Luck in Lyrics: A Deep Dive into Good Fortune in Popular Music
Music has a unique relationship with several forms of popular culture. There are artists and songwriters who have been extremely talented enough to combine two different things and make songs that standout because of their lyrics. The rap and hip-hop genres can often feature references to sports, especially the UK’s grime scene. It isn’t uncommon […]
VIDEO PREMIERE: Joe Kaplow Examines the Hardships of Touring with Easygoing Indie Folk Tune “Rock and Roll”
Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe is the third full-length album from Santa Cruz-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Kaplow. Appropriately named after his bandmates’ nicknames, this record is a more cohesive ‘band’ statement than his previous self-recorded work. Most tracks were cut over a five day span, performed live at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR […]
Sleater-Kinney and Black Belt Eagle Scout Bring Northwest Rock Glory to Austin’s ACL LIVE (PHOTOS)
On Wednesday, March 6th, just days before Austin, TX is set to be descended upon by SXSW madness, Olympia’s Sleater-Kinney played for an enthusiastic crowd at ACL Live. Showcasing several tracks from their new album, Little Rope, the band was loud, muscular and uncompromising as they stomped through almost two dozen songs across their repertoire. […]
Porno For Pyros With Bassist Mike Watt Bring 90’s Alt Rock Charisma To Boston’s House of Blues (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)
Porno for Pyros, the alt-rock supergroup featuring Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, descended upon the House of Blues in Boston on Tuesday, March 5th, for a stop on their “Horns, Thorns and Halos” farewell tour. The energy was electric as fans, many sporting a mix of Pyros and Jane’s Addiction t-shirts, eagerly awaited the arrival of […]
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band: Hip-Hop Re-Interps Like You’ve Never Heard (INTERVIEW)
While just the words “steel pan ensemble” might conjure a “hard pass” from most wisecrackers, perhaps a few things to consider about Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band: They do a mean cover of “Nuthin But A G Thang,” and they are from Germany, where there are no sunny escapist tropicales that might influence a Caribbean […]
80 Years Ago Today- The Late Townes Van Zandt Was Born
SONG PREMIERE: Moonsville Collective Keep It Rustic and Intimate with “A Hundred Songs”
Moonsville Collective has become the string band the members always wanted it to be. Five years after their last release and following a lineup change, the Southern California–bred folk band feels a renewed connection to its roots in old-time music circles, bolstered by the sharpened musical and songwriting skills that come with more experience. “We […]
Golden Age Thursday: Gang Starr “You Know My Steez (LIVE) 1998
It goes without saying that Gang Starr is one of the most important figures in hip-hop history. With Guru’s effortlessly relaxed cadence and nuanced rhyme schemes gliding over DJ Premier’s jazz-tinted instrumentals, it is hip-hop in its truest essence. One emcee and one DJ trade energies to create mystical moments of literary prowess and genre-fusing […]
The Who’s ‘Live At Shea Stadium 1982’ Gets Proper Full Audio Release (ALBUM REVIEW)
Released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2015, The Who Live at Shea Stadium 1982 contains the complete performance from October 13th, the second of two nights at the now defunct NYC venue. Even without ancillary content on that package, the double CD proffers a comprehensive cross-section of the iconic British group’s work throughout its career. And oddly […]
Good Looks Announce New LP ‘Lived Here For A While’, Share Single “If It’s Gone”
Austin, Texas rock quartet Good Looks has announced their electric new album Lived Here For A While, out June 7th via Keeled Scales, and shared its lead single/video, “If It’s Gone” (below). The follow-up to Good Looks’ critically acclaimed 2022 debut Bummer Year, Lived Here For A While trades the Americana sound that colored in […]