On Tuesday, two of the most anticipated indie albums saw their official releases. The National dropped High Violet, an album that put Twitter users into a cumulative tizzy when The New York Times streamed the album in full a few weeks ago. The other album is Treats, the debut by Brooklyn “it” band Sleigh Bells. … [Read more…]
It’s hard to sum up an entire year of pop music in one concise “best of” list. Instead, here’s a tidy little look at some of the highs and lows in pop music over the past year: Hip-Huh?: The New Yorker‘s Sasha Frere-Jones declared that hip-hop was dead and upset a lot of hip-hop heads. … [Read more…]
Metal never really gets the credit it deserves. Behind the seemingly impenetrable wall of sound – that rush of gruff vocals, ear-shattering drumming, whiplash-inducing guitar work and pounding bass – rests something irresistible. The aural atmospheres seem to plug into a part of the brain that releases visceral, animal like urges that are then burnt … [Read more…]
It’s an absolute pleasure to bring Chris Simpson into the America Is Just A World fold. Part of my inclination for adding more interviews and material to what I’ve already written for the book is to really uncover the narratives that have been overlooked, and no band’s lifetime has the same mixture of mild coverage … [Read more…]
The behind-the-scenes (or rather, behind-my-thoughts) on the Boston PhoenixĂ‚Â piece I did on scrunk and Warped Tour is still to come, but consider this a little preview. A lots been said online since the piece went on the net about scrunk/crunkcore and its impact on Warped Tour, which isn’t to say that my article caused these … [Read more…]
Mountain Dew commercials rarely make me sit up and pay attention – I simply don’t like their product or most of their commercials. But, towards the end of this ad, which begins with the familiar trope of extreme people drink Mountain Dew, I practically jumped out of my seat: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ95LQLDZ3w] What is Jack Hanna, the … [Read more…]
I’m probably one of countless others to check out the newest TV on the Radio song, “Golden Age,” today. Hopefully, I’m also one of countless others to be absolutely floored by the track. The song is off the band’s new album, Dear Science, which will be arriving in just over a month on Interscope, and … [Read more…]