Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- Santogold “Santogold” Review ()
The initial draw of Santogold’s eponymous debut is heavily based on that of the album’s lead single, “L.E.S. Artistes,” a song that has enough widespread appeal to own up to the title of being this year’s “Crazy.” Having said that, the appeal of the remainder of the album comes from its ability to inflate various […]
- Death Cab For Cutie “Narrow Stairs” Review ()
Hypothetically speaking – the most beautiful, smart, vibrant woman could approach me by saying that Death Cab For Cutie were a good band and I’d still have scoffed. Not just at the idea that someone would enjoy a second-rate Weezer knock off (at least the Weezer that still made albums worth a damn) but more […]
- Big Cats! “Ballad Northwestern” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. Here, producer Minneapolis-based producer Big Cats! explains not just the process that lead him to the first track on his forthcoming album, Sleep […]
- Nine Inch Nails “The Slip” Review ()
Whereas one must turn off their phone, email and instant messenger services in addition to making sure their pet and/or child has been fed and appropriately sedated before even considering making it through Ghosts I-IV in a single sitting, Trent Reznor artistically departs from that vision with The Slip. In doing so however its ten […]
- My Morning Jacket “Evil Urges” Review ()
A friend admonished his suggestion to listen to Evil Urges, hinting that My Morning Jacket was set to release something twisted and absolutely uncharacteristic, “It’s almost like MMJ thinks they can do whatever they want now;” my response, “they can’t?” I thought it fitting that the gravity of a sound that has nestled the band […]
- Carl Creighton “El Paso” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this, the second of two parts featuring Carl Creighton, the singer expands on his transition into America’s ultimate metropolis. The feelings that […]
- Carl Creighton “Minnesota” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this, the first of two parts featuring Carl Creighton, the singer/songwriter recollects the events that lead him to return to his family’s […]
- Gnarls Barkley “The Odd Couple” Review ()
The same lopsided disparity between St. Elsewhere’s “Necromancer” and “Smiley Faces” is paralleled throughout Gnarls Barkley’s second album, The Odd Couple. Its unique balance between the obscure and digestible suggests an attempt at parity, but to hear Cee-Lo growl “Say fuck me, well fuck you too” prior to a surfsteady homage tends to imply otherwise. […]
- Run4yoLyfe “Ain’t Shit Changed” ()
Combining merely two things that I enjoy can be a task, but somehow three of my favorite things are all dropped in one simple package with this track by Run4yoLyfe; the song finding a balanced level between mood-altering synth, faux-post punk guitar and the strictest of gangsta mic skills. “Ain’t Shit Changed” is beautiful all […]
- NOFX play “Half-FX” at SXSW Video ()
One of the more enjoyable parts of not actually physically going to SXSW is that you don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to stand amongst inflated audiences to see bands that will probably play in your area within the next year… or so… especially when the typical set length for the bands you do […]
- Moby “Last Night” Review ()
“Disco Lies” reads a picture included as an insert with Moby’s latest album Last Night. The announcement is a bit misleading as many fans have felt quite the opposite since Moby’s departure from his role as an almost strictly club DJ following 1995′s Everything is Wrong — as for the albums that followed it almost […]
- Aaron Booth “Same Thing After All” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this, the second with Aaron Booth, the Calgary-based singer discusses his change from a cognitive musician into that of an artist. After […]
- Josh Grier (of Tapes ‘n Tapes) Interview ()
With Tapes ‘n Tapes already scheduled to play some forty dates this summer in support of the band’s forthcoming sophomore release, Walk It Off, the Minneapolis quartet are likely to need their rest by the time everything has wrapped up. Lead singer and guitarist Josh Grier suggested otherwise in this Q&A however, hinting that this […]
- Aaron Booth “Voice In The Night” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this edition, the first from Calgary-based singer/songwriter Aaron Booth, he expands upon “Voice in the Night,” arguably the most infectious song from […]
- The Raconteurs “Consolers of the Lonely” Review ()
Booking a release within a month of the album being mastered, Jack White gave news that The Raconteurs’ new album Consolers of the Lonely would see a blanket release in a matter of days of his surprising announcement – online/radio/retail…everyone would get their taste at the exact same time. It didn’t take long for one […]
- Snoop Dogg & Everlast Team For “My Medicine” ()
Along with stories of his youth football league, wearing a kilt and playing hockey, Snoop Dogg and Conan O’Brien recently discussed Snoop’s recent album Ego Trippin’, in particular a collaboration with Everlast entitled “My Medicine.” “I love country music,” Snoop recalled, “so what I did was I had my partner Everlast come in and help […]
- Muja Messiah “True Lies” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. Here, Minneapolis-based MC Muja Messiah compounds his thoughts on “True Lies,” one of the near thirty tracks on his latest record MPLS Massacre. […]
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” Review ()
Age is only important when numbers are empowered, it is the knowledge and depth of a spirit which embodies true substance. All the same, having crossed half a century, the idea behind who Nick Cave is leans increasingly closer to that of an ageless poet. The Guardian‘s Alexis Petridis concluded his thoughts on Dig, Lazarus, […]
- Portishead “Third” Review ()
What has been roughly 10 years in the making finally sees release in the form of Portishead’s Third, the aptly titled release from the Bristol-based trio largely known for helping standardize trip hop in the mid ’90s. With the exception of a few scattered contributions and a Beth Gibbons solo album, the group has been […]
- Heroes of Popular Wars “Goodbye” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this edition, the formulation of a recent track by the Brooklyn-based group Heroes of Popular Wars is explained by the group’s DJ, […]
- RZA & Inspectah Deck “You Can’t Stop Me Now” ()
When clashing the anticipation behind last fall’s Wu-Tang Clan release and the forthcoming RZA solo there is really little comparison; while RZA is the strength behind the group’s beat his solo works aren’t nearly as highly regarded as even the sixth chamber in the ‘Tang manifest. That being said, despite some critical praise last year’s […]
- Yeasayer on La Blogothèque ()
Question. Is the process of documentation made more important when the timing and impressiveness of its subject is second to none, or rather does is the subject a casualty of circumstance to be considered a mere bystander to the recording process? To view Yeasayer’s contribution to La Blogothèque’s unparalleled Take Away Show series is a […]
- Atmosphere “Shoulda Known” ()
Settling, “That drug got you like I want you,” Slug drops a rhyme out of his own play book, indirectly citing a reply he gave The Onion’s AV Club last month during an open forum for their Valentine’s Day issue. Q. What is your advice to a couple in which one person is sober, and […]
- NOFX’s “Backstage Passport” Video ()
Seven years ago I moved right before NOFX was going to play a show in my hometown of Calgary… six years ago the band’s show got rained out when I tried to see them at the Warped Tour here in Minneapolis… (then I lived in small town Iowa for a while)… now, when I finally […]
- Best Week Ever: Listen Up ()
[This article appeared on VH1’s Best Week Ever.]
- The Majestic Twelve “Eminent Domain” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this edition, The Majestic Twelve’s Kenyata Sullivan discusses the dark story behind his recently penned “Eminent Domain.” The focus of the delicate […]
- Heroes of Popular Wars “There’s the Bell” (Influenza) ()
Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this edition, the inspiration behind a recent track by the Brooklyn-based group Heroes of Popular Wars is explained by the group’s front […]
- Black Lips & Quintron and Miss Pussy Cat at 7th St. Entry (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Playing a sold out show at Minneapolis’ 7th St. Entry, Atlanta’s The Black Lips defied their well documented reputation through most of their performance, playing a straight ahead brand of rock and roll equal parts punk and The Beatles. By the time the show was wearing down however the band had treated its audience to […]
- Muja Messiah “Amy Winehouse” ()
Muja Messiah’s latest single takes on Rihanna’s “Umbrella” while celebrating his city, shouting out Amy Winehouse and heeding advice from Russell Simmons. The track comes from Muja’s forthcoming MPLS Massacre which is slated for a mid-March release. While Muja is deep within a Minneapolis hip hop scene that has been caustically deemed college-rap, his voice […]
- Dead Meadow “Old Growth” Review ()
In 2005 I was introduced to Dead Meadow as the group opened for Sleater-Kinney, the band epitomized neo-psych with its no-nonsense hazy drab. At the time the band’s music came across as something terribly powerful while the makeup of its sound was tastefully cautious, the group never fully realizing the massiveness it sought. Cut to […]