It’s not often that band names are as straightforward as Masked Intruder. They wear masks, they claim to be interested in breaking into your house and stealing your VCR, the end. Something like “Earth Crisis”–you’re left wondering what the crisis is, and why they’re named after it. Of course, Lyle…
by Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes During the Gathering of the Juggalos, Cave-In Rock, Illinois becomes a sonic disaster zone. Even if you’re a rap lover, it’s hard to keep your mind sharp with all the noise. But within the cacophony of sounds, a few incredible Juggalo statements were somehow…
Tim McGrawSalt River FieldsAugust 10, 2013 Tim McGraw delivered a concert nothing short of excellent Saturday night, when he brought his highly anticipated and publicized Two Lanes of Freedom Tour to Salt River Fields. The country veteran proved he still has what it takes to excite fans with a live…
More details about the fatal overdose that took place Friday afternoon at the fourteenth annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, have emerged. The deceased was a 24-year-old man, according to the coroner, and a source at the scene says his body was found in a tent alongside four…
Tony Martinez took naps in his father’s guitar case when he was a baby. He would cry and cry at his father’s shows, and would only stop when he was put in the guitar case and fall asleep to the sound of the music playing. The first time he recalls…
SebadohCrescent BallroomAugust 9, 2013 There was a lot of love in the air at Crescent Ballroom last night as indie rock legends Sebadoh played their first area show in a while. A lot of the feely-good vibes came as much from the stage as they did from the crowd that…
Daniel HillThe now-closed “drug bridge” [Editor’s note: Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes are covering the Gathering of the Juggalos in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois.] The Gathering of the Juggalos’ infamous “drug bridge” is closed today, following reports of a fatal overdose. Ambulances were on the scene at Cave-in-Rock, Illinois around 2 p.m…
Earlier this week, Black Flag cofounder Greg Ginn filed suit against Henry Rollins and the members of FLAG for using the Black Flag trademark. It’s a sticky situation to say the least–you can sift through all the legalese on Punknews. I interviewed FLAG’s singer and fellow Black Flag alum Keith…
Nate “Igor” SmithA juggalo photographed on Wednesday, the first day of The Gathering, 2013.At some point in your life, you may find yourself sitting in a minivan in rural Illinois, stressed out as you wear a metal butcher knife pendant around your neck. Your ankles are covered in mysterious goo…
There’s a reason Arrested Development’s fourth season came fully-bleeped despite being on Netflix, and it’s the same reason some people prefer their Die Hard replays on basic cable and their “Gold Digger” MP3s ripped from a Wal-Mart version of Late Registration. Sometimes the censored version is just better, or at…
Typically we just give you a chance, in these weekly previews, to see shows. But something-something-Web-2.0, and now user interaction is important. So go see shows, if you want to be Web 1.0 about it . . . or you can go to Zia and try out to be a…
If you’re old enough to be reading this post, there’s a fair chance your parents carried a comically large camcorder around to capture your every toddle in the years before you were old enough to either love or hate the camera a little too much. You’ve seen the video enough…
Forget Japan: Jann Klose is big in Indonesia. The songwriter and guitarist is something of a cult figure there, and he’s still not sure exactly how it happened. “It’s a really weird thing,” he says with a laugh while on the road in New Jersey. “People are still posting this…
Wednesday night, I watched three sets of fully fleshed-out pop music performed solo, augmented by samplers, laptops, and pedals. It was something that probably couldn’t have happened a century ago and probably has some implications on technological development contributing to an egalitarian artistic landscape but also having some unintended consequences…
A few weeks ago, I wrote that there is no such thing as background music in my world. I’m constantly aware of what’s playing, for better or worse. When I posted the column on my Facebook page, I had two different people refer to the comment specifically. Knowing both of…
You’d never know Fayuca’s video for “Por Que Seguir” wasn’t produced on a big-budget national scale. The local Latin rock band’s clip, featuring dozens of extras and a perfectly rendered digital urban factory setting, is so impressive, it’s currently competing for a spot for heavy rotation on MTVu, in its…
Of all the gimmicky bands out there, Masked Intruder’s premise is pretty rad. This group of masked thugs hails from the oh-so-rough neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin, and commits unforgivable crimes like suffering from ongoing heartbreak. Like most superheroes, the band members keep their identities secret, hiding behind color-coded ski masks…
Madison, Wisconsin’s pop punk quartet Masked Intruder has been stealing hearts and VCRs across the country this year, and for good reason: The band’s debut full-length sounds a bit like Screeching Weasel and The Ergs!, with a pinch of lovelorn Weezer added for good measure. “ADT Security” seems like the…
Hollywood-based retro-rock outfit Vintage Trouble may only have one studio album, 2012’s The Bomb Shelter Sessions, but the band’s résumé is impressive nonetheless. Vintage Trouble already has opened for The Who, Dave Matthews Band, and Bon Jovi. The band played alongside Kiss’ Paul Stanley at his 60th birthday party, and…
For two months, Tempe-based rockers The Black Moods have been crossing the Midwest and the West Coast on their first extensive tour, promoting their self-titled debut. All the work has paid off — each show bringing a more receptive audience — and by the end of the tour, they’d been…
Last year, Tim McGraw left Curb Records after 20 years to join Big Machine Records. Contract disputes and lawsuits ensued upon the shift, but it seems to have been the right step for one of country’s most consistent stars. Coming just two weeks after his first collaborative album, Tim McGraw…
The first time I visited Mesa-based Heavy Metal Television (www.heavymetaltelevision.com), this past spring, I was sure there had to be a catch. The more I watched, the more sure I was. It was too simple: A local website was serving a metal cocktail with current technology and a television format…
