Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s “The Dust of Retreat” Review ()
For being together slightly over a year, Margo & The Nuclear So & So’s have a chemistry suggestive of a road weary collective. The Dust of Retreat provides an outlet for this eight piece collective, examining not only harmony and progression, but the constraints of love in the process. Drifting away from the snow ridden […]
- Novillero ()
Accumulating a solid rock band from the ruins of a “lounge pop” band from Winnipeg might not always be as easy as it sounds, but Novillero seem to have done so without losing an ounce of their clever delivery. “Hypothesist,” a glossy garage rock number, outshines “Ceremony” slightly though both sound reminiscent of a scene […]
- Best Buy Devalues Music, Undercuts Indies ()
There is a really interesting discussion between a gentleman at Merge Records (Spoon, The Arcade Fire, yada yada) regarding a recent sale at Best Buy of independent albums. Before I continue, please check the “sale” out here, just to see what all the fuss is about, and the discussion here. I have my own views […]
- Mates of State ()
This husband-wife duo hailing from California have some of the most infectious drum & keyboard driven rock that you might hear this year (or ever…). Their simplistic pop style is one that easily shifts from an ambient rock (in “Think Long”) to something along the lines of a broader, well rounded Atom and His Package […]
- Nic Armstrong & The Thieves ()
Rolling Stone recently remarked that “He looks like Gary Oldhamand writes battered love-songs like Bob Dylan with a case of Badfinger.” I don’t know that I fully agree with that statement. There are exceptions such as Armstrong’s Beatles-esque track “The Finishing Track.” On the other hand, “Broken Mouth Blues” makes me reconsider that statement with […]
- NOMO ()
NOMO offers a unique insight into the genre of free form, Spanish funk with African tribal-like syncopation; if such a genre does in fact exist. With a blend of those tribal beats, horns, keyboards and more, this eight-piece brings their act to the pinnacle of new wave jazz. Their unprocessed, multi-layered sound leaves me dreaming […]
- Division Day “The Mean Way In” Review ()
Just like a solid mix tape, it’s hard to determine the audience, their tastes and preferences and willingness to listen to whatever it is that you think is good. If you start with a song too rigid, or hard, you risk the chance of quickly alienating your listener. On the opposite end of the spectrum, […]
- DJ Shadow “Pre-Emptive Strike” Review ()
DJ Shadow makes me thing of what I would want to play at a social gathering, a party, a get together. Maybe I’d have some overpriced under-appreciated fine alcohols, or some wines which I can’t stand but flaunt anyhow. Maybe I’d accompany the drinks with some costly appetizers or cheeses; something which I wouldn’t be […]
- stellastarr* ()
Now after hearing the band, I don’t know why I haven’t heard them before. It could be my ever-declining brain stamina which led me to believe that they were the same band as the lackluster Starsailor, but stellastarr* really plays a mean tune (the other difference between the two…well, that and they’re not from England). […]
- Best Mashups of 2005 ()
Mildly unuseful note(s): in terms of the best albums of the year, everyone has their opinion; as is the case with haircuts (I’m looking at you MySpace emo-trash). But, the case is, most of the time something cool comes out of them. Hell, one might even find an album that one has never heard before. […]
- Best Albums of 2005 ()
There is a disclaimer and/or explanation and/or rant which is needed for this list. I have a lot of distaste for most other people’s favorite albums list, as a matter of fact, I’m not even sure that mine is the truth. As I went through it, again, and again, I kept wanting to reorganize the […]
- Red Stripe Dub ()
Last night was a Red Stripe fiesta. If you don’t know what Red Stripe is, it’s a Jamaican beer made famous (in the US, anyways) by the companies RAD commercials. Red Stripe, Hooray for Beer! Anyways, it tasted so good that I made a song about it. Not so much, made as stole from other […]
- Noise From the Underground: A Secret History of Alternative Rock ()
I can’t really call this a book review, because this isn’t really a review, and some have noted, that frankly, this isn’t much of a book. The story of this book, for me at least, goes back to when I was in junior high school. I was really enjoying bands like Primus, White Zombie, Pantera, […]
- Ian MacKaye Rips SPIN Just Enough ()
To be honest, I was surprised to see the magazine in my mailbox this month. As I normally do, I skimmed it just in case if there was something noteworthy that I should check out. I dearly enjoy Pearl Jam, but the Eddie Vedder interview was bland and covered almost nothing relevant. There is an […]
- Rob Lumbard Live (Iowa) ()
Photos of Rob Lumbard taken September 17, 2005 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa and February 19, 2005 at Marvin’s Gardens in Fort Dodge, Iowa. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Hank Williams III at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Photos of Hank Williams III taken August 15, 2005 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- Tegan and Sara at Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN) ()
This show was a different kind of experience for me. Most of the shows I’ve been to have been in “clubs” and this one…was in…THE ZOO. I will get into the ranting after the actual review of Tegan and Sara’s set …IN THE ZOO… Tegan & Sara – They performed a good selection of songs, […]
- DO NOT BUY SPIN MAGAZINE (aka ALL GOOD LISTS GO TO HEAVEN) ()
I must clarify that I was very happy, surprised even, when a “letter to the editor” I had written for a class was published in the magazine (January?). This commentary voiced my opinion (the right one, of course) that Thurston Moore was deserving of much more credit than he was given in SPINs annual “Cool […]
- Sleater-Kinney and Dead Meadow at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Though I’ve known about the show for over a month, actually making it down there was a spur of the moment type situation. I had decided in the morning that I would take my little sister to the show, making it her first. When I remembered back to my first concert (The Cranberries & Cracker…it […]
- She Wants Revenge ()
I received a press release regarding a new band “She Wants Revenge.” They were described as follows: They play new wave alt-pop influenced by Depeche Mode and Bauhaus but with a totally modern flavor, and they just write really incredible songs. They are out touring with Bloc Party nationally, and are starting to blow up […]
- The Raveonettes “Pretty in Black” Review ()
I was well aware of “Chain Gang of Love” but I wasn’t all that interested in checking out “Pretty in Black” until I saw the group perform on Late Night with Conan O”Brien. I don’t recall which song the group played, but it was excellent. “Chain Gand of Love” doesn’t begin by following my dreams […]
- Weezer “Make Believe” Review ()
I must admit that I have been a Weezer fan since the first album…I saw them on tour when they were supporting Pinkerton…but…ouch, this album…not soo good..here’s my 63 word review. Beverly Hills: Meh. Perfect Situation: Not Really. This is Such a Pity: Yes it is. Hold Me: No. Peace: Not Likely. We Are All […]
- The Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers & Murphy’s Law at The High Dive (Champaign, IL) ()
This is the first show I’ve seen in seriously (it IS time to get serious, people) a year. The last show I saw was The (International) Noise Conspiracy & The Rogers Sisters & The Boss Martians play at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. Believe you and me sailor man, the 8 hour drive […]
- Kool Thing ()
[This letter to the editor was first published by SPIN Magazine.]
- Rock Out to This: Twenty 2004 Albums Worth Listening To ()
[This article was first published by Buena Vista University’s paper, The Tack.]
- Bjork “Medulla” Review ()
[This article was first published by Buena Vista University’s paper, The Tack.]
- The (International) Noise Conspiracy “Armed Love” Review ()
[This article was first published by Buena Vista University’s paper, The Tack.]