Email Author Chris Parker

2008 Stories by Chris Parker

• Fear Before

  published December 11, 2008

  Like an ambitious chef, Fear Before has attempted a new recipe with each of its four releases. The Colorado quintet's 2003 debut, Odd How... More >>

• The Old School Jingle Jam Reminds Us of the Ghosts of Hip-Hop’s Past

  published December 11, 2008

  Where's the love for rap's elders? Almost 30 years after Sugar Hill Gang released hip-hop's first hit single, "Rapper's Delight," the genre... More >>

• Underoath

  published November 13, 2008

  Seeing is believing, particularly in Underoath's case. Whatever your feeling about their thunderous, increasingly complex and dynamic metalcore... More >>

• Faint Accompli

  published October 30, 2008

  The Faint’s dystopian paeans to dysfunctional, metaphorically “mechanized” relations unfold beneath gloomy analog burble and... More >>

• The Faint

  published October 30, 2008

  The Faint's dystopian paeans to dysfunctional, metaphorically "mechanized" relations unfold beneath gloomy analog burble and synthetic beats. It's... More >>

• Mount Eerie

  published October 23, 2008

  Phil Elverum began his shambling psych-pop effort The Microphones during the late '90s, mixing fuzzy drone, pastoral songwriter folk, and lo-fi... More >>

• Born Ruffians

  published October 16, 2008

  Born Ruffians, a nascent Toronto trio, move with mesmerizing twitch, shouting with childish abandon, as if they were Hot Hot Heat stuck in an... More >>

• Born to Rock

  published October 16, 2008

  Born Ruffians, a nascent Toronto trio, move with mesmerizing twitch, shouting with childish abandon, as if they were Hot Hot Heat stuck in an... More >>

• Say Hi, & Jukebox the Ghost

  published October 9, 2008

  Philly three-piece Jukebox the Ghost's wry whimsical alarm is just the balm to soothe a decade of complaint rock and loudcore ache. Whether... More >>

• Frog Eyes

  published June 5, 2008

  All the idiosyncratic jangling, clattering carnival-esque swooning, and arch melodrama suggests Tom Waits Malkoviched into David Bowie's body.... More >>

• Aceyalone, and Dilated Peoples

  published June 5, 2008

  Both acts trace their origins to early-'90s Los Angeles, but Aceyalone was the first to jump off. He helped found Freestyle Fellowship, which was... More >>

• The ‘Eyes’ Have It

  published June 5, 2008

  All the idiosyncratic jangling, clattering carnival-esque swooning, and arch melodrama suggests Tom Waits Malkoviched into David Bowie’s... More >>

• Neva Dinova

  published May 22, 2008

  The jaunty, strummed rhythm of "Squirrels" counters the sentiment at its center; frontman Jake Bellows notices a squirrel doing "backflips for... More >>

• Margot & the Nuclear So and So's

  published May 22, 2008

  From the music to their name, there's an unmistakable precociousness at play with Margot & the Nuclear So & So's — perhaps not surprising... More >>

• Neva Again

  published May 22, 2008

  The jaunty, strummed rhythm of “Squirrels” counters the sentiment at its center; frontman Jake Bellows notices a squirrel doing... More >>

• Armin van Buuren

  published May 8, 2008

  Like '90s country artists making their bid for pop play, post-millennial European trance DJs are increasingly pushing their artist albums (as... More >>

• Tegan and Sara

  published April 24, 2008

  Though twins Tegan and Sara Quinn grew up on punk, they've demonstrably honed their pop instincts and graduated from folk-tinged New Wave/pop-punk... More >>

• Rogue Wave elevates their music with Asleep at Heaven's Gate

  published April 24, 2008

  Third albums are notorious for their scope, as bands usually feel secure enough to stretch in new directions, but in Rogue Wave's case, the band... More >>

• Wondertwin Powers Activate!

  published April 24, 2008

  Though twins Tegan and Sara Quinn grew up on punk, they’ve demonstrably honed their pop instincts and graduated from folk-tinged New... More >>

• Cat Power

  published April 17, 2008

  If, by magic, American Idol actually conceived a competition between this generation's greatest professional female vocalists (not the... More >>

• Pelican

  published April 17, 2008

  Both Pelican and Thrice are stretching the boundaries of their sounds and others' expectations. Pelican's City of Echoes soft-pedals their... More >>

• Black Diamond Heavies

  published April 17, 2008

  This Nashville duo plays fuzzed-out garage blues that sounds like Tom Waits sitting in with the Black Keys. It's grimy, primal stuff led by... More >>

• Dale Watson

  published April 17, 2008

  Like a sepia-toned photo of days gone by, Watson embodies a sound Nashville disowned years ago for rhinestones and snakeskin. His deep baritone is... More >>

• A One-Two Punch of Rock

  published April 17, 2008

  Both these bands are stretching the boundaries of their sound and others’ expectations. Pelican’s third album, City of... More >>

• Yellowcard

  published April 10, 2008

  Florida quintet Yellowcard broke big on 2003's Ocean Avenue. Songs like "Way Away" and "Only One" kept the band on the radio, in video... More >>