and of course to make people freak out and smash stuff. So for last year’s NXNE festival they armed themselves with a drum set, a bass guitar, a myriad of toy keyboards, guitar peddles, mixers, and even a 35 mm film synchronizer and hit the stage, without even rehearsing. Luckily they remembered to bring extra batteries. Now just over a year later they have played super-festivals like Coachella, CMJ, SXSW, POP Montreal, Montreal Jazz, All Tomorrow’s Parties, and Vegoose. They have hooked up and collaborated frequently with Anti Pop Consortiu...
Stereomovers are a plane ride on a psychedelic rock influential. They have evolved out of the underground electronic music scene and have today reached a matured Stereomovers sound. Their music progressively beats its way into sky high altitudes then drops into a void summer valley ringing of grounding guitar notes. Their songs offer a frenzy of bliss, sensuality, coolness and serenity all through the textured layers of their notes and lyrics. The music created by the Stereomovers, provides an amalgamation of human sentiment. A dynamic duo from the city of Montreal, Canada, sourcing from their musical odyssey and bringing an evolved and more mass oriented flavor to their sound, that is now mature and finally ready to fly. Alex D and Sim...
Blake Sennett and I are debating the definition of the word “filigree.” We both think it has something to do with horses. My dictionary, however, proves us wrong. It actually refers to “any ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper.” We realize the horse association comes from the fact that saddles are often said to be filigreed. Then we move on to the word “piquant” and neither one of us can define it. But in case you’re wondering, it means “agreeably stimulating to the palate; engagingly provocative; pungent; spicy.” These are the two words I remember as I sit down to write about The Elected. And it makes a lot of sense. Because really? I am writing about a quartet of Californians with filigre...
Opportunity knocks only so often. Low Stars found theirs by teaming four singers who share a love – make that a passion – for vocal harmonies originally inspired by Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Eagles. The result is a Laurel Canyon buzz for the new century as Low Stars prepare to release their self-titled debut album in February. “We wanted to make an authentic-sounding record that was reminiscent of that era of music,” Low Star Chris Seefried says of the CSN/Eagles inspiration. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” says Low Star Dave Gibbs. “People don’t even realize that they miss this kind of music until they hear it. It’s straightforward, very genuine music. The situation today is that everything is so proces...
Take a pinch of the shuttered French Quarter, a dash of shack distilled brew, mix it with the alleyways of Les Halles, throw in equal measures of wrong side of the tracks and whiskey driven night sweats. Fire it up with songs of loss, of dashed dreams, of devils in dresses and a twist of bitters. Shake it. Bottle it. And sell it out of an old battered cardboard suitcase. These are the ingredients of Gill Landry's debut album. The songs veer from the rural to ruined streets, from the bottle to the graveyard, from a murder of ravens to hymns. These songs read like a book…a collection of stories, of narratives charting the restless wanderings of a itinerant musician. These are not songs about Main Street. These are way back-an alternative so...
Members: Dave Raymond - vocals/guitar Rock Whittington - guitar Brad McRae - Drums Mark Henry - bass/vocals Hometown: Buffalo, NY If bands, like countries and colleges, had mottos, Damiera's would be "You have to sacrifice to gain." While some bands embark on a road scattered with obstacles after their inception, it was that creation itself that marked the greatest challenge Buffalo's Damiera will ever face. The tribulation began nearly two years ago, at the dawning of 2005, when singer and guitarist Dave Raymond broke up his former band League to "write the music I wanted to write and have everybody in the same mindset." Pulling guitarist Matthew Kipp with him out of the wreckage of League, Ra...
He isn’t sure who said it, but Roark likes to quote the critic who noted there really are only a few subjects artists tend to explore. "Love, death, fear" says the singer/songwriter. "You can always tie everything back to these fundamental things. I strive to do it my own way." And what is Roark’s way? With his pitch perfect tenor and instinct for pure melody, Roark delves into those suspended, transitory moments between people. Roark is for fans of John Mayer, Damien Rice, James Blunt and Chris Martin. And though he’s too modest to say so, with his new album, Break Of Day, Roark just might usher in a new era of pop music that matters. It is a solo album, but Roark didn't make Break Of Day alone. Chris Badami served as produce...
The Belgian trio, Colour Kane, are a new breed of dream popsters following on from the genre’s masters, the Cocteau Twins. Colour Kane is lush cascading guitars and sweet soaring vocals propelled by driving bass and electronic beats. Colour Kane’s music draws a wonderful arc that both defines and divides melancholy and bliss. Where so much dream pop is described through aesthetic alone, Colour Kane radiate atmosphere and shifted emotion wrapped in jewelled blankets and honey gauze. The band developed from the seeds of Abricot, comprising Belgian music scene veterans Bruno Kimpe and Joeri Gydé. The pair teamed up with vocalist Marjan Snykers and Colour Kane was borne. The band’s music found Cocteau Twin, Robin Guthrie, who offer...
Chicago’s Lawrence Arms are a gritty but clever punk rock three-piece that trace their beginnings back to 1999. Their involvement in bands and the punk scene goes back many years prior however, as the members were involved in Windy City mainstays Slapstick, The Broadways, and Baxter. The band takes it’s name from a run-down building the members resided in called the Lawrence Arms, which was located in a very lower-class area of uptown Chicago. For the record, they were eventually evicted from the place in the middle of the night. Their latest album, Oh! Calcutta!, comes at a time when the stars have seemingly aligned and their presence is at an all-time high. Singer Brendan and his outspoken anti-Bush opinions have been all over TV t...
Originally known as The Plan,American Werewolves were formed in 1998 by crooner Trevor Moment and by 2003 a permanent lineup was found in Nate 68 on drums, Tony Scambony on bass and Brendan Less on guitars. Much like their namesake, American Werewolves shape-shift from timeless 50’s doo-wop to violent, blood-curdling punk. Their sound is built upon the DIY punk foundation set by early punk bands like The Damned and The Misfits with hints of Frankie Lymon for good measure. The American Werewolves hit the stage like the infamous shower scream from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, cutting scars into the terrified audience that they will never forget. The wolves pound out song after song of real life b-movie horror and violence. Beneath all t...
“Black Milk is pumping fresh air into the Midwest’s historic hip-hop scene” – Billboard Magazine - Though still in his early twenties, Black Milk has been a rising talent both as a producer and as an emcee within the Detroit hip hop scene for several years. Following the untimely deaths of J Dilla and Proof (D-12) in 2006, hip hop fans all over the world are anxious for a new generation of hip hop artists from the Motor City to carry the torch for its fallen heroes. Black Milk isn’t asking to carry the torch; he’s already running with it. Born Curtis Cross in 1983, Black first fell in love with hip-hop in the mid-nineties when he discovered the music of groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. ...
Most musicians would dream and/or kill for the chance to work for a record label head honcho, waiting for the right moment to slip their aspiring band's demo on the boss's desk, get his feedback, and hopefully, get him to sign the band to a record deal. Manic guitarist/keyboardist Zane Smythe found himself in this very enviable position. And what did he do? Absolutely nothing. In fact, Manic didn't want to get signed to Suretone, the new label of ex-Geffen president Jordan Schur. That's because the band, who craft lush, layered pop rock, wanted to do things on their terms and to be the masters of their own destiny. "We're believers in the idea that the only way you can grow as a band is to play shows and work your ass off, as oppos...
"At the door, the curator took the old man's hand with an extra firmness. "My heart has a wish, Father: that you would not go." THE EXORCIST by William Peter Blatty. GLASGOW, SCOTLAND: After reemerging in North America with two releases in 2006 - the Seclusion mini-album and their In The Fishtank collaboration with ISIS - Scotland's AEREOGRAMME (Craig B., Iain Cook, Campbell McNeil and Martin Scott) return with their most accomplished studio effort to date and plans to tour the U.S. for the first time in four years. Snappily entitled My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go, Aereogramme's third full-length album is an ambitious, cinematic and beautiful beast. Produced by Aereogramme and Martin Doherty, the album was recorded in Gl...
"I grew up listening to every thing from Joan Baez and Dylan, to Serge Gainsbourg and Flamenco," says Mika, a 23-year-old singer, songwriter and producer whose sparkling debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, has just been released. "My musical tastes have become more eclectic as I've got older, but I'm always going back to great artist songwriters, people who make great records to their own vision. Prince, Harry Nillson, Elton John, even Michael Jackson. These people make amazing pop records that couldn't be performed by anybody else, and that's what I always wanted to do." Fun, smart, musically adventurous and thematically provocative, the thirteen songs on Life, all of them written and produced by Mika, combine euphoric rushes of melod...
The state of Vietnam is in constant flux. They have spent five-plus years of paying their dues in Austin, Philadelphia, rural Pennsylvania, and three separate tenures as New Yorkers. Add on a couple of national tours, a stint in LA recording the new record and it really is hard to believe that Vietnam only has a single commercial release to its credit. So, for the moment you're forgiven if you haven't heard of them, but consider this your warning - Vietnam is poised to drop some serious rock bombs on the world in coming months. In addition to a series of three twelve-inch EPs for The Social Registry label and a smattering of seven-inches for smaller labels, the band is finally releasing their much-anticipated full-length debut with another ...
These are heady days for those of us who wear our devotion to metal like a badge of honour. The deafening beast of the dark depths has lived to roar and rampage again and the scene has never been in a happier or healthier state. But don't be deceived. Metal never really went away. In fact, its current fortitude stems entirely from the bands that never surrendered; those brave, liquor-soaked men whose total disregard for the vagaries of fashion and finance kept them glued to the grindstone through metal's mainstream wilderness years. Now, as seems wholly fitting, the greatest of these are finally reaping their rewards and hitting new creative peaks as they surge unstoppably onwards and upwards. And, as it was in the beginning, so shall it be...
