Bruce Springsteen fandom knows no geographical bounds. In America, rustic patriarchs like Gaslight Anthem and Titus Andronicus wear their Springsteen influence on their sleeves. Now, Canadians are getting in on the act, too. Dubbed “The E Street Band on crack,” Victoria, British Columbia’s Slam Dunk makes overwhelmingly hooky stadium rock…
First, imagine a brooding, somewhat reckless Ian Curtis type singing over the raging-yet-melodic hardcore of early Hüsker Dü. Then, imagine a fist crashing into your face — the unbelievably sharp pain mingling with the salty, metallic taste of the blood that’s dripping into your mouth. Then, imagine a gang of…
If you’ve been picking daisy petals all these years, wondering whether to assign your devotion to this black-and-white-clad band of renown, now is probably a good time to pucker up. With the release of this year’s disc The Demon and the Devotee, The Love Me Nots have pushed beyond the…
Anyone who was a fan of Phoenix hardcore skate punk legends JFA (Jodie Foster’s Army) — or first wave Phoenix punk, in general — should be excited to see Father Figures play with Asses of Evil this week. It’s not exactly a JFA reunion, but close enough, with half of…
Though this weekly has featured ventures into spoken word and electro, the bread and butter at WTFunk Friday remains hip-hop. This Friday’s installment looks especially potent, hosting guest MCs DFS (Phal Kilmer & Floyd Write), Done Done One, Joe Baggs, Alkatraz (of T.S.O.I.), We Got Next, and Clockwork, and featuring…
Obscura is a fun dance party, it’s a shame it only happens once a month. DJs Roya and Adrian Flanagan spin indie, brit pop, and new wave, and raffle off CDs, concert tickets, and movie screening passes on the second Saturday of every month. A late night haboob didn’t stop…
Incubus fans expecting the band’s popular brand of guitar rock are in for a shock with the group’s seventh album, If Not Now, When?, released today. Listening to all twelve of the slow, concise power ballads here, one might even start to think they were listening to a Coldplay album.Well,…
According to its own polished hype, the aptly named Hype Music is “a remarkable talent-incubating, hybrid, music licensing company fueled by some of the world’s hottest, emerging, independent artists.” But Hype may just live up to its name. The company’s a partnership between music industry powerhouses MTV Networks and Extreme Music, and…
This Saturday’s Splash party, presented by Fuze and Psyko Steve, will be the first of a summer series. This gig will feature What Laura Says, Gospel Claws, Mondegreen, and special guest DJ Mr. Coon.It’s a 21-and-up event, and the party begins at 7 p.m. at the pool at the Lexington…
Finding success with two different bands puts you in some pretty rarefied company. But just like Dave Grohl, Eric Clapton, and everyone in Joy Division not named Ian Curtis, Louisiana singer-guitarists Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner — the core of upstart indie-pop outfit Generationals — have managed to pull off…
Being in a touring rock band is challenging enough without internal conflicts, but when two members of the group are separating/divorcing each other, there are only two paths to take: 1) the Fleetwood Mac route, in which all the trauma is poured into an album for the whole world to…
If teeny-bopper rap sounds like something Method Man’s nightmares would be made of, it’s not. The Closer to My Dreams Tour, headlined by Young Money labelmates Tyga and Lil Twist (with opener Diggy Simmons, son of Rev Run of Run-D.M.C.), is proof that teeny-bopper not only lives, but that it…
Sometimes, metal bands sound like teenagers screaming over a wall of doomy, spiraling guitar chords. Sometimes, metal bands sound like a demon orgy in a thunderstorm. And occasionally, a good metal band sounds like both. One of the things that make Phoenix band Sicmonic notable is musical diversity. The quintet’s…
Don’t let that mask scare you. DJ Raccoon doesn’t want to dig through your trash; he wants to get your ass moving. “I stray far, far away from Top 40,” Raccoon, a.k.a. Jake Brennan, says via e-mail. Raccoon is more into indie, dance, house, and dub, which he’ll be playing…
Third-wave ska peaked sometime in the late 1990s, when bands like The Toasters, Save Ferris, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones achieved mainstream recognition. Times change and people move on, and now we’re left with Rihanna searching for a rude boy. Thankfully, Streetlight Manifesto has been providing a fresh take on…
A name like Summer Massive sets high expectations for a party. All the components were in place — an impressive line up featuring Designer Drugs, Le Castle Vania, and local talent, a large venue (bonus points for cool décor at The Venue of Scottsdale), cheap drinks, and lots of interesting…
For those who felt that “Still Life” just wasn’t enough Horrors, worry not — the band has made Skying available for a full album stream via their website. The much-anticipated follow up to 2009’s Mercury Prize-nominated Primary Colours, Skying finds The Horrors comfortable in the post-punk, touches-of-shoegaze groove that Colours…
Some bands call themselves “eclectic” because they merge metal and hip-hop or include a xylophone in some songs, but Swedish band Teddybears’ music is the epitome of the word. Listening to the band’s sixth album, Devil’s Music (released in the states on Big Beat/Atlantic today), it’s impossible to pigeonhole the…
Though they never achieved the notoriety enjoyed by some ’90s Cali punk peers, Face to Face’s fans are legion among the punk faithful, particularly skaters. Led by frontman Trever Keith (the quartet’s sole remaining original member), Face to Face’s songs race like nitrous funny cars fueled on slashing guitar hooks…
The Commodores are mostly known for their slow jams — tunes like “Sail On,” and “Easy,” featuring former frontman Lionel Richie’s exceptionally smooth voice. But the band also excelled at high-energy funk: “Brick House,” with Clyde Orange on vocals, became one of their biggest hits and still jams hard, even…
Most people don’t think of the bass player as being integral to any band, especially when the band is named after the singer. When Otep, the namesake nu-metal group of vocalist Otep Shamaya, lost original bassist Jay “Evil J” McGuire last year, they lost the only remaining original member of…
Year: 1987. Scene: A seedy Chicago bar. Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy meet and bond over underground horror flicks and degenerate tabloid chronicles of sex, sleaze, and the occult, then plan to create their own “B movie” band. Result: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. With 13 albums in…
