His dad, novelist Larry McMurtry, bought him his first guitar when he was 7, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it, but even so, the acorn resides close to the tree. James McMurtry’s country-tinged roots rock is keyed to his facility with words, his insights…
Whatever happened to those freaky-deaky sisters we knew back in high school? You know, that one pair of punky-funky-gothy chicks who dressed like they were Tim Burton groupies or RenFest extras, knew every Kate Bush and Cure song by heart, and had unhealthy obsessions with dolls and fairies. We heard…
Puerto Rican born and raised house DJ Robbie Rivera earned his chops the hard way on the island, spinning for whomever would hire him — without the benefit of pitch control on his tables. Now a worldwide house phenomenon, he’s got the pitch modulation down perfectly, as you can hear…
By employing the chopped and screwed mix method — a style developed by Houston’s own DJ Screw that slows down a song’s tempo for a lurching, dizzying effect akin to a codeine-cough-syrup high — Southern DJs have produced a spate of slurring, visceral remix albums that often sound better than…
Though millions of people heard his influence on classic efforts by Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and others, recorded during his stint as de facto in-house producer for Sub Pop Records, relatively few music fans are aware of Jack Endino’s considerable skills as a guitarist and songwriter. With a still-busy schedule as…
San Francisco band Film School’s brand of music is an anguished yet expertly resurrected form of shoegaze; it’s Slowdive for the new millennium. One of the tracks from its debut, “He’s a Deep Deep Lake,” sounds as if it were taken from Lush’s catalog, and another cut, “Harmed,” copies Ride’s…
Some Girls don’t do eyeliner. They aren’t sweet. They don’t take things lightly. Oh yeah, and they’re dudes. The brutality on the five-piece’s latest disc, Heaven’s Pregnant Teens, is honest and intentional. Some Girls have continued to refine the art of orchestrated chaos with layers upon layers of guitars and…
1. Matisyahu, Live at Stubbs (Sony) 2. Sublime, Gold (Geffen) 3. The Strokes, First Impressions of Earth (RCA) 4. Eminem, Curtain Call (Aftermath) 5. System of a Down, Hypnotize (Sony) 6. Avenged Sevenfold, City of Evil (Warner Bros.) 7. Nickelback, All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner) 8. Korn, See You on…
In a scene awash with hardcore kiddies and cooler-than-you indie acts, the local reggae-punk hybrid renegades in Fayuca stand out like potheads at a policemen’s ball. The band’s highly improvisational new CD, Black Market, ebbs and flows with a fusion of south-of-the-border soul and barrio punk, complete with chunky guitars,…
Most bands falsely advertise — they describe their sound ad nauseam as different and unclassifiable, but a good listen usually outs them as either deceived or uninitiated. In contrast, Tempe’s Batter the Drag (a hip ’50s term for playing music on the street) oozes originality. BTD succeeds because it knows…
Tempe rockers The Heartless not only have hearts, but smarts as well. The heart beats throughout the band’s seminal release, This Could Take Some Getting Used To, as all six songs on the pop-punk opus seem to have their lyrical origin somewhere between Lonely Street and Nostalgia Drive (but thankfully,…
The only music genre less driven by social politics than modern country music is pop music, which isn’t so odd when you think about it — today’s country is just saccharine-sweet pop nothingness anyway, and that’s how Wal-Mart shoppers like it. That’s why Natalie Maines’ criticism of George W. received…
In December’s Vibe, Mary J. Blige said that even though she’s comfortable revealing her abs in photographs, “I ain’t giving you titty, nipple, pubic hair or damn near clitoris.” While that’s certainly the most colorful quote uttered by a public figure this year, Blige’s comment actually runs counter to the…
Ah, the Dealing With Fame record. The Strokes — biblically stylish NYC bar-rockers 4 life — mingle indifference (My feelings are more important than yours) with critical indignation (They love you or they hate you but they will never let you be) and apathy (I’ve got nothing to say) on…
Two guys are sitting in a pub knocking back shots. First guy turns to the second and says, “You see this bar? I built this bar with my own two hands, but do they call me Jimmy the Bar-Maker? No. And you know what else? That motel next door? I…
Soilent Green is angry, frustrated and a bit bitter, judging by its latest album, Confrontation. But this isn’t generic “aggressive” music; there are no frivolous lyrics from this band. Soilent Green has had real hardship. The band flipped its van on tour — twice. The second accident, back in 2002,…
It’s a bit of a throwback this Thursday, January 12, at the notorious Blunt Club’s second throwdown of the new year. Nineties NYC rappers Dres and Mista Lawnge, a.k.a. Black Sheep, are back together and bringing their silver tongues to Hollywood Alley in Mesa, on a bill with resident DJs…
Rocking for 25 years and still going strong, The Blasters began trailblazing in the surf-inspired, rootsy rockabilly genre long before the mid-’90s craze that made rockabilly radio-friendly. Singing of post-war suburbanism and California culture, The Blasters recently released their first studio CD in 19 years, 4-11-44, which flows with songs…
Transcript from Hannity and Colmes, on the Fox News Channel, 1/4/2006 Sean Hannity: More on the NSA surveillance issue later, but right now . . . for years, debate has raged over the Atlanta quintet Collective Soul — legendary rock band or complete crap? What’s your take, Alan? Alan Colmes:…
1. The Strokes, First Impressions of Earth (RCA) 2. Rogue Wave, Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop) 3. Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop) 4. Wilco, Kicking Television (Nonesuch) 5. Silver Jews, Tanglewood Numbers (Drag City) 6. Animal Collective, Feels (Fat Cat) 7. Akron/Family & Angels of Light,…
Local indie-artsters Asleep in the Sea’s new untitled six-song EP would make a succulent cake — mouth-wateringly catchy choruses (“Butterflies”), a creamy filling of graduate-level wit (“U R What U Eat”), all spread over with post-mod art rock frosting (“Heartback”) and sprinkled with hooky harmonies (“Punk Girl”) for good measure…
When did DJs stop being tastemakers? I’m not talking about scenesters who play songs for nightclub crowds, or vinyl junkies who juggle beats on a couple of turntables. Those are the newer notions of what a DJ is. Instead, I’m thinking of the faceless folks who deliver music over the…
