2009

Ben Folds – Melodramatic Pop Songs (INTERVIEW)

At this very moment, in every college town, in every city, in every state, there is at least one functioning rock band with a lead singer/pianist.  Blame Ben Folds.  Like Elton John before him, Folds has redefined the piano as a lead instrument.

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Open Thread: Did You Get Phish Tickets?

Music Today has started sending out notices of regret and confirmation to those who entered the lottery for tickets to Phish’s upcoming Summer Tour. How did you fare? Let us

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Leftovers: Germany’s Zappanale Rolls On

A German court has ruled that the Zappanale, a festival celebrating the music of Frank Zappa, does not violate the trademark held by Zappa’s widow Gail. The Frank Zappa festival

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Review: Perpetual Groove @ The Variety

While making our way to the Variety Playhouse to bear witness to Perpetual Groove’s sold-out show in Atlanta last Saturday evening, I was struck by the flurry of activity taking place outside the venue. Drum circles, blown glass vendors and teens from area high schools greeted us as we approached the front door. It had been a few years since I last caught the band and was honestly unaware how much their fanbase had grown.

[All Photos by Megan Case]

Located roughly 70 miles from the band’s homebase in Athens, Saturday’s show was somewhat of a homecoming. Taking the stage just after 9 p.m. and showering each other at center stage with talcum powder, the band manned their respective positions and we settled in for three-hour-plus show.

READ ON for more of Matt’s review and Megan’s photos…

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Interview: Joe Pug’s Brave New World

As we pop our collective cork on a new (read: better) era, we want to take this opportunity to pound the table a little on behalf of Joe Pug. Make no mistake; Joe has received no shortage of fawning via the media, such as this career grenade from Jason Killingsworth of Paste: “If you want to read the actual endorsement, touch the Braille stretching up my arms. Twenty years from now, lazy journalists will compare every halfway decent songwriter to Joe Pug. Mark my words.”

Still, Joe Pug really emanates the fitting spirit of cautious optimism for the new administration, so we invited Joe for a chat about his incredibly well-received debut EP writing music and the future. Before we dive into the interview, be sure to check out Joe Pug’s new video released in celebration of Inauguration Day directed by Peter James, the winner of Pug’s fan-submitted video contest…

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoOK3NfgFQ

Ryan Dembinsky: I read somewhere that the seven songs on the Nation of Heat EP were derived from a play you were writing while at the University of North Carolina. Could you give us a little synopsis of what you envisioned for the play? In other words, who would you have cast given the option to choose absolutely anybody and what would the sets look like?

Joe Pug: The play took place in rural North Carolina on the jobsite of an unfinished house. It only had three characters… a surly carpenter, an affluent journalist, and an 18 year-old girl. I never had any actors in mind. To be frank, it really wasn’t a good play. The resulting album is much better. Maybe that’s why the play never saw the light of day.

READ ON for more of Ryan Dembinsky’s interview with Joe Pug…

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