Moore and Gordon’s split brands future grim for Sonic Youth

Live on From The Basement.

I wish I could tell you otherwise… but sadly, oh glorious Internet patron and Sonic Youth lover, the title did not lead your eyes astray; this last October, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, two of the main minds behind Sonic Youth, have filed for a divorce after 27 years of marriage, putting the future of Sonic Youth itself in an ominous fog. There is not much…

Read More...

Album Review: The Dead Milkmen, “The King In Yellow”

Everyone’s favorite obnoxious punk band is back, after only 16 years!  That’s right, I’m talking about The Dead Milkmen, who have an all-new album recorded and ready to go.  The Milkmen broke up in 1995, but got back together in 2008 after playing a few shows that went well for them.  After composing new songs and touring for a few years, they began recording The King In Yellow in 2010, and released the hard copy…

Read More...

More new Black Keys to stream

So after the hilarious video for “Lonely Boy” (great song, too!), the Black Keys would like you to hear more of their upcoming album, El Camino. All ya gotta do is head over to the Keys’ site for the album and enter in some info – namely: email address, zip code and country.  (If you detest getting pointless emails from the band or Warner Bros, you can simply unsubscribe right after.)  Pretty simple, right?  And…

Read More...

New Billboard rule: Albums sold under $3.49 don’t count

Billboard announced a new rule about SoundScan counts: if your album is sold for under $3.49, it doesn’t get counted toward your Billboard ranking. Everyone seems to be assuming that this has something to do with the 2-day, 99 cent sale of Lady GaGa’s latest, Born This Way, which went platinum in a week.  Critics argue that a large part of such chart domination was largely because it was sold as such a low price…

Read More...

The New Breed of Metal: An Interview with Archea

Left to right: Kyle Wallinger (drums), Adam McDaniel (guitar), Jake Quarle (upside-down)(vocals), Alyssa Porras (bass), and Jared Charles (guitar).

Just upstate from the birthing grounds of such great thrash pioneers as Slayer and Metallica comes Archea, a rather rambunctious young group with a definite and ferocious sound. Coming straight out of Pleasant Hill, California, (an otherwise quiet town dwindling in the glare of the lights of San Francisco), Archea can…

Read More...

(Semi-legitimate) study: Nickelback not helpful in getting you laid

So, for all the shit that I’ve given Nickelback over the years, apparently it has been warranted – at least a little bit.  A blog calling itself Tastebuds.fm has named the Canadian rockers the “number one musical turnoff.” Tastebuds, a similar site to Last.fm, did their research thusly: Each user was allowed to specify up to 12 acts that turned them off. Nickelback – regularly lambasted by the music press – came out on top…

Read More...

Album Review: The Black Belles’ Self-Titled Debut

On first listen, The Black Belles’ debut is quite comfortable; it feels like an old standby.  That might be because I’m a big fan of The White Stripes and The Dead Weather, two bands that have Jack White’s weird influence. After having been signed and produced by White,  this band has his presence going for them as well.   Everything Jack White touches is tinted with his unique style, although I’m definitely not complaining.  In addition…

Read More...

Stream Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Replica”

So the pseudonym of Dan Lopatin has a new record out on November 8, but you can hear it right now over on Soundcloud. It’s about the most bizarre album you’ll listen to this year.  It also has the best album art in a long, long while. Replica finds OPN experimenting with samples and TV clips.  Any given song is a paranoid, claustrophobic mindfuck in itself, and the album as a whole may make you…

Read More...

Album Review: Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”

Tom Waits’ newest album, Bad As Me, feels like a nice change from boring ol’ Rock & Roll.  In fact, it’s everything but!  As one goes from track to track, there’s soul, jazz, folk, some Spanish-sounding ballads, and more.  Tom Waits has always been a versatile artist, and he sure shows it on his newest offering. Take the opening track, “Chicago.”  It feels like the studio engineer hit “record” just a few seconds after the band…

Read More...

Ska is Dead (Syke! It’s Awesome!)

I had the good fortune to see the ska-punk band Mustard Plug play in Toledo, OH recently, at Frankie’s Inner City.  They’re a Grand Rapids, MI-based band, so it was odd for me – a Michigan resident – to see them out of state.  One of the people I went with has seen them six times in the past, once only 30 minutes away from our podunk little town, so it felt a little foolish…

Read More...