It hardly needs to be stated, but Willie Nelson is an American original — a legendary songwriter, tireless performer (at 75, he continues to tour relentlessly), fine actor, committed activist, and all-around cool dude. Over the course of his celebrated five-decade career, the country music troubadour has been quite the…
Around this time last year in these pages, I noted that a shit-ton of ancient hardcore punk bands are still regularly out on the road, and that “if you actually go see some of these crusty, old lifers, more often than not they can bring it like it’s still 1983.”…
Let’s face it. Every year around this time, many of the non-Jewish among us struggle to understand (or spell) Hanukkah. Some mistakenly think it’s the “Jewish Christmas,” while others just know you’re supposed to get presents for eight days but aren’t sure why. So in order to help clarify the…
Over the past year or so — since just before last December’s release of 8 Diagrams — legendary hip-hop crew the Wu-Tang Clan has become its own reality show, what with all the infighting over creative direction (RZA versus Ghostface and Raekwon) and the bona fide superstars (Method Man, Ghostface)…
It’s been about 12 years now since singer-guitarist Max Cavalera left Brazilian metal gods Sepultura and formed the Phoenix-based Soulfly. Some fans still haven’t gotten over it, but for the most part, his musical efforts over the past dozen years have been an ample salve for the wounded. Often at…
Tokyo rock quintet Dir en grey have been through a number of musical incarnations over their decade-long history, but none of them resemble the kind of Japanese music that typically catches on in the States: the power J-pop of Puffy AmiYumi, the doom-rock of Boris, or the experimental noise-rock of…
Hey, kids, how’d you like to know how brand-new Orange, California quartet Eye Alaska came up with its name? Well, according to singer-guitarist Brandon Wronski: “‘Alaska’ is the Aleutian word for ‘that which the sea breaks against.’ ‘Eye’ means that you’re looking to those upon whom the sea breaks. It…
So, the other evening I was watching the History Channel when a two-hour program about the Dark Ages came on. I thought to myself, “Wow, I should really turn the sound down and put on some In Flames” — kinda like we did in college when we’d crank The Jesus…
Is Mary J. Blige still the reigning queen of hip-hop soul? It was looking iffy a few years ago, when she released her lukewarm Love & Life, an awkward attempt to reconcile her usual gritty themes of abusive relationships and ghetto drama with an increasingly happy personal life — newly…
By now, even if you’ve never seen the 2004 Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, you probably know that the band was rescued from the brink of its own creative and personal disintegration through a couple years of intensive group therapy sessions led by life coach Phil Towle. Granted, St…
By now, even if you’ve never seen the 2004 Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, you probably know that the band was rescued from the brink of its own creative and personal disintegration through a couple years of intensive group therapy sessions led by life coach Phil Towle. Granted, St…
In an early scene from one of our cinematic treasures, 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Phoebe Cates’ character “Linda” points out, “There are three girls at Ridgemont who have cultivated the Pat Benatar look,” before the camera hones in on three chicks with striped shirts, tights, spiky hair, heels,…
Experimental indie-rock quartet Portugal. The Man — which alternates rocking hard, bluesy, and soulful, like an unhinged Zeppelin, and getting mellow and chamber-poppy with strings, brass, and organs — is led by singer-guitarist and chief songwriter John Gourley, who hails from Wasilla, a small town in southeastern Alaska not far…
This week, we present “Byrne After Reading,” our new advice column by musician/artist (and former Talking Heads frontman) David Byrne. Dear David: I am a singer who used to be in a popular and highly influential ’80s band until we broke up because we all hated each other. Since then,…
Two years after providing the haunting, gospel-tinged, and mighty crucial backing vocals on Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis’ solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, the Watson Twins — identical sisters Leigh and Chandra Watson — are back with their own full-length debut, Fire Songs. At home in Los Angeles while on…
Montreal indie-rock quintet Wolf Parade — relentlessly championed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock — made a huge splash in 2005 with their exhilarating debut full-length, Apologies to the Queen Mary. Three years later, they’re back with a follow-up, At Mount Zoomer. On the phone to give us his take…
One day last year, Michael Sweet — frontman of the Christian metal band Stryper — was sitting down with a bowl of Cheetos to watch a Law & Order marathon when his cell phone rang. Michael Sweet: Hello? God: Hey Michael, it’s me, God. Sweet: No fuc — I mean,…
One day last year, Michael Sweet — frontman of the Christian metal band Stryper — was sitting down with a bowl of Cheetos to watch a Law & Order marathon when his cell phone rang. Michael Sweet: Hello? God: Hey, Michael, it’s me, God. Sweet: No fuc — I mean,…
It’s been a tough couple of years for The Futureheads. Following the mixed reception to 2006’s ambitious News and Tributes, the British post-punk quartet was dropped by its label and briefly considered packing it in. Instead, they soldiered forward, forming their own label and releasing their third album, This Is…
Seattle rock heroes Mudhoney — the last band standing from the grunge era — celebrate their 20th anniversary this year with a new studio album, The Lucky Ones. On the phone from his new hometown of Portland, Oregon, guitarist Steve Turner gave us his take on some recent reviews: With…
Minneapolis quartet Tapes ‘n Tapes was one of the first examples of both the “blog buzz” and “Pitchfork effect” phenomena — widespread online fawning made their 2005 debut, The Loon, an indie-rock success story. Now the band is back with the follow-up, Walk It Off. Over the phone from a…
Tristan Prettyman — the San Diego folk-pop singer-songwriter, surfer, and former Roxy model — is back with her sophomore album, Hello . . . x. Over the phone from New York, where she was getting ready to board a plane to Nashville to continue her U.S. tour, the genial Prettyman…
