While it may be true that Thomas Lorello took his Tommie Sunshine moniker from an orange tab of LSD, his lips haven’t parted for even a drop of the devil’s poison in years. But make no mistake, the man who can remix John Acquaviva and Fall Out Boy with equal…
Punk rock got me through high school. Not the quivering-lip brigade currently masquerading as punk under the emo banner, but the real deal: late ’70s British snot like the Pistols and the Clash and the American ’80s hard-core response in the likes of Minor Threat and Black Flag. This was…
For those too young to understand the goal of Ne-Yo’s sophomore album, the head of his label decided to make the point explicit. But when Jay-Z insists that on “Crazy,” Ne-Yo is a “young Michael [Jackson],” it sparks an interesting debate: Not only did no one seize Jacko’s pop throne…
Approaching his 68th birthday, Ian Hunter is still the consummate rock star. With his flowing, blond locks and those ever-present sunglasses, Hunter continues to be relevant nearly four decades since he sang “All the Young Dudes.” On his first studio release in six years, Hunter candidly explores the perils of…
Strength & Loyalty has some rough patches, but it’s also an archetype for what rap needs right now: talented rappers who lost the spotlight, fast rap, rapping about fast rap, giant thumping Swizz Beatz tracks, stupid Swizz Beatz hooks, Akon hooks, a stupid/awesome interpolation of Fleetwood Mac’s “Break the Chain,”…
Sleeved in simplistic candy-pink, Boom Bip’s Sacchrilege EP offers little in the way of easygoing ambient electronica. The California-based producer, born Bryan Hollon, drills straight for the dance floor on Sacchrilege with a smattering of worming synths and disco beats not unlike Skatebård’s, but his tendencies are hardly black and…
With her literal lyrics and minimal musicianship, Julie Doiron has often been considered a musical emperor wearing no clothes, which is odd, considering the endless love for Doiron’s old band Eric’s Trip, a droney folk-rock outfit that was the first of several ballsy Canadian signings for Sub Pop. And even…
With a refreshing slice of indie pop perfection, three of Austin’s sharpest young bands usher in a new wave of summer dormancy. Peel, in particular, has a penchant for turning urban boredom into distortion-driven ditties that always seem two seconds away from completely falling apart but never do. The slanted…
Two Cow Garage For the many folks, including me, who miss Slobberbone, this trio from Ohio could be just the alt-country fix you’ve been aching for. Featuring the tortured yowl of Micah Schabel and the lock-step, hayseed rhythm section of Dustin Harigle and Shane Sweeney, Two Cow Garage creates an…
Pasadena, California’s Ozma has come a long way since 1999’s Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars, their debut album released on homemade CD-Rs. Although the power pop quintet still maintains a new wave influence, it is now much less cartoonish. On Pasadena, the group’s latest release, the band no longer…
As the Police reunion tour motorcade slowly makes its way toward North Texas, seemingly lead not by a tour bus but by a giant bulldozer unapologetically scooping up millions of dollars, rock reunions and nostalgia concerts grow as ever more unavoidable precepts of music fandom. Everyone has gone all buck…
“A lot of what is played on country radio today is the same as what we were playing in the early ’70s,” says Rusty Young, singer, guitarist and founding member of Poco, one of the trailblazing groups in the genre of music that is now labeled roots or Americana. “Of…
We’re having a difficult time grasping the concept of a singer-songwriter coffee shop line-up putting up their dukes for the Thin White Duke. Frankly, this whole David Bowie Tribute Show over at Opening Bell Coffee from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. this Thursday gives us the shivers…and we don’t mean…
We had a few questions for Future Clouds and Radar’s founder Robert Harrison. First, a couple of questions about Tippy Feldman, the group’s number one fan. Here’s a little backstory from the band’s Web site: “Once there was an intrepid motel night watchman named Tippy Feldman who became so keen…
Born in the Honey chronicles the life of piano legend Pinetop Perkins, who has been playing the Mississippi Delta blues for 80-plus years. Called the greatest living blues pianist, Perkins was born in 1913 and learned to play piano from his stepfather. As a young man, he sometimes ran a…
Mustangs and Madras continues to play a passionate brand of emo that’s woefully (and refreshingly) out of step with the times. From first listen, the act’s latest release recalls a bygone era when scenester kids took style cues from the geek chic of Rivers Cuomo rather than the guy-liner of…
Minnesota’s Rhymesayers crew long ago transcended regional status. Its flagship act, Atmosphere, led by rapper Slug, eschewed mainstream trends and won an international fan base in the process. RS member Brother Ali seems destined for the same fate. The albino Muslim rapper has long been considered a lyrical heavyweight, and…
Brother/Sister, the debut effort from New York City’s Hymns, was one of the most underrated discs of 2006. Mixing the most stable elements of Wilco, Pavement and Spoon with refreshingly light and easy folk, songs such as “Magazines,” “Scenery Glow” and “Power in the Street” are tailor-made for folks who…
Forget for a moment the obligatory roll call of hits—we’ll get to that in due time. Focus instead on the fact that few artists have established an image as durable as Stevie Nicks has. True, she can come off as a bit precious—spinning like a dervish, draped in lace and…
Freaks and geeks know the epicenter of their Little D kingdom is located on Hickory Street: For a year now, Secret Headquarters has housed the weird, the loud and the good when it comes to musical excursions and experiments. And, in the process, proprietors/local rock gods Scott Porter (Record Hop),…
Portland’s Lifesavas missed their era—in the mid-’90s, their soul fetish and alt-black politics would have made them prime candidates for a Rawkus deal and a lifetime touring college campuses (hello, Blackalicious). Instead, even though their recent Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack was strong, it barely made a dent…
The Drams weren’t in mind at all when Denton-based songwriter Brent Best—a melody-minded veteran rock dude who knows his way around a hook and a heartfelt lyric—first started working on the songs that ended up on the band’s debut, Jubilee Dive. “When Slobberbone shut down, I wasn’t ready to do…
