Archive: 2007

Indie-rock band The Apples in Stereo has set out on a North American tour to support its fifth full-length album, "New Magnetic Wonder," which hit stores earlier this week. The group is scheduled to travel across the US and Canada, ending with an April 1 gig in its hometown of Denver, CO. Along the way, […]

ortland punks The Thermals have announced their first tour of the year, a seven-week trek across the U.S. The group will start February 19 with a hometown show at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Ore., then loop around the country with 31 stops in all. They'll finish the tour at Howie & Sons Pizza in Visalia, […]

I’m an admitted Silver Jews newb, but I’ve finally come to the realization that the best opening line to any album I own belongs to American Water‘s “In 1984, I was hospitalized for approaching perfection.” Talk about a lure, that’s it. For all the David Berman fans out there, Pitchfork is reporting a new documentary […]

On your way out of the office today, peep what one veteran music man calls the worst album covers ever created. I like this one…a lot…like that: But, hey, where the hell is the revised cover for Smell the Glove? C’mon! The Worst Album Covers Ever Created? [stevecarter.com] 

Our main man Coach thought it a stellar idea to fill the day with the sounds of soulful begging. So here are two fairly unique takes on the title track of this post: [youtube]es8bPS0tUmU[/youtube] And now for The Yardbirds‘ turn to hack at the D & C Piñata: [youtube]xmNfOdDCtwU[/youtube] As our resident jester Neeko points out, the […]

I’m not a big fan of Sunday nights, especially now that the football season is over. That all changes this weekend — like many of youse, I can’t wait for 8 pm on Sunday when The Police take center stage at the Grammys. Sterogum went so far as to set odds for what song the band will play. […]

Anyone else think today’s initial artist announcement containing the lengthy list of 1,000 acts that’ll perform at the March 14-18 SXSW festival in Austin serves more as blatant comedic fodder than it does to build excitement?

I’m not taking anything away from the lineup by any means, it’s just that one quick glimpse of the roster…shit, the list has four bands from three different countries with names based on the word Panda, there’s Child Abuse, Dead Child and Children Collide, Psychedelic Horseshit, Holy Fuck and Holy Shit!, Lesbians on Ecstasy, and my personal favorite, This Moment in Black History.

What? SXSW couldn’t snare Womb Raider, Third Hand Smoke, Stabbing Monica Seles, Schlongstein & the Well-Hung Jews, or Pontius Pilate & the Nail-Driving Five? You know, a snarky music blogger could probably trek down to the Tejas capital, eschew the recognizable names, see only bands with clever monikers like those above and come away with the absolute best review of the festival. Hmm.

A bit more seriously, the list of performers is as impressive as it is long. It’s gonna be a helluva week down in Austin, 60 stages of every genre imaginable. Read on for the complete list of bands in today’s initial artist announcement…

South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, the annual music industry gathering in Austin, Texas has announced a partial list of the artists scheduled to perform at the 21st edition of the music festival taking place March 14 – 18, 2007 on over 60stage in downtown Austin. Over 7800 bands applied and over 1000 bands […]

Columbia Records will release Twelve, the eagerly-anticipated album of "cover" versions of classic popular songs newly interpreted by the 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Patti Smith, on Tuesday, April 17. Twelve is Patti Smith’s first album of new studio recordings since trampin’, her Columbia Records debut, was released in 2004, and is the […]

The latest in the string of Broken Social Scene satellite sirens to splinter forth from the fold into solo album orbit, Haines takes the restrained red velvet torch singer route previously trod by Leslie Feist, with less than successful results.

With 16 songs clocking in well over an hour – including the final track which is over nine minutes long – it becomes fairly obvious that there’s a lack of economizing thought. Along the way, the constant name dropping of rappers The Game idolized gets a bit tiring. Those moments throughout seemed contrived, if not plain silly, but the beats are damn good enough to keep one coming back for more Game.

2007 has started off with a bang for fans of bands that have broken up. Reunion Mania has taken over the rock world, with everyone from America to Zero getting in on the act. I’m not satisfied: I want more reunions. So this week’s B List features eight more bands that need to get in on the great money grab of 2007:

1. God Street Wine: Fuck Phish, if any more jambands are planning to reunite, I’d like to see God Street Wine get back together. As I mentioned in last week’s Grousing The Aisles, both Ace and I are huge fans of this dynamic band that added a little soul to the improv scene.

2. Blind Faith: Eric Clapton has run out of bands to reunite. Cream had a successful run of shows in 2005, and Clapton is currently on the road with Derek Trucks playing a bunch of Derek and the Dominos songs. Steve Winwood is in a similar predicament with the passing of Jim Capaldi. Blind Faith’s bass player Ric Grech has passed on, but Ginger Baker can still play (for the moment). I’d love to see these three men reform Blind Faith before they wind up in nursing homes.

3. Talking Heads: If The Police can put aside their animosity towards each other for a reunion, why can’t the Talking Heads? I think all the hipsters would faint at the sight of Tina Weymouth on stage again with David Byrne. Imagine the setlist the reunited Heads could put together? I’d love to see the band put aside their differences and score one of the biggest paydays in the history of rock and roll.

Read on for the other five bands that need to reunite this year….

The most talked about event in New York City last night involved Andy Samberg joining Justin Timberlake on the Madison Square Garden stage for a live rendition of the duo’s smash hit Dick in a Box. But 60 blocks north and over to the east, the headiest of the heady crammed into the 92st Street […]

The widow of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia is suing to gain access to unpublished tapes of her late husband’s musical performances. Deborah Koons Garcia filed a civil suit Jan. 31 in Marin County (Calif.) Superior Court against a limited liability corporation, comprised of the rocker’s beneficiaries including Koons Garcia, that oversees business involving his […]

Feist has announced the details of her forthcoming album.  The Canadian songstress and frequent Broken Social Scene contributor will release ‘The Reminder’ on April 23 in the UK, and on May 1 in the US. Feist, who opened for the Ramones with her high school punk band and was Peaches’ roommate, enlisted the help of […]

Playing against a simple yet intriguingly-utilized backdrop (including five flat-screen televisions showing various different angles on the trio throughout the show), Keane delivered a set with the polish of so many British pop/rock groups. Chaplin’s voice had the crystal clarity of their recordings, rising at times with the grace and power of Freddy Mercury, yet harkening often to the earnest soulfulness of Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

rom the looks of it, the marching band in Prince’s halftime Super Bowl show couldn’t touch the fun factor of Portland’s favorite band with a 10 foot pole. Named after the date of their first gig, the MarchFourth Marching Band is a high-energy mobile unit of good times. Taking a Fellini-esque mix of Mardi Gras mayhem, Afro beat, Mexican hustle, sultry samba, big band, and gypsy folk to the streets and the club/ festival scene.

It’s been a long time comin’, but the Superfly folks just posted three videos of Oysterhead’s performance from the Bonnaroo festival on its 2007 website. Rubberneck Lions, Shadow of a Man, and Pseudo Suicide are now yours… From the ‘Roo 2007 site: We added 3 video tracks from Oysterhead’s Bonnaroo 2006 performance at http://www.bonnaroo.com/. Also check out […]

If like really doesn’t attract like, oft-disgruntled NBA forward and aspiring rap star Ron Artest must be awfully pissed about String Cheese Incident’s retirement. After a neighbor blew the whistle on the h3tty Sacramento Kings star, Artest is now under criminal investigation on suspicion of animal cruelty:

A notice from animal control posted at the front of Artest’s Loomis home indicated he is under investigation for failing to feed and nourish the dog.

Neighbors said the dog is often left alone in the yard for months at a time without food and water. They said animal control has taken custody of his dogs on at least three other occasions.

Our friend Chilly Jackwater alerted us to this astonishing ::malnourishes dog:: development, and he recently also overheard Artest complaining that “The Bomb Factory is over-fuckin’-rated, man. You heard??? OVER-RATED. I’ll take anything from December ’95 over that bunk shit any fuckin’ day, puh-leez.” No word on whether Ronnie loves Punch You in the Eye above all other Phish tunes.

You ask me, I think Artest’s doctors been slinging him bunk meds for years…

Of all the incredible acts at the upcoming Langerado festival, I’m most excited to see Soul Sister #1 Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings backing band for the first time. Hey, I’m on board with any funky li’l lady that says “If you can’t feel the music on this album, then you must be a dead ass!” […]