A massive argument amongst indie music bloggers spilled over Twitter on Thursday. Or, in real terms, a blip on Twitter’s scanner brought up some pretty big concepts about how new music is transmitted dispersed online, and right from the keyboards of a few “big” name indie bloggers. The whole shindig went down when I Guess … [Read more…]
On May 23, Paul Simon performed “The Boxer” to a packed house. About six or seven minutes after Simon took to the mic, the crowd arose and applauded the acoustic showman. It was like any other concert one can imagine. Except it wasn’t any old musical performance. It wasn’t even a concert. It was Brandeis … [Read more…]
An assignment. The thrill of that first assignment. It was the fall of 2004, and I’d just taken what felt like a real assignment. I had to travel to New York to interview the noise trio Wolf Eyes. I was a freshman at Brandeis University in the ‘burbs of Boston and Wolf Eyes had recently … [Read more…]
OMG! On Sunday, M.I.A. posted da “truff” about that New York Times profile on the blinged-out N.E.E.T. blog. So what is the real truth behind Lynn Hirschberg’s article? Well, it’s not all that different than what Hirschberg wrote – just tossed up on a tacky, borderline-annoying site and made to look profound. Which is exactly … [Read more…]
The word “terrorist” pops up seven times in Lynn Hirschberg’s New York Times profile of M.I.A. Within the context of the article, “terrorist” appeared to be something of a default word for M.I.A.: whereas others fill spaces in their sentences with “um” and “like,” M.I.A.’s consistent re-hashing of the term made it seem weightless. Later … [Read more…]
The Des Moines Register is reporting that Slipknot bassist Paul Gray has died: Paul Dedrick Gray, 38, of Johnston was found dead at approximately 10:50 a.m. today by an employee at TownePlace Suites, 8800 Northpark Drive, police said. There was no evidence of foul play, police said, but the investigation is ongoing. Gray was one … [Read more…]
Metric is a band made for the big stage. You wouldn’t know it from their background, as a term like “Canadian indie rock group” often equals total obscurity when crossing the border. But, somehow Metric has found success outside their home country. As their set at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Thursday showed, they can not … [Read more…]
Free the Music is a guide to new albums, EPs and songs that are available for free online. Today’s drop is: Caddywhompus – Remainder. At any one moment in indie music history, there are a number of divergent sounds heating up the national scene. They’ve got their communities, they’ve got their fans and they may or may … [Read more…]
All New York Magazine‘s Vulture blog needed was a short headline and YouTube video to get the point across: McLovin Is in a Band! Yep. McLovin is in a band. Stop the Internetz! Such news is of vital importance, especially when actor-musician Christopher Mintz-Plasse is referred to as the nickname of a character he played … [Read more…]
On Friday, the Philadelphia City Paper stumbled upon a proposed bill that could dramatically alter the city’s cultural landscape. Bill No. 100267 is no ordinary promoters ordinance. If passed into law, the ordinance has the potential to stop smaller clubs’ schedules completely and leave many local musicians without any hometown support. The City Paper broke … [Read more…]