Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- The Evening Rig ()
Listening to the Evening Rig is a bit like going back home and eating one of grandma’s hearty, home-cooked meals—especially if your grandma is a heavy drinker who has an odd preoccupation with Reckless-era Bryan Adams. You’re likely to hear yourself in the music as it fills you up, and chances are that you’ll hear […]
- Handsome Furs Critics’ Pick ()
This past year has been a busy one for Dave Boeckner, an integral player in both Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. First came the release of Wolf Parade’s second full-length last summer; then a tour with his wife, Alexei Perry, in the Handsome Furs (one that brought the group to the Entry last August); and now the release of the […]
- NOFX “Backstage Passport” Review ()
Punk fans without a television, cable, and specifically the Fuse channel (who also haven’t heard of torrents) have reason to rejoice as Fat Wreck Chords has now released the entire series of NOFX’s Backstage Passport on DVD. For those unfamiliar with the show, it’s a documentary capturing the band’s world tour—the catch being that the […]
- Dan Israel “See The Morning Light” Interview ()
In 2007 Dan Israel worked with a number of friends and musicians in releasing his most critically acclaimed album to date, Turning. Noting of the release in his sparkling review, Luke Torn wrote in the the U.K.’s Uncut Magazine, “The world-weariest songs on Turning continue to prick at the emotions and insecurities of the strive-a-day […]
- Beastie Boys vs. Metallica vs. the Ting Tings mashed by DJ Schmolli ()
Having already battled in Europe, Germany’s BootOx and Austria’s DJ Schmolli are taking their rivalry overseas where the two will perform at L.A.’s monthly Bootie in April. The stop is the first of four for Schmolli as he makes his way across the US, playing San Francisco, New York and Boston before returning home. If you have […]
- Fever Ray “Fever Ray” Review ()
It took over half a decade of creating music together as the Knife before the brother-sister duo of Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer performed in public. Their attempts at removing focus on the individual are as notorious as they are futile. They decided to wear masks when promoting and performing their music, which simply […]
- Jane’s Addiction “Whores” ()
The last thing that the world needs right now is another Jane’s Addiction album. On the strength of “Just Because” alone, fans were given hope that Jane’s Addiction could return to some sort of prominence. While it was a commercial success (achieving Platinum status State-side) 2003’s Strays was essentially a dud… leaving us fans to […]
- Green Day “21st Century Breakdown” (single) ()
Somewhere between “Walking Contradiction” and “American Idiot,” Green Day went from being a group of pseudo-squatters to a stadium-sized band writing rock operas. And, despite the generally underwhelming American Idiot, I can’t criticize the band for anything other than making its fourth consecutive hit or miss album. Other people liked it, and as it’s widely […]
- Wale feat. Lady Gaga “Chillin’” ()
After breaking out with last year’s Seinfeld-themed Mixtape About Nothing, Wale continued to stomp on the scene with the undeniably tight single “Nike Boots.”* Coming back this year with the glossy sounds of his first full length studio release, Attention Deficit, Wale is primed to bridge the gap between mainstream and backpack rap. Aside from […]
- Dead Prez vs. Bloc Party mashed by Yold ()
The intensity of Dead Prez is rarely matched and I’d be out of line if I said that Bloc Party’s “The Prayer” came close to touching the classic beat from “Hip Hop.” I don’t think I’ve heard a bootleg pairing the vocal track from “Hip Hop” with an alternate back track, but considering the opposite […]
- His Mischief “The Perfect Lover” Review ()
The perfect lover. For each individual those words are likely to conjure a variety images. One might dream of Burt Reynolds tastefully covered in Vaseline, wearing nothing but a Speedo and cowboy boots; another, Jamie Lee Curtis erotically knocking back single serving after single serving of Activia Yogurt. And while we may never know what […]
- Danger Mouse “The Grey Album” ()
The Go! Team, Madvillain and the Arcade Fire be damned, my favorite album of 2004 is/was Danger Mouse’s Grey Album. On the surface a mashup album by a (then) unknown producer might be an odd, if not poor, decision—but I don’t think that there has been another album this decade that has had as much influence […]
- Les Claypool Critics’ Pick ()
Whether performing with Primus, his Frog Brigade, Fancy Band, or any number of other groups, Les Claypool has never been one to shy away from the bizarre. Despite the tireless schedule he’s maintained throughout the years, with his continual shift away from mainstream rock, it’s no wonder that his creativity has spread outside the world of traditional recording. […]
- Muja Messiah Critics’ Pick ()
Those who hustle tend to get ahead in whatever their game of choice, and that fact isn’t lost on local MC Muja Messiah, who at every turn concerns himself with staying one step ahead of the pack. Recently returning from Las Vegas, where he was recording material that follows the release of last year’s Thee Adventures of […]
- Katy Perry Critics’ Pick ()
At last month’s Brit Awards, Katy Perry beat out Beyoncé, Pink, and Santigold to capture the award for International Female Solo Artist. She accepted it in humble fashion, bashfully wishing thanks to a laundry list of names before explaining that, due to being quite ill, she wasn’t planning on appearing at the show. Contrasting such an abashed public persona are […]
- Massive Attack vs. Lily Allen mashed by Mighty Mike ()
There’s nothing particularly brilliant about Mighty Mike‘s “Massive Fear;” the mashup is a simple overlaying of two songs and its title an even simpler connection between the source tracks. But the combination is comfortable, with Massive Attack’s “Exchange” serving as a pillow for the cheeky-innocence of Lily Allen’s “The Fear” to gently land on. Not that […]
- Black Lips at Turf Club (St. Paul, MN) ()
Video of the Black Lips‘ March 16, 2009 set at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN, featuring performances of “Sea of Blasphemy,” “Everybody’s Doin’ It,” “Time of the Scab,” “Bad Kids,” “Cold Hands,” “O Katrina,” and “Dirty Hands.” [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Tricky at Fine Line Music Cafe (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Photos of Tricky taken March 16, 2009 at Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Medeski Martin & Wood “Amber Gris” ()
Regarding Medeski Martin & Wood’s interpretation of “Free Go Lily” from last year’s Radiolarians I, Chris Wood told us last November that they had been influenced by a series of field recordings when writing and recording the album. “Lily” has a grimy funk to it, transposing a stereotypical jazz piece with the addition of organ […]
- Propagandhi Interview ()
For over two decades Propagandhi has offered a blunt alternative to the transparent punk that the genre has come to represent. Within the vessel of the Winnipeg-based band’s blistering music are lyrics grounded in a foundation of compassion and humanity that reflect well-considered ideals rather than superficial presumptions. Speaking to Jord Samolesky via email, the […]
- The Dead Weather: New Music from Jack White ()
Roughly 150 people recently attended the grand re-opening of Third Man Records in Nashville, and roughly 150 people were treated with a gift like no other. The gift? The crowd that night was party to the first ever public performance from the Dead Weather. The catch? The Dead Weather are a band comprised of Jack […]
- Cloud Cult Interview ()
The Cloud Cult documentary No One Said It Would Be Easy will be released on April 21, and with it comes another credit for a band who for the past decade has been tireless in creating their art. Lead singer Craig Minowa and the film’s director and editor John Paul Burgess took some time to […]
- Women Critics’ Pick ()
When thinking of Women, think of Beat Happening–if only the band had a strong curiosity for non-confrontational drone and was conceived 13 hours northeast of Olympia, WA. Last year’s critically acclaimed debut album from the Calgary-based group was recorded by Sub Pop’s Chad VanGaalen in his home studio (aka basement cellar) using well-seasoned DIY technologies (aka ghettoblasters and an old […]
- Cut Off Your Hands Critics’ Pick ()
Auckland, New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands list a single influence on their MySpace page: Phil Spector. And the lead track from the bands full-length debut, You & I, might suggest such ominous implications to be true. A realistic assessment of the bands sound has far less to do with Spector’s wall of sound however, and far more to do with modern […]
- Mashup Industries presents Café del Mash ()
Earlier this week I had been revisiting a number of albums that I hadn’t listened to in years, Radiohead’s The Bends being one that received a few spins. With all of the hyperbole surrounding OK Computer, and the media hoopla that continues to revolve around In Rainbows, these days it’s easy to let the the rest of the band’s […]
- Swingin’ Utters Critics’ Pick ()
Less than a week after joining the Dillinger Four for a bill at St. Paul’s Turf Club, Pretty Boy Thorson & the F’n A’s once again find themselves playing with another long-standing Fat Wreck Chords group. This time around they’ll be opening for San Francisco’s Swingin’ Utters, as the band kicks off a month-long tour at the Triple Rock. […]
- …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Critics’ Pick ()
Years before Deerhunter hit the scene, hamming it up with an infamous balance between on-stage brilliance and blunder, And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead were going above and beyond: destroying equipment, assaulting each other, and threatening to disband. But somehow they’ve made it this far with the group’s initial lineup remotely intact, and are now […]
- Refresher Course: the Prodigy ()
Invaders Must Die marks the Prodigy’s first album with the group’s three original members since 1997’s classic Fat of the Land. Even with the success of Invaders‘ first two singles, it’s not too hard to tell that the group’s best music is well behind them. Before the forgettable Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned, and the uncharacteristic […]
- Dillinger Four Critics’Pick ()
St. Paul’s Turf Club hosts all manner of artist showcases, but rare is the occasion when the club hosts a punk show—let alone a punk show of this caliber—for only $6. Friday night’s show serves as both a homecoming for Pretty Boy Thorson and the F’n A’s (the band returns from a string of shows […]
- A Night in the Box Critics’ Pick ()
Echoing an intense, deep country blues, A Night in the Box has in a few short years gone from being a spare time project for a group of high-school friends to one of the most unique and soulful bands in the Twin Cities. Last year the group released its second studio album via Afternoon Records, Write […]