Two years since the release of All Hour Cymbals, the psychedelic global-leaning soundscapes that populate Yeasayer’s debut LP remain as expansive as they were upon first listen. The 11 songs play out like spacey treks through fantasy regions of the globe where Middle Eastern beats fuse seamlessly with Westernized pop, Latin rhythms align sonically with […]
For all of their supposed gloom-and-doom posturing, the French sure do like their pop music. Be it Justice, Air, Daft Punk, or Phoenix, there’s a freedom tucked within the jovial genre that the French must find appealing. And Anthony Gonzalez is no different than his fellow countrymen in his expert melding of electronic-based freedom overlaid […]
Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster don’t work well with others. Well, that’s not entirely true; they just don’t work consistently with them. The Thermals’ pair of regular members worked passably with ex-bandmates Ben Barnett and Jordan Hudson during the band’s 2002 conception as a foursome. The two musicians didn’t have a problem releasing their 2004 […]
Glasgow, Scotland must be a damn fun place to raise a pint, crank up the stereo, and hit the dance floor with another pint in hand. From The Fratellis to Franz Ferdinand to Sons & Daughters to Glasvegas, the rock-fueled parties in this wee little northern U.K. country certainly can boast an impressive hometown roster. […]
Say what you want about Evan Dando’s cover-boy good looks that once landed him on People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” list. Or whisper what you want about his addiction to crack cocaine that sent the singer’s life into a tailspin throughout much of the 1990s. The Lemonheads frontman sure can churn out a melody, […]
Marking the band’s 20th year, 2008 proved to be one of The Orb’s busiest. The electronic music pioneers headlined almost 100 gigs the world over while releasing the celebratory The BBC Sessions 1989-2001. As a way to reflect upon the ambient ensemble’s rise to the tops of the U.K. charts, the live collection compiles the […]
Like fellow Chicago South Sider Lupe Fiasco, Hollywood Holt rolls in like a bridge between hip-hop culture and alternative sports. Whereas Fiasco is content to kick-push his way through stereotypes and the presumed mutual exclusivity of his dual interests in rap and skateboarding, Hollywood Holt does so while cruising on his moped. Although Holt is […]
Ex-Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker may have declared that “shit floats” in his 2006 song “Running the World”, but Montreal garage rockers The Spaceshits debated the anti-gravity tendencies of fecal matter most forcefully. Well, that was until the trashing, spastic rock ensemble fell apart with a dramatic death rattle after one too many violent, confrontational gigs. […]
On the relatively short list of overweight, hairy guys who have stumbled their way into hardened hipster hearts with jarring blends of acidic beats beneath screeching jibber-jabber, Darren Keen falls a distant third. Under the name The Show Is the Rainbow, Keen’s knockoff routine of fake blood, half-nude antics, and projection screen imagery are so […]
Electro-fused ensemble Simian was at its best when the foursome’s melodies were propelled by James Ford’s cannon-like drums and James Anthony Shaw’s rigid keyboards on songs such as “Grey”, “LA Breeze”, and “Little Black Gun”. So when the band fizzled in 2005, it was all too appropriate that those key members would resurface months later […]