Chris Hassiotis

Heavy, aggressive, and sludgy, local boulder-crushing band Destruction Unit tears through some steady-rocking Germanic grooves. Ryan Rousseau (guitar, vocals, synths) heads up the gang; his bassist brother Rusty, guitarists J.S. Aurelius and Nick Nappa, and drummer Justin Keefer round out the five-piece. Freshly back from SXSW, including a well-received set...

So, Jeff Mangum's playing a show here this week. What just a few years ago seemed like an impossibility (or at least an extreme improbability) is becoming a more common thing — less "Hey, didja read that new Salinger story?" and more "So there's a new Terrence Malick movie coming...

For all the snarky comments Vampire Weekend gets about biting Paul Simon's style, maybe it'd be worth looking back even further? Sure, Simon was the one who released the landmark Graceland in 1986, incorporating African polyrhythmic sounds and vocals. But, uh, pre-existing actual African musicians who already made those kinds...

I cannot stand the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And that's why I love 'em. I should explain: These days, I think the band's tepid blend of funk, punk, and alternative rock conveys none of the highlights of those forms. I think it's pretty much bland porridge. I didn't always think...

It's not just physical resemblances that bind and reveal family ties. My little brother just got married in a lovely ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, and though we look alike, more than a few people I'd never met before knew I was my brother's brother just by hearing my voice...