Label: Smithsonian Folkways Released: March 23, 1999 Lead Belly is widely considered one of the greatest influences on modern American music, yet I know few who actually listen to him. That doesn’t diminish his influence, but it does call into question whether he is directly relevant today or a generation or two removed. The follow-up question would then be, if… Read more »
Here’s some particularly bad news for anyone who likes good music and/or good movies: Geoff Tate (of Queensrÿche) and Candice Night (of Blackmore’s Night) will make their acting debuts together in House of Eternity. After hearing recent releases from both of them, the movie theater will feel like a house of eternity unless they can both act better than they… Read more »
Label: Bad Reputation Released: January 15, 2008 For those not familiar with the Gypsy Pistoleros, they play sleazy, gritty glam with a touch of Latin flair (although not quite as prevalent as they sell it, it certainly amounts to a lot more than just some Spanish lyrics). Unlike the many bands from the hair metal heyday of the 80s that… Read more »
You can stream Slingshot Dakota’s Golden Ghost for free over at ThePunkSite.com. It’s only available until January 27th, so hurry up.
Label: Rhino Released: January 8, 2008 When I first saw Kimya Dawson several years ago opening for They Might Be Giants, there was nothing that made me think that her music would eventually be the soundtrack to a successful movie. Don’t get me wrong, I liked her…a lot. She can’t sing, she can’t play, her songs are simple, yet she… Read more »
Label: Deep Elm Records Released: August 27, 2007 Anything with any post-punk influence is bound to be pretty angular, but Free Diamonds take it to a new level. They focus on rhythm to the point that everything, voice included, is a rhythm instrument, giving the entire album a very polyrhythmic effect along the lines of Sound Affects-era Jam and the… Read more »
Label: Red Headed Stepchild Records Released: July 1, 2007 In listening to A Second, or Ten Years Later, two influences kept cropping up: New Model Army and Joy Division. There really couldn’t be two things more different than New Model Army’s warm, human, folky anger and Joy Division’s cold, stark, dark emptiness, yet the Sailplanes manage to work both into… Read more »
Label: Exigent Records Released: February 26, 2008 It seems that some of the least likely bands are incorporating strings of the non-guitar variety these days. Plenty of metal and hardcore bands don’t seem to even blink at the idea anymore. Sometimes, it sticks out like a sore thumb and other times, it’s perfectly integrated. Salt Lake City’s Loom is the… Read more »
Label: Full Breach Kicks Released: August 21, 2007 Here in the US, when most people think of glam, they think of Sunset Strip scene of the late 80s where hairspray had more to do with a band’s success than their music. Little known to so many on this side of the Atlantic, there was another glam scene across the ocean… Read more »
Label: Tigertrap Records Released: October 29, 2007 Unbridled. Unrefined. Uninhibited. Those can be the qualities of great rock and roll or a complete disaster. Untitled Musical Project is like a band with Keith Moon as every member, so they’re clearly the former. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t play at Moon’s technical level, but they do have his complete sense… Read more »