Back in the day, when this place was crawling with forums and chats about random acts of music, we used to poll ourselves to see which release by an artist not only set them atop of the industry but stapled them in as musical gods.

At the Drive-In is an influential post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, from 1993 until 2001 and now reunited in 2012 after 11 years. Influenced primarily by the likes of Fugazi and Drive Like Jehu as well as their native Texas hardcore scene, At The Drive-In craft epic, musically complex songs, each one laced with cryptic and strongly metaphorical lyrics. They played a few secret practice shows in Texas in April to prepare for their Coachella performances. They have also been announced to play at this year’s Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer, and also at Splendour in the Grass music festival happening in Australia. Unfortunately Omar Rodríguez-López has ruled out the possibility of recording new material, describing the reunion shows as purely a “nostalgia thing”.

Tell your your favorite record and why, and vote!

 Loading ...

Previous Polls

Nirvana
A Tribe Called Quest
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio

The Roots

Kings Of Leon

Atmosphere
Beck
Tool
Radiohead
Brand New
Pink Floyd
The Roots
Deftones
Incubus
Led Zeppelin

Review and Photos by special guest correspondent Michel Dussack

Say whatever you want about AWOLNATION, the one thing that no one can deny about them is that they’re one of the hardest working bands in the business. Their debut album Megalithic Symphony,  which brought us the hit single “Sail”, has been around for a bit over a year, and they’ve already hit up New York City on three separate tours. On May 19^th, they brought their energetic live show to the legendary Webster Hall for the second time within half a year, and opted for a colorful backdrop and flags this time, rather than the array of lights they brought with them last time.

While the set list was Read more

When creating our 4/20 podcast a few weeks ago, we were looking for a dubstep track to include. Random google searching landed me listening to a song by Cypress Hill and EDM artist Rusko. Not being able to find many details, I had no idea this was a new song. The two have teamed up for a new EP, with this being the first single. Check out the hip-hop and dubstep mash up ”Roll It, Light It”.

RACES have been steadily building a word-of-mouth following across the Mountain West and their native Southern California since the release of their debut “Big Broom” EP last fall and their debut LP Year of the Witch this March.

The LA sextet, who have been described as “Laurel Canyon’s answer to Broken Social Scene”, are now excited to share with you their brand new video for “Year Of The Witch/Year Of The Child”.  The video, a hazy collage of Super-8 footage directed by A. Dola Baroni, recently premiered.

RACES are also happy to say they are coming East this May! In two weeks their tour kicks off in DC, then they will make their way North, being joined by Sean Bones, Right on Dynamite, Hundred Waters, North Highlands and Great Ceasar along the way. You can listen to our interview with them at SXSW here.

May 9 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge w/ Hundred Waters, North Highlands
May 10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire
May 14 – Hamden, CT – The Space w/ Great Ceasar
May 15 – Cambridge, MA – T.T. The Bear’s

RACES have been steadily building a word-of-mouth following across the Mountain West and their native Southern California since the release of their debut “Big Broom” EP last fall and their debut LP Year of the Witch this March. The LA sextet have been described as “Laurel Canyon’s answer to Broken Social Scene”. They just recently released a brand new video for “Year Of The Witch/Year Of The Child”.

Currently on a small tour of the East Coast, I was able to reach out to Wade Ryff, guitarist and vocalist of Races,  by email. Here is some of his favorite music that he recommends:

 
Leonard Cohen- Death of Ladies Man

Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector. This says it all. “Iodine” has one of my all time favorite drum sounds.

Television- Marquee Moon  

The interplay between the 2 guitars is something that really inspired Garth and I while we were working on our album.

The Shivers- Charades

It’s a strange but inspiring feeling when your friend is one of your favorite songwriters . “Beauty” and “L.I.E” are up there on my list of favorite songs ever written.

Sibylle Baier- Colour Green

Sibylle Baier is one of the best kept secrets. The story I’ve heard is that she recorded these songs between 1970-73 and never really did much with them.  Years later, her son found the recordings and compiled them on a cd to give to family. Somehow it got around to J. Mascis and was officially released in 2006.  True or not, I love that story.

Blake Mills- Break Mirrors

Everything about this album is wonderful. I remember the first time I heard “It’ll all Work Out”. It was at a small show he was playing in Hollywood somewhere. That song haunted me for months.

Bonnaroo and YouTube are excited to announce Bonnaroo365, (youtube.com/bonnaroo 365).  Set to launch on May 7, 2012, Bonnaroo 365 will take the approach of the festival that Rolling Stone named as “one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll” and evolve it from an annual terrestrial event into a digital entertainment destination. Themed around the pursuit of “Good Stuff,” the literal meaning of Bonnaroo, the channel will feature talent-driven episodic originals, daily comedy and music programming as well as an archive of legendary festival performances.  All of it curated and produced by the Bonnaroo producers.

“Bonnaroo has always been about much more than four days on the farm in Manchester, TN,” said festival co-founder Jonathan Mayers.  ”Our fans are virtually together all year long. We not only want to give our core community a great entertainment destination, but we want to reach the audience out there that thinks like us, but perhaps can’t always make the trip each June.” 

Like the festival itself, besides music, a large part Read more

Image credit: Rolling Stone

This week will go down in history without doubt. Today the President of the United States set precedent by expressing his view endorsing same sex marriage.  Then it was announced that Against Me! lead singer and frontman Tom Gabel is going to become a woman. According to Rolling Stone, who broke the story initially, the Against Me! vocalist will soon start taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis treatments, and he plans to eventually take the name Laura Jane Grace.  He plans on  remaining married to his wife Heather. “For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news,” Gabel says in the interview. “But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”  He has dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years, per the article.

You can read music recommendations from Against Me! here, and also watch our interview with Andrew Seward, bass player, from last year here.

So-Cal alternative rockers The Dirty Heads have announced the initial run for their co-headlining summer tour with Matisyahu. The band will be spreading their signature rock/reggae/hip-hop sound that that is synonymous with its good vibes on this 40 plus city US jaunt beginning in Washington, DC on July 8^th. Tickets go on sale beginning May 11^th. The band’s long-awaited new album, Cabin By The Sea will be globally released on Five Seven Music on June 19^th and can be described as the “ultimate summer soundtrack.”  The album features collaborations with fellow tour mate Matisyahu as well as Del the Funky Homosapien, KyMani Marley and Rome.

“Summer’s here and we are starting it off the best possible way I can imagine: by going on a cruise with 311. When we get home from the cruise our album Cabin By The Sea will be released,” said Heads front man Jared “Dirty J” Watson. “We will be Read more

In line with his ongoing attempts to re-imagine the idea of touring and performance, ubiquitous Grammy-winning DJ/producer Skrillex announces a string of Canadian dates featuring some of the most bubbling names in Electronic Dance Music, all of whom will be traveling between cities on a private passenger train. At each stop, a festival event will take place, featuring performances by Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Diplo, Grimes, KOAN Sound and Tokimonsta on multiple stages to crowds in the tens of thousands.

The Full Flex Express concept is inspired by The Festival Express tour that took place along a similar route in 1970 featuring Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and The Band. An assertion of the camaraderie and like-mindedness of the performers, this tour is less about practicality than it is simply enjoying the ride. When asked about the run of dates, Skrillex said “we were really inspired when Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharp and those guys did a train tour. We wanted to do it as well and share this music with people across Canada. Just to do it and have fun”.

Audiences will undoubtedly share in the exclusive revelry, much as concert-goers in New York and Los Angeles did earlier this year when Skrillex ambitiously played a series of “takeover” club dates in diminutive venues on both coasts.

FULL FLEX EXPRESS TOUR DATES: Read more

We first told you last month that Texas rockers The Toadies would be touring  with Social Distortion, then later this year with Helmet! Toadies announced last month that they would release a six-song EP, but they have now decided to release a full album instead. Play.Rock.Music. will be out in late July. “Summer of the Strange,” the lead track, is now available on iTunes and Amazon. You can listen to it below for free.

The 5th Annual Dia De Los Toadies dates have been announced. The festival will be held Labor Day weekend (August 31-September 1) at White Water Amphitheater in New Braunfels, TX. Lineup coming soon.

Below we have what appears to be a music video made by guitarist Clark Vogeler for the new record, along with the new single just released today. This hasn’t been released as an official music video yet. Tour dates are also listed below.

Read more