The Vaselines

For grunge junkies and Nirvana biographers, Scotland’s The Vaselines are just another rock ‘n’ roll footnote, another band Kurt Cobain listened to as a (disturbed) youth and whom he’d later cover during his relatively quick rise and fall. And there are probably still a few tortured, unknowing souls who think…

The xx, Warpaint

Considering that this show has been sold out for well over a month, Friday night’s performance by The xx hardly needs a recommendation. Thankfully, the major buzz surrounding this trio from London is well deserved. Although the band has only one album to its credit, The xx’s self-titled debut is…

Tonight, Tonight: Michael Franti & Spearhead at House of Blues, Tribal Seeds at The Granada, Field Music at The Loft, Ty Segall at The Cavern, Riverboat Gamblers at RGRS and Radiant at Lochrann’s Irish Pub

Another work week edges slowly towards its conclusion, setting up what should be a great time to visit the State Fair, if nothing else.And to help folks get an early start to the weekend, several intriguing musical selections are playing around our area this Thursday evening…

Early Man Play Metal The Old-Fashioned Way.

Mike Conte, guitarist and vocalist with the Los Angeles-based Early Man, believes that many metal acts have lost their way. “There are bands nowadays that have been around for 15 years and they still don’t have a clue about Megadeth or Iron Maiden,” Conte says. “One of the sad things…

Bassnectar

San Francisco’s Lorin Ashton, aka Bassnectar, is as much an avant-garde composer as he is a DJ, electronic musician and producer. But his compositional skills, likely because they often employ a recognizable dancehall thud, don’t get the attention they truly deserve. Changing from double- to triple-meter and shifting the pitch…

Last Night: Smashing Pumpkins at The Palladium Ballroom

Smashing PumpkinsPalladium BallroomSeptember 22, 2010(A Little) Better Than: Staying home and listening to the first four Smashing Pumpkins’ albums. This show at the Palladium last night, featuring Bill Corgan and a whole new cast of Smashing Pumpkins behind him, was said to be a sell out. It was also supposed…