AltWeeklies Wire
Franz Ferdinand Fires Backnew
As matches made in heaven go, Franz Ferdinand and Green Day are nowhere near the top of the list.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
09-04-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Band of Skulls Gets Stripped Down to the Bonenew
For the members of England's Band of Skulls, finding their unique collective voice was a question of trust.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
09-04-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Sonic Youth Gets Better With Agenew
The almost unanimous verdict on The Eternal is not only that Sonic Youth sounds more energized than in years, but that the long-running alt-rock icons have come damn close to recapturing the form that made them legends in the first place.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
07-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Isis Balances the Ferocious and the Serenenew
Wavering Radiant's quieter passages are transcendent enough to suggest that singer-guitarist Aaron Turner is just as happy lost in the middle of nowhere as he is soaking up the maddening roar of modern civilization. That turns out to be exactly the case.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
06-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Okkervil River Overflows With Dramanew
Ironically enough, Will Sheff has come to learn that there’s a downside to being famous, even when that fame is at the grassroots level.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
09-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Okkervil River
Putting the Pemberton Festival on the Mapnew
The B.C. summer-concert season's much-hyped mega event, Pemberton Festival, didn't come together by accident. Still, the three-day showcase, which will see 100 acts descend on the town of Pemberton, B.C., from July 25 to 27, could just as easily have ended up elsewhere.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
06-23-2008 |
Concerts
Take Does It Offend You, Yeah? at Face Valuenew
Back in the U.K., critics and punters alike have pigeonholed the group as charter members of the nu-rave club. But they're obviously aiming higher than a seat on the bandwagon next to Justice and Shitdisco.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
05-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Sons & Daughters' Gamble Pays Offnew
The Gift finds Scott Paterson, singer-guitarist Adele Bethel, bassist Ailidh Lennon, and drummer David Gow giving their fans something that's decidedly different from past offerings.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
04-28-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Raconteurs Produce Rock 'n' Roll Alchemynew
Without even pausing to think about it, Brendan Benson describes the Raconteurs as one of the most incredible things that's ever happened to him.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
04-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Chiodos Makes It Majesticnew
Chiodos knew exactly what it was after on Bone Palace Ballet, a record that proves My Chemical Romance and Panic at the Disco aren't the only post-emo upstarts obsessed with classic-rock kings Queen.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
04-14-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Protest the Hero Demands Our Full Attentionnew
With Fortress, that path found Protest the Hero taking steps to ensure it wasn't ghettoized as a Canuck version of American concept-album kings Coheed and Cambria.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
04-14-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Alpha Galates Loves Lavish Layersnew
Alpha Galates comes on like a Euro-metal grudge match between black album-era Metallica, Lacuna Coil, and Genesis before Phil Collins took control.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
04-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Against Me! Makes Like Modern-Day Clashnew
Against Me!'s Tom Gabel is honest enough to admit that, despite Against Me!'s best intentions, his band probably doesn't matter as much today as it might have 20 years ago.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
03-28-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Against Me!
Carbon/Silicon: A Clash of Titansnew
Punk survivors Mick Jones and Tony James prove they're just as relevant as ever with Carbon/Silicon's forward-looking sound.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
03-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Carbon/Silicon, The Last Post
Know Your History: The Balmoralnew
From CBGB in New York City to the Smilin' Buddha Cabaret in Vancouver, the best live-music clubs have been located in neighborhoods that Charles Bukowski would have loved getting liquored up in. Not that long ago, the Balmoral was the kind of room populated by hard-core barflies.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
03-07-2008 |
Recreation
Tags: bars & clubs