In a large motor coach barreling down the freeway toward the Big Apple, Jonathan of the LA music duo Jogger rides along with his Magical Properties tourmates Nosaj Thing and Daedelus and their equipment. “One of the saving graces of electronic music is that equipment has certainly shrunk quite a bit. It’s not like we’re carrying around drum kits or anything like that, so they manage to cram us all in here. We have the most gear out of anyone else though with our guitars, violins, amps, and the such, but even then it’s pretty do-able.” Jonathan says in a voice that sounds weary from the road. Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Jogger, Magical Properties
MXDWN’s Magical Properties Tour Interviews continue today with a Q&A with up-and-comer Nosaj Thing. Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Magical Properties, Nosaj Thing
Halfway through an epic national tour with fellow electronic artists Nosaj Thing and Jogger (appropriately named Magical Properties after his new label), Alfred Darlington, aka Daedelus, takes a few moments to chat with MXDWN. Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Alfred Darlington, Daedelus, Magical Properties
Now in their fifteenth year, the St. Louis post-hardcore band Story of the Year (SOTY to fans) returns to the studio to create their fourth album. “It sounds like B.S. but this record just sort of happened,” says bassist/vocalist Adam Russell. “It was the easiest we’ve ever written and we think it’s our best. It feels natural, like music should, instead of toiling over it like a day job.” Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Adam Russell, SOTY, Story of the Year, The Constant
Orange jumpsuits, straight-bar sunglasses, and kitsch filled The Roxy – on-stage and off – as hardcore fans of Japan’s self-styled “technicolor pogo punk” band POLYSICS came to say goodbye to founding member Kayo on Friday, January 29th. Touring the U.S. for the last time, Kayo – with band mates Hiroyuki Hayashi, Fumi, and Masashi Yano – thrilled the faithful with an energetic set that was a whirl of pom-poms, suggestively-shaped balloons, and rapid-fire lyrics in Japanese, English, and gibberish. Though Kayo will be “graduating” from the POLYSICS after March 14, fans can enjoy her last work with the group on their latest album Absolute POLYSICS. Read more…
By Brett Padelford Posted in Features polysics
In this current time of crisis for Haiti, it seems the world is up in arms together, going to great lengths to help the country in a time of dire need. There is no dollar amount that could be paid to erase the devastation caused by this recent tragedy, but tonight Radiohead took a stand in their unique way to try and help. Instead of selling a single and donating the proceeds to charity, the band played one show at one of the finest venues in Los Angeles, The Henry Fonda Theater (often referred to as the Music Box). And instead of asking for donations or charging an exorbitant ticket price, the band put every ticket of the show up for auction on Ticketmaster. Needless to say, every ticket was purchased, the lowest winning bid? $475.00. What was the highest any fan paid to see the show? Just over $2,000.00. Read more…
By Raymond Flotat Posted in Features Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Jonny Greenwood, Oxfam, Phil Selway, Radiohead, Thom Yorke
In the spirit of righting wrongs in the world of popular music, Art Brut’s Eddie Argus and The Blood Arm’s Dyan Valdes join forces to form their humorous side project called Everybody Was in the French Resistance… Now! Redoing songs like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” from the perspective of the bastard child who develops contempt for his father and Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” that describes the fry-cook janitor who is just biding his time until he releases a record makes for a clever collection of original hits. Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Art Brut, Dyan Valdes, Eddie Argos, Everybody was in the French Reistance... Now!, The Blood Arm
Starting as just a solo project, Loch Lomond has now developed into an orchestra of intricate sounds all laced together with the common goal to create lively music. After three and a half years and a grand total of twenty-eight members past and present, lead singer Richie Young decided to actually become a band. The name originates from the actual location of Loch Lomond, Scotland. While the group was recording, they ran out of 1 inch tapes and ordered more online, and after receiving them noticed the location from which they had been shipped. Read more…
By Kaylyn Study Posted in Features Interview, Loch Lomond
The Icelandic music community is a tightly knit group of comrades where everyone seems to know and look out for each other. “It’s so easy to put something together. Everyone knows someone who has gear to use or a place to play at,” Olof Arnalds explains over the phone in a charming accent. Arnalds is a rising singer/songwriter hailing from Iceland and rapidly gaining international renown. “I think a lot of music transcends language barriers,.” says Arnalds, regarding the growing popularity of Icelandic music in America. “But I think it represents something interesting because it’s new, and Icelandic music is very young. People are curious.” Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Interview, Olof Arnalds, Ryan Stabile
Ah, the 2000’s. The 00’s. The ‘Aughties’ or ‘Noughties’ if you will. It was a big decade for anyone who lived through it. We’ve seen the inaugurations of two new presidents, endured two of the worst national tragedies of our recent history, and watched the internet and digital technology literally take over our daily lives, for better and for worse. There was also a lot of great music, both in single and album form. Given the emergence of the MP3, iEverything, and services from Napster to Pandora to Lala over the years, it could be seen as miraculous that the album as an art form holds any continued relevance at all these days. That it continues to thrive both artistically and even commericially is both a testament to the times and to the continued (even enhanced) quality of such albums. Of course it helped that we we had so many great online music publications crop up during that time to sing their praises (not going to name names). So, on the last eve of this fine decade and after months of hard work and debate, we bring you MXDWN’s Favorite 100 Albums of the Decade to sing those praises one last time before moving on to the 10’s (Teens?). Have a look at what moved and motivated us to write about music over the years and keep checking back as individual writers chime in on their personal faves. Happy New Year! Read more…
By Robert Huff Posted in Features Best of Decade
