Every year at the SXSW fest, out of the slew of bands flocking in from all over the country, you can be sure there will be one or two acts that will definitely stand out as somewhere up there in the bands to watch of the respective year. For 2009 the crowd, and critics *cough, clear favorite were the Silver Lake five-piece Local Natives who will finally release their debut record “Gorilla Manor” this week….
Since singer Skye Edwards left Morcheeba back in 2003, the trip-top pioneering vibe that the group spread across their catalog seemed to have faded as new material followed. The charismatic vocalist was truly a driving force that perfectly synched with the Godfrey brothers’ talented arrangements. Frankly, I can’t imagine Morcheeba without Skye. Today, however, as if prayers have been answered, Skye Edwards announced via her myspace that she has rejoined the Godfrey brothers and will…
Last year’s UK Christmas number one single was surprisingly topped by Rage Against The Machine’s 1992 anthem against oppression “Killing in the Name”, as a result of the valiant effort put down by the UK populace to break the X-Factor streak of countless insipid years. Naturally, the band totally appreciated this and have decided to book a gig at London’s Finsbury Park where RATM is set to perform live absolutely free of charge. All that…
Ah, yes: the reason above all others why I hate the Grammys. The category is nothing above contemptible to metal fans. The set of nominees any given year follows no pattern and it seems that, compared to any other award, the Academy understands what constitutes metal the least. JUDAS PRIEST, “DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR” Lamb of God, “Set to Fail” Megadeth, “Head Crusher” Ministry, “Señor Peligro” Slayer, “Hate Worldwide” Judas Priest haven’t been worthwhile since the Reagan…
I’ve given Nickelback a lot of shit for its continued existence since I started writing for ZME last year. That said, I’m not sure that I can top a Facebook group called “Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback?” Yes, the band’s name is mispelled, as the author of the group admits: I am fully aware that I misspelled Nickelback as “Nickleback” in the name of the page. This is because Facebook doesn’t allow…
This post is part of our “Top Albums of The Decade” series. Follow the series to read about the best music to grace our ears in the 2000s. Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters (Polydor/Universal Records) Like seeing Barcelona play soccer in their homeground, listening to the Scissor Sisters’ eponymous debut album was all about experiencing a showy spectacle in Nu-Camp. Do you see? As much as it sounds like laxy journalism (Who, me? Never!!!) it…
Much like the metal category, hard rock is something that the NARAS doesn’t understand to any degree. Yes, it can sometimes -* sometimes* – pick the ‘right’ bands but its choices for songs is bizarre. AC/DC, “WAR MACHINE” Alice in Chains, “Check My Brain” Linkin Park, “What I’ve Done” Metallica, “The Unforgiven III” Nickelback, “Burn it to the Ground” OK, first off: Nickelback?! Not only is that a terrible choice for a band nominee, it’s…
Every year I look at the nominations and winners, and I have the same thought, “It can’t get worse than last year.” Yet somehow it always does. The 2010 Grammys didn’t let me down – which is to say, they did. Instead of going item by item in an effort to prove, as I stated last August, that the NARAS doesn’t know shit about music, I will just dissect the few categories I find to…
A while ago, I concluded that if 2008 was considered by many a year outshined by band reunions, then 2009 is definitely the year of the super groups. Last year we got to hear some awesome new material by newly formed bands, whose members were super, duper musicians, hence the term super group (doh). There was Monsters of Folk (Conor Oberst, Jim James, Mike Mogis, M. Ward), The Dead Weather (Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita, Jack…
We’ve expressed skepticism in the past concerning the extremely overdo new Strokes album, but it seems we’ve finally gotten solid word from the band itself that things are indeed stirring towards a bright future. If you happen to access the Strokes website at the moment, you’ll be greeted with a neat sign advising visitors that “recording” is indeed in progress. Finally glad to hear the NYC garage rockers aren’t slacking …too much. The new album…
Tibi Puiu
Steve Lampiris
Staff