Tried and True
Within the first few seconds of the self-titled album from Franz Ferdinand, the listener might be a little disappointed, having been expecting a fresh rock and roll album full of raucous guitars and sing-along vocals. Instead, they receive a slow, heroin-induced, Nick Drake-ish, sad, drunk man with his acoustic guitar. It’s measured, mellow and totally uncharacteristic of Franz. But never fear, it’s only a mirage. Read more…
By Elizabeth Halvorsen Posted in Reviews
Peace, Love and Homme
It comes almost inevitably following the success of any modern rock band; the side project. Ahh yes, the side project, the chance for already successful musicians to expand their musical horizons by showing the world that they can rock you in multiple ways. Often times, the response to these projects is met with a ‘don’t-quit-your-day-band’ sort of attitude. Though others, most notably Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters fame, have transgressed through different musical styles, achieving success in each ’side project.’ But success stories such as Grohl’s don’t come around very often. Testing his luck next is Josh Homme, vocalist for Queens of the Stone Age, a band that saw tremendous success in the past few years. Homme’s band, The Eagles of Death Metal (arguably the coolest rock name ever created) release their debut Peace, Love and Death Metal. Read more…
By Taylor Whipple Posted in Reviews
Tha Boringbat
Electronic music’s two greatest foes have always been repetitiveness and monotonousness. The same could be said for any genre, but when it comes to electronic music – especially drum ‘n bass and jungle – critics love to employ these two unfavorable observations the most. What makes such disapprovals bearable, however, is the fact that drum ‘n bass is, for the most part, danceable. Just like house music, once the heavy thumps of the bass drops are heard, you can bet that booties are shakin’ nearby. But what happens when this trade off does not exist? Well then, you get something similar to Tha Fruitbat’s self-titled debut. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Beatlervana Part II
Sometimes as a listener it is necessary to look past the various shortcomings to see what it is makes a certain artist great. A perfect example of this being Stone Temple Pilots in the mid-nineties. Critics and music fans alike chastised S.T.P. for being a Pearl Jam clone. However many fans chose to look past noteworthy similarities and found many redeeming qualities. The same should be said for Craig Nicholls and the group he fronts, The Vines. If you can look past the band’s obvious derivative ties to the Beatles and Nirvana their second album Winning Days has many a beautiful moment. Read more…
By Raymond Flotat Posted in Reviews
Scott Weiland has officially been cleared, according to Slash, to begin a tour with Velvet Revolver in May. The band will be out supporting their debut album Contraband, to be released June 8th. Read more…
By Raymond Flotat Posted in News
“TNA†Fit For All Ages
Listening to The New Anxiety’s self-titled debut CDEP has restored my faith in indie rock. Not that my faith in the genre was ever really gone, but lately, I’ve viewed indie as being somewhat dichotomous – and not in a good way. On one hand, a new wave of teenybopper TRL favorites seems to have flooded the scene. These pseudo indie rockers are now a dime a dozen and sing about the usual, played-out topics: relationships, break ups, and anything and everything having to do with growing up. On the other hand, a more exclusive and almost elitist form of the music exists among hipper circles. The New Anxiety’s eponymous release falls somewhere in between – easily accessible and enjoyable while at the same time intelligent and thought-provoking. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Kylie Kills ‘Em With Retro-Activity
What is this most recent trend in music that harkens back to New Wave sounds with their clicks, pops, and repetitive synthesizers? Kylie Minogue might be able to tell you, as the native Aussie sensation uses the style prominently on her new album: Body Language. Read more…
By Thea Cooke Posted in Reviews
Class is Boring Over at Preston
With their second full-length album, Monsoon, it appears that Preston School of Industry has stuck with the curriculum laid out by their lackluster debut, All This Sounds Gas. Monsoon offers nothing new. It regurgitates the material off their previous endeavor which already sounds like it was uncovered from an early 90s archive. The band’s architect, Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs), continues to bring to PSI what he had previously brought to Pavement – caution. He was Pavement’s stabilizing element. If we can learn anything from Preston School of Industry, it’s that without the creativity of former band-mate Stephen Malkmus, Kannberg simply can’t deliver an album that can will your hand to press play.
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By Ari Levitch Posted in Reviews
Led by hit single “Yeah!,” Usher’s Confessions has officially become the fastest selling album of 2004. In its first week, Confessions sold 1.1 million copies, knocking Norah Jones’ Feels Like Home from the top spot. It is also the fastest selling album in Arista Records’ 30-year history. Read more…
By Alyssa Fried Posted in News
No Espeaky Frances? No Problemo
There are more good things that come from Europe, other than food and wine. This section of the world also produces experimental and tasty bands like Air, Stereo Total and Stereolab. Read more…
By Elizabeth Halvorsen Posted in Reviews
