The PoPo have already been credited with inventing the "post-hip hop" genre, and are indeed the style's premier band. That's quite a feat considering "The PoPo" is the group's debut release. Based out of Philly, PA, USA, EARTH, their sound is a complex interpretation of popular music in the context of a corrosive, post-modern future. The 4 members of the group: Pops Ghostly, Fullscreen, Blue Bishi, and Hamstar, fuse together lo-fi punk, hip hop, and world music to create a dramatic sonic landscape suffused with myth, mysticism, and mystery. Their self-titled debut can best be described as a "lo-fi epic;" Like a grungy fairytale conceived for a modern audience. Written and recorded by the group in their basement, (aka "The Zombie Cave") t...
Miho Hatori loves words. As one half of the international pop phenomenon Cibo Matto, Hatori sang in French, Portuguese, Japanese and English, creating lyrics that made words dance and flow as sweetly as a stream of summer water slipping down a mountainside. “Every language gives you a new perspective,” Hatori says, even if that language is the language of insects. “I grew up near a river where there were a lot of pear fields and every summer I went out to pick up cicada shells. When the cicadas do ecdysis (ek duh sis,) the shells they leave behind are brown, but they emerge with a beautiful, glistening green color that’s impossible to describe. I was thinking a lot about how stunning nature’s work is while I was working on this al...
Athens, Georgia's Summer Hymns arose in the late 1990s from singer/guitarist Zachary Gresham's desire to find an outlet for material unsuited for a typical rock band. Many of his musical ideas were born of boyhood experiences playing piano and singing hymns and folk songs at his grandmother's house in rural Georgia. Zachary fused this inspiration with newer musical obsessions such as Robert Wyatt, Neil Young, Yo La Tengo and Smog, and Summer Hymns was born. With long-time collaborator Phillip Brown (who played with Zachary in the pre-Summer Hymns band, Joe Christmas) on drums, Zachary assembled the first version of Summer Hymns with members of fellow Athens bands Elf Power, Of Montreal and Masters of the Hemisphere. The first Summer Hymns'...
As the main songwriter and one of the founding members of XTC way back in 1975, Andy Partridge has found himself in the enviable position of being regarded as one of Britain’s foremost songwriters. His reputation for highly crafted and memorable songs has seen a whole raft of bands list him as a major influence. Consequently today there are many bands who’s sound seems remarkable reminiscent of XTC. Still active with XTC, although now trimmed down to a core duo with Colin Moulding, they recently released their first boxed set on their own Idea Records. Titled ‘Apple Box’ the boxed set is a 4CD set compiling the 54 tracks from Apple Venus Vol 1 and Wasp Star and their respective demo albums. Andy and Colin had conceived the i...
James Brown famously said, “Give the drummer some.” And Tim O’Reagan proves how wise that advice can be. Fans already know O’Reagan through his work with The Jayhawks, for whom he played drums and also wrote songs that were strong enough to find a place among those of bandleader Gary Louris. But though his distinctive vocals earned him a place in their vocal tapestry, he stayed in the background, as drummers must do, a few yards from the action that transpired at the front of the stage. Well, those days are over for O’Reagan, whose self-titled debut is not what you might expect from a drummer who’s stepping out on his own. It is, for example, extraordinarily musical, beginning with the first track. “These Things...
Bad Astronaut is the indie-rock side project of Joey Cape, lead singer and songwriter for the flagship Fat Wreck Chords band Lagwagon and 1/5 of the all-star punk cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Formed in 2000, this 7-piece band has released two dark, mature, studio-heavy full lengths (2001’s Acrophobe & 2002’s Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem) influenced by serious songwriters such as the Flaming Lips, David Bowie & Elliot Smith. The band is rounded out by former Lagwagon drummer Derrick Plourde, Sugarcult guitarist Marko 72 and producer, engineer and owner of Orange Whip Studios, Angus Cooke. Rather than serve you with some bloated, superfluous evaluation of their new (and final) record, I’ll let Joey describe, in his ...
A Citizen’s Guide to The Hold Steady & their newest recording Boys and Girls in America c/o Vagrant- Release Date:10/03/06 Straight from Craig Finn and Tad Kubler With Little to No Bullshit A. LIST EACH FELLOW IN THE BAND, CRAIG, AND THEN TELL US THEIR ROLE AND/OR NICKNAME Bobby Drake, Drummer: “He’s a real salt of the earth guy. He’s an auto mechanic. On the road he’s real commando style. He doesn’t get out of his clothes. A lot of sleeping in the van. Ready for action. On our last tour, he barely drove, but then on this really scary stretch of the Canadian Rockies, he took over. He’s up for that. That’s him.” Galen Polivka, Bass: “We call him ‘Top Shelf.’ Affable guy. Bartender by t...
I wanted badly to revisit the type of songs I did on my more experimental albums The Pyramid, The Ghost, and Protection Spells. I put this project together in the last days before I began what was a long and harrowing move back to Chicago. I wrote these songs as well as the half dozen or so that did not make it over the course of 3 mornings in Bloomington, Indiana and recorded them one after the other in the order they were written. Working method was to go into the garage (aka The Projects Studio) in the mornings and I would write one song at a time and record it. There are no windows at all in that studio and it is pitch black around the clock. There was a small lamp rigged inside a vintage kickdrum and that eerie thing burning above m...
There are a few things you should know immediately about Manchester’s Nine Black Alps. The first, and possibly most important, is that they have probably played in more basements than you would ever imagine, and started a band because it was the most logical exit out of the mundane that surrounded them – a way to forget about meaningless jobs, a scene full of people with whom they did not identify, being on the dole. The second is that they write rock songs with the catchiest choruses imaginable, and that’s just because they have a deep love the songs that hit hardest – whether they’re written by Elliott Smith or Sonic Youth. The third is that they are a world apart from their British contemporaries, ploughing their own furrow i...
YES!!! People unite for the Wolfies have returned from the canyons of L.A with a fusion of freaked out jamming, delicate melodies and gallant rock riffage that shall be known collectively as “Wolfmother”. Myles Heskett, Chris Ross and Andrew Stockdale are the key holders to the future of all things Wolf … together they write all their songs while contributing drums, bass/keyboards and guitar/vocals respectively. In their lives before Wolfmother, Myles worked in graphics, Chris in things digital and Andrew was a photographer so they all shared a passion for creative expression. After years of jamming in anonymity they finally stepped out in public during early 2004, playing shows and signing to Modular Recordings. Later that ...
Things are brewing underground, ready to explode. You may not feel it yet, (especially if you don’t use MySpace) but something is being created which millions of people are holding their breath over. The Pumpkins are returning… This is the time when the weather grows cold and the leaves litter the ground, Jack-O-Lantern’s brightly smile at little children in costumes. Halloween is here, and what better time than now to reminisce about arguably the greatest rock band of the ‘90s? Refresh your memory (or learn if you’re a new fan) in preparation for the nail-biting return of a monstrosity of a band: The Smashing Pumpkins. In 1985,a young Billy Corgan could be found at Wheaton High School in the suburbs of Chicago. His father, ...
We Will Build treat their Internet fame as a hammock, instead of trying to paw out of the web and set foot on solid land they seem to be content swaying comfortably in this new method of existence. The Internet and technology in general for them has proven to be a wonderful thing. Aside from being on the edge of Internet fame combustion, technology also plays a large role in their music. Synthetic sounds smoothly blend with organic instrumental sounds to create brilliant pop music full of energy and motion. “This is Necessary” is We Will Build’s upcoming release and band members Zach Johnston and Dan Govier are excited about the lack of limitations they’ve imposed upon themselves with both their musical and business...
Even a 'Crap Attack' by We Are Scientists is poignant. The Apollo Theatre in Manchester, is now well entrenched as being a pedestal for up and coming bands en route to music's elite territory. Some bands and artists prior to appearing here, have been known to display the nerves of a soccer player about to tread the hallowed turf of Wembley or the Millennium Stadium for the first time. However, for We Are Scientists' bassist and the artery that circulates their live and oft improvised humour, Chris Cain, it would take more than this to throw him off his stride. For all the recent controversy surrounding the bottle pelting of emo protagonists My Chemical Romance and Panic At The Disco, at the Reading Festival this year, the moustachioed ...
Dan Young - Vocals, GuitarGavin Philips - Vocals, GuitarDavid Blaise - Bass Sean Gasperetti - GuitarThis Providence is currently a four member band from Seattle, Washington. They are now signed on Fuled By Ramen Records, and have toured with various bands such as Paramore, The Starting Line, and The Almost. They just released their self-titled sophomore album. Their hit single, My Beautiful Rescue, is starting to get the band some recognition. Their lyrics are beautiful and the sound they produce is very soothing. This band comes highly recomended if you like bands such as Gatsby's American Dream, Forgive Durden, Paramore, and The Starting Line ...
You, my friend, are as common as a dumpster rat. You’re forgotten like a peanut shell beneath a bar stool. Or, maybe you’re just information, ripped out like a yellow page from a phone-booth book hanging from a chain. The end times sound like a thrill compared to this, the common times. The Era Vulgaris. At least you’re not lonely, ‘cause we’re all in it. And at least it sounds good, ‘cause Queens of the Stone Age are playing it.“It’s actually a reaction to what we think is the era vulgaris. You don’t have time. I already know that. And, so, here we go: Pow, pow, pow, pow, p...
In many ways, a musician is often the product of his environment. The places they live and the friends they keep influence their creativity and define who they are. Such is the case of Chuck E. Weiss. He has been immortalized in song, co-starred with musical legends, and created a stylish scene that included many of rock and roll’s elite. Considered to be the epitome of cool, Weiss is a lot like your estranged uncle who drinks and smokes too much, but with whom you would enjoy sitting back and hearing tales of his journey through rock and roll history. Weiss could tell you how he was well known in musical circles for years because of ...
Taken from www.myspace.com/ignitor The scorching heat of Texas is the perfect crucible in which to create metal not often heard on American shores. Out of this aural forge comes Ignitor, the culmination of over 20 years of experience in metal/extreme music. The band was formed when guitarists Stuart Laurence and Beverly Barrington, bass player Brendon Bigelow, drummer Pat Doyle, and vocalist Erika joined forces in the summer of 2003. Influenced by 80s masters Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Ignitors music is a blend of classic true metal with the power of today's greats like Primal Fear, Grave Digger and Brainstorm. Their MiniCD "Take to the Sky" was hi...
The use of superlatives in music is rarely justified, but in the case of Johan, it is an apt way to describe their sound. This is real music...plain and simple. It is popular music elevated to an art form. You can feel it in your bones when you hear Jacco De Greeuw sing. The melodies soar, and the emotions are worn on the sleeve. In an era where "15 minutes" is now considered a milestone of longevity, it's hard to believe that they have been making music for over 10 years, and from their latest effort, THX, they show no signs of slowing down....
THE CASSETTES are Washington D.C.'s premier "vaudeville steam-punk" band. This "Musical Explorers Society" is fronted by Mr. Shelby Cinca, formerly the voice and guitar behind such notable D.C. groups as Frodus and Decahedron. He has also been the man responsible for recording various instantly classic D.C. indie albums such as Dead Meadow's first two full lengths. But don't be fooled into thinking there is any sort of punk/hardcore/post-punk tomfoolery happening here. The sound of The Cassettes strolls lavishly down the Rocky Raccoon/Honey Pie path that some could describe as synth-infused country stomp folk. Joining Shelby in his vision of pushing musical boundaries and expectations is Stephen Guidry on squeezebox and moog, Saadat Awan on...
Described by producer Jason Carmer, as the sound of "a little kid burning ants with a magnifying glass," and self described as "danceable without being 'dancey';", the Starlite Desperation have been gazing transfixed into both the virgin horizon and the abominable slop of rock's forgotten scraps to divine the future and channel armies of spirits since 1996. The Starlite Desperation's mix of powerful rhythms, big guitar licks, and panicked conviction will fascinate you. ...
THIS BLUSH started on the sharps and flats of an organ when three friends from Long Beach, California decided unanimously that there were just too few interesting bands still making music. Towards the tail end of 2004 - Marlaine Reiner, Dustin Roberts, and Lars Stalfors already knew the role they each would play as THIS BLUSH began to take shape. Through the Fall of that year the three locked themselves into a small flat, and emerged with their ideal sound and the firsts of their songs. Aside from the few indie-scene heroes, the music of Long Beach is known on a national level for producing Snoop Dogg, Sublime, and more recently the Mars Volta; behind those acts there was a long-standing indie scene and when THIS BLUSH emerged they made a h...
Once upon a time, there were two sisters named Allison and Catherine Pierce. They were born and raised in a land far, far away, called Birmingham, Alabama. They were home schooled and encouraged by their parents to pursue anything and everything in the arts. Now, the girls flourished in ballet, painting, music, and writing, but they couldn't solve a calculus equation to save their souls. That's okay though, when do you ever use calculus in the real world? Anyway...back to the story... Allison and Catherine soon grew weary of small town living and decided to run away to a magical place called "Nashville" to pursue fame and fortune through song. They packed their bags and vowed never to return (except for the holidays). Aaaah, but fame is an ...
Wires On Fire, a collective of four young men from Los Angeles, have created a name for themselves with the balls-out live set, full of blood, sweat, and saliva. While the chaotic punk rock passion and energy from their acclaimed Homewrecker EP remains, the band has taken steps in a different direction on their new Self-Titled full-length debut. Wires On Fire have created an innovative style with hopes to inspire a new breed of rock and roll for this generation of colorless music. After booking several national and west coast tours on their own (sharing the stage with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Fall, Death From Above 1979, Pretty Girls Make Graves, etc) Wires On Fire stand out from the rock band masses as a unique-perhaps unclassifiable-group. No...
The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore is the culmination of a year of collaborative recording and member bolstering that also yielded the previous cdep, Luck Will Not Save Us from a Jackpot of Nothing, at the halfway mark in the spring of 2005. The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore is characterized by Saxon Shore's lush, intense, melodic brand of instrumental rock. The full-length is a vibrant mix of electronics and acoustic instruments, from the white label 12" sounds of "Marked with Knowledge" to the metallic refrains of "Isolated by the Secret of Your Fellow Men " to the pop sensibilities and hooks of "With a Red Suit You Will Become a Man," all filtered through the expert and artful ears of engineer, producer, and mixer Dave Fridmann (Flaming...
Chicago's Atombombpocketknife (ABPK) is comprised of Che Arthur (guitar), Allison Hollihan (bass), Justin Sinkovich (vocals/guitar), and Matt Espy (drums). They've been perfecting their lush indie rock since the late '90s while making a name for themselves in and around the Midwest. A self-titled 10" was issued on Southern in 1999, but ABPK made their proper debut with 2000's Alpha Sounds. It was a slick and sultry introduction to ABPK and a slew of tours throughout North America, including shows with Man or Astroman?, Pinback, and Judah Johnson established Atombombpocketknife's rising fan base. God Save the ABPK followed in fall 2001. After touring in support of the album, Espy left the band. Sterling drummer Tony Lazzara joined the group ...
Che Arthur is the non-singing lead guitarist of Chicago post-rockers Atombombpocketknife, making his almost entirely solo (everything but the drums, that is) debut with 2004's All of Your Tomorrows Were Decided Today. Where his day gig is much more into lengthy explorations of different instrumental textures, time signatures and loud/soft dynamics, Arthur is a far more straightforward singer/songwriter on his own, essaying ten brief, catchy pop songs in just barely half-an-hour. Arthur is a clearly talented singer/songwriter occasionally capable of greatness. ...
Wilhelm Bohman and Henrik ”Punsch” Johansson first met in their hometown, Skara, in central Sweden, in the late eighties. Three years later Bohman and Punsch moved up north to the capital, Stockholm, to continue their art studies. Here they began building up their studio in earnest. After two years in Stockholm, the restless duo moved abroad: to San Sebastián, in the Basque Country in the north west of Spain. The city was a great source of inspiration, and they took their name, Gros, from one of the city’s neighbourhoods. ”Waves” (FSONE 003) was released in November 2002. In November/December of 2003 Gros began recording their second album ”Radio Islas”, in the Gracia district of Barcelona. Using vintage analogue synths...
When Johanna Wright journeyed to New York from Oregon about nine years ago, she expected to be constantly spattered with paint and has dutifully fulfilled the prophecy. She spends her days making drawings, paintings, and covering large expanses with gesso. Shortly after arriving in New York, Johanna adopted a baritone ukulele (as well as a musical alter-ego named Hanner) and began digging out songs and stories from her heart and brain. She was happy to discover that she could shape a song much like her paintings, with a humorous illustrative quality and a dollop of matter-o-fact sorrow. She attributes the mysterious southern accent she has adopted while singing to countless hours spent listening to Janis Joplin and Judy Henske as a wee l...
Oly's music career started at the age of 2 when she used to write songs for her mother on a toy piano. "[My mom] thought I was just being a little kid, like 'La, la, la,' you know, just singing whatever," Oly recalls, "but then I would sing the same song over and over again and she started to think, 'Wait a minute-that's a song.'" Fast-forward two decades. After playing guitar and bass in indie rock bands throughout her teens and early twenties, Oly returned to working by herself. "Considering I was writing everything like drums and bass and vocals, it just kind of became normal to play alone," she says. When her first guitar, a Danelectro Silvertone, was stolen, Oly was too sad to buy another one, so she turned to the keyboard for ...
Red Eyed Legends formed out of the relocation of Chris Thomson (Circus Lupus, Monorchid, Skull Kontrol) to Chicago. Thomson soon hooked up with Steve Denekas (Countdown, Entertainment), Jason Dummeldinger (Cinco de Gatos, Silverbacks), and Paul Higgins (Evil Three) to form Red Eyed Legends. After some time in the practice space, Red Eyed Legends hit the studio to record The High I Feel When I'm Low EP in summer of 2003. With the release of the EP on Gold Standard Laboratories in 2004, Red Eyed Legends rounded out the lineup with Kiki Yablon of the Dishes. ...
