Even though he fronts the sonically aggressive electro-metal band Powerman 5000, Spider One (AKA Michael David Cummings) is a thoughtful and downright restrained individual. I guess you have to have a cool head to keep some form of a band going for 23 years. Over that time, Powerman 5000 has…
Neil Young is simply beyond common musical criticism. Certainly among all of the classic folk, folk-rock and rock the man has recorded over the past 50 years, there have been some clunker albums. However, the sheer breadth of Young’s influence on an amazing array of artists in several differing genres…
Hard to believe that England’s Pet Shop Boys have been doing the synthpop/alternative dance thing for over three decades. During that time, the duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe has managed to evolve with the musical tides while maintaining a sizable audience. Although known for original songs such as…
Although they have been around since 2005, Florida’s punk/metal act Centuries have just recently released their full-length debut Taedium Vitae. Featuring a bruising style and vocalist Eric Verporter’s unyielding singing style; Centuries have an intense style seemingly all to themselves. Speaking from a tour stop in Florida and in anticipation…
Hailing from New Orleans, Goatwhore are one of the most anti-religious metal bands going. But despite the darkness of their overarching message, the music is tight, white-hot, stop-on-a-dime hardcore metal. Hanging together for nearly two decades, Goatwhore have released six full-lengths, but 2012’s Blood for the Master and the soon-to-be-released…
For over a decade, Arizona’s Calabrese has been doing the horror rock/punk thing with wit and wisdom to spare. Carrying on the horror movie meets Elvis tradition of the legendary Misfits, the three Calabrese brothers have released six fun-filled albums concerning zombies, vampires and other dark subject matter. Interestingly, the…
Saxophonist Dave Hillyard followed a girl to New York City back in 1992 and ended up joining an up and coming ska band called The Slackers. Some two decades later, Hillyard remains in the band as it crisscrosses the country several times a year playing a potent blend of rocksteady,…
Bands like the Avett Brothers and Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band have somehow managed to make progressive bluegrass cool. YMSB have done this by straying as far as possible from the stereotypes and songwriting norms associated with traditional bluegrass. By incorporating some rock spirit into their well-played picking and grinning,…
Although raised in Arizona, Charlie Brand, leader of the indie pop band, Miniature Tigers, is a wondering spirit. Brand moved the band to Brooklyn, got tired of that scene and moved to Fort Worth. Last month, Brand ended up in Austin to be close to his girlfriend. Brand’s music reflects…
After falling in and out of various New York City punk bands, Kassia Conway started expanding her musical horizons. The first thing was a move to Los Angeles and the next was a revitalization of her songwriting process. Bringing to fore her love of hip hop and electronica, Conway formed…
For a band that formed way back in 1985, England’s Carcass still pack a punch that should put newer metal bands in awe. The band’s 2013 effort, Surgical Steel, was one of the best albums of last year, metal or otherwise. Filled with monstrous riffs and intricate lyrics, songs like…
Love him or hate him, Scott Stapp has one of those over-the-top personas that seem part and parcel of being a rock star. Best known as the leader of Creed, Stapp’s deep, bellowing vocals helped that band reach massive popular heights in the late ’90s and early 2000s. During that…
Hailing from Australia, Thy Art is Murder is a deathcore band that has managed to garner significant fan bases in Germany, the UK and here in the States. Hate, the band’s sophomore effort from 2012, is considered by many a hallmark deathcore release and the album actually charted in Australia…
A lively, multi-generational crowd made it out to the Granada Theater last night to catch pioneering electronic musician Gary Numan. The nearly sold-out crowd was treated to an energetic set that judiciously mixed in old and new favorites that spanned Numan’s four decade long career. The set list concentrated on…
Sadly, many people may only know Gary Numan for “Cars,” his surprising, off-the-wall hit from 1979. Yet Numan’s four decade long career belies any classification as a one-hit wonder. Indeed, some of Numan’s best music came immediately before and after he made “Cars.” Taken together, Numan’s catalogue makes him one…
For nearly twenty years, the Finnish heavy metal band Children of Bodom has done the symphonic, melodic death metal thing with passion and power to spare. Long considered one of Scandinavia’s best metal outfits, Children of Bodom have never resisted change. Proof of such is the band’s recently issued album…
Known for forming and fronting 7 Seconds, one of the seminal American punk rock acts of the 80’s, Kevin Seconds has always been one of the hardest working guys around. Even today, besides occasional 7 Seconds reunion shows and his solo work, the guy is involved in at least six…
Although Santa Cruz’ The Expendables play an energetic hybrid of rock, ska and reggae. Its members themselves take pride in being way laid back, and that’s what led to the band’s most recent offering: the all-acoustic Gone Soft. Speaking from Tallahassee on a day off from the tour and in…
At 39, Jonathan Wilson has already accomplished more than many people twice his age. As a musician, he has worked with everyone from Jackson Browne to Dallas’ own Erykah Badu. Wilson has also produced recording sessions for the likes of Glen Campbell, Dawes and Father John Misty. And as a…
Replacing a lead singer is no easy feat. Just ask Matty Mullins. Born and raised outside of Seattle, Washington, Mullins became the second frontman for Dallas’ own Memphis May Fire back in 2008. Since then, the band has continued to expand its fan base while maturing and incorporating new themes…
With his deep, southern drawl and plainspoken nature, Chris Knight’s first impression is not one of a literate singer/songwriter. But for over 15 years, Knight has produced some of the finest songs in the Americana genre. Tough and to the point, Knight’s weary tales of losers on the wrong side…
Talking to Hospitality’s Amber Papini is quite the experience. The highly talented songwriter is an idiosyncratic thinker, whether it’s discussing the influence of the ocean on her songwriting or her love of gas station food. And that is reflected in Hospitality’s truly distinctive music. Speaking from her home in Brooklyn…
