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mxdwn.com Editorials Previous 1 2 3 4 ...6 Next
Morcheeba: Live at The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA (March 25, 2008)
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-10-16 19:50:18
Blissfully rare are the occasions where musicians deviate from their accepted styles so fully that it would be tempting to put their pictures on milk cartons under the caption "Have You See Me?" Yet even when artists lose their direction on album, they're usually smart enough to craft live shows that justify the price of admission if nothing else. Now playing the role of Exception to the Rule: Morcheeba, visiting Philadelphia on a springtime tour date in support of their sixth studio album Dive Deep....more
Innerpartysystem: Live at The M Room, Philadelphia, PA (November 30, 2007)
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-10-13 11:41:12
It's already tough enough for musicians trying to make it without having to deal with a finicky scene. If you're sometimes concerned that your local scene isn't quite taking off like you expect, you might have to point a finger at available performance spaces as much as the quality of available performers.
...more
Head Gashes Galore - A Place to Bury Strangers at Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania March 20, 2008
Posted by Robert Huff
On 2008-09-09 21:28:44
There are a lot of mouths agape following A Place to Bury Strangers’ cochlea-crushing opening set for Holy F*ck in Philly. These people aren’t left speechless by the performance, though there is good reason to be, but rather by their inability to hear. Indeed, the brief but epic showing at local tavern Johnny Brenda’s might have been something of an ordeal for the audience members naïve enough to not bring earplugs, but hey: No pain, no gain. ...more
Scratch This - DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist Live at McCarren Park Pool Brooklyn, New York July 17, 2008
Posted by John Ochoa
On 2008-08-18 23:45:29
With the quick, unforeseen resurgence of vinyl records, two distinguished DJs recently embarked on a personal journey to celebrate and re-establish the history and influence of our old plastic friend. California-based DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist, two capable and wickedly talented turntablists on their own, launched what sounded like one of the most innovative DJ-centric shows in recent times. In the midst of the long-awaited battle, however, something went wrong. Armed with eight turntables and 45rpm, seven-inch singles as their only ammunition, the soi-disant Hard Sell Tour fell short of what the standard issue press release claimed. ...more
Lollapalooza 2008: Two Questions for... Saul Williams
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-08-18 00:17:20
Saul Williams is a poet, actor and musician whose third album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, was produced and released with assistance from Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. He performed for Lollapalooza crowds on the festival's closing Sunday and was kind enough to spend some time beforehand talking with mxdwn.com. We promised to ask him just two open-ended questions, which would make this either the easiest or the hardest interview of his life. Here's what he had to say....more
Lollapalooza 2008: Sunday, August 3
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-08-14 18:29:17
The Whigs: With pundits elsewhere already putting checkmarks next to their homebase of Athens, Ga., as well as their more-than-occasional sonic resemblance to The Replacements, everything about The Whigs sounds at once promising and derivative—on paper, at least. In practice, however, the promise comes to the fore through the kind of neat little instrumental and lyrical twists R.E.M. gave up on years ago and The 'Mats never had time for. "Like a Vibration" from new album Mission Control and "God's Biographer" (a cover of a song by Dutch band The Bingo Trappers) had the trio putting the crowd at the MySpace stage on notice, while sleeper pick for best song of 2008 "Right Hand on My Heart" spotlighted Julian Dorio's drumming and Parker Gispert's desperately paced vocals....more
Lollapalooza 2008: Saturday, August 2 (part 2)
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-08-14 18:27:52
Perry Farrell: Who is the "special guest" during Perry Farrell's visit to the festival's DJ lounge, Perry's? Passing by this now overcrowded venue, it appears Perry is not in notorious DJ Peretz mode (there goes that Moby rumor) but is singing with help from a guitarist, a drum machine and a dancing girl or two. (One of which quite possibly was Samantha Ronson.) Yeah, real special, off to the Porta-Potties—wait, is the crowd roaring? Now, despite the tamed hair and graying beard, the form of guitar god Slash is unmistakeable on stage. Perry starts to sing and Slash plugs in...or does he? He's got the trademark sway going, he's working his axe, yet the crowd chants "Turn it up!" and points fingers and thumbs skyward. The song ends and the players leave, waving and grinning, unaware that the crowd hasn't heard a note of guitar. The chanting splits: "We want Slash!" versus "Slash sucks!" The musicians return for an encore, Perry saying they're going to try something and hopefully not cock it up. Slash's guitar hookup has been fixed! Just in time to cover "Jane Says"—and just in time for Perry's microphone to conk out. The fans have had enough and take matters into their own hands, a crowd of 1,000 people singing the song for Perry, word for word, note for note. It's a rather stunning metaphor for Perry Farrell still being the center of Lollapalooza, at its very worst and at its very best....more
Lollapalooza 2008: Saturday, August 2 (part 1)
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-08-14 18:26:25
Witchcraft: Swedish? Yes. Metal? Yes. Death? Er, no, just doom, thank you very much. Trading in the currency of dark harmonies popularized by Black Sabbath in the old school and The Sword in the new, they provided a thoroughly bracing wakeup call first thing Saturday afternoon. It was still way too early in the day for their riffage to bring together a sea of nodding heads, but a small pool of them still counts for something....more
Lollapalooza 2008: Friday, August 1
Posted by Adam Blyweiss
On 2008-08-14 18:24:34
K'naan: Tempered by the atrocities of civil war, steeped in language first learned from Nas and Rakim, and mixed with the relief and joy of a new life in Canada, K'naan was something of a revelation. His voice strained to sing emotive lines in songs covering everything from chirpy tribal pop to prideful flag-waving in Mogadishu. With beats and bass coming in part from a laptop and a simple African drum, K'naan's rapping was more solid and direct, in particular during "What's Hardcore?" For any hip-hop artists who truly believe their hood life is hard, K'naan had Somalia's killing fields as his backyard—experience like that, in his words, makes "50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit."
...more
Roskilde Festival Coverage 2008 Day 4
Posted by Raymond Flotat
On 2008-07-15 19:49:31
Three days done, one day left to go, and Roskilde 2008 draws to a close. With no less sterling a representation of diversity of then the previous three days, everything ended superbly, in spite of a mild outbreak of rain....more
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