AltWeeklies Wire
Los Angeles Beatmaker Nosaj Thing's a Deft Distillernew
Like many young musicians, Los Angeles–based beatmaker Jason Chung (aka Nosaj Thing) isn’t much more than the sum of his influences. What’s remarkable about Chung is how deftly he distills and commingles secondhand sounds.
The Georgia Straight |
Martin Turenne |
02-08-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Jason Chung, Nosaj Thing
Dialing Down the Distortion Works Out for Asobi Seksunew
Change is good, but sometimes the subtlest changes yield the most satisfying results. Consider Asobi Seksu’s most recent album, Hush.
The Georgia Straight |
John Lucas |
10-05-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Asobi Seksu, Hush
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
With 'Fantasies,' Metric Has Assumed Control of its Own Destinynew
Without by-the-book label executives to answer to, or an out-of-touch A&R department breathing down its back, Metric revelled in the opportunity to be more daring in its musical choices this time around.
The Georgia Straight |
Jenny Charlesworth |
07-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Les Claypool Spins Stories of Pigs, Puke and Pinotnew
After a two-year gestation period, Claypool is getting ready to release the first few cases of Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir, his initial venture into the boutique-wine business and his seventh solo release, Of Fungi and Foe.
The Georgia Straight |
Alexander Varty |
06-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Daedelus Embraces a Quiet, Close-Listening Approachnew
Since his 2001 debut, the prolific Santa Monica native has sampled literally thousands of records for his own releases, but his producer's work ethic has yet to translate into the lifeless tracks that run rampant in the computer-music scene.
The Georgia Straight |
Martin Turenne |
06-22-2009 |
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
Rise Against Stealth-Markets Entertainment as Activismnew
What would a band like Rise Against do without a war or two to bellow about, anyway, or Interscope to sell hardcore all the way into the mainstream? It's entertainment, stealth-marketed to your conscience, but it's nothing that'll ever bring an end to torture.
The Georgia Straight |
Adrian Mack |
06-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Justin Townes Earle Is Clearly His Father's Sonnew
By all accounts, the younger Earle has proven himself a singer-songwriter of real talent and conviction. His latest effort covers wide swaths of musical ground, from Woody Guthrie–style folk to indie rock, with tinges of ragtime and honky-tonk thrown in for good measure.
The Georgia Straight |
Steve Newton |
05-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Gojira's Metal Machines Are Not in It for the Groupiesnew
A marvel of extreme audio decimation and technical precision, Gojira's fourth studio release pummels listeners with a gnarly mix of death, progressive, and thrash metal.
The Georgia Straight |
Jenny Charlesworth |
05-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Old-Growth Roots Give Red Cedar Inspirationnew
Born from the ashes of the psychedelic-tinged project Sister Ray, Red Cedar boasts some of Vancouver's most dedicated musicians. While the group's name is not yet a mainstay on the tattered show posters plastered around town, the quintet has been working at a feverish pace since forming last March.
The Georgia Straight |
Jenny Charlesworth |
03-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: indie rock, Red Cedar
Woodpigeon Adds Subtle Twists to the Truthnew
Although Woodpigeon's two new discs vary wildly in sound — Treasury Library Canada is lushly orchestrated dream-pop, while Houndstooth Europa is essentially an acoustic home recording — a sense of immediacy is one aesthetic constant.
The Georgia Straight |
Alexander Varty |
02-09-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Times New Viking Leads a Lo-Fi Indie Resurgencenew
The drummer and vocalist for Times New Viking realized early on in his studies that regimented lectures in art history and brush-stroke fundamentals weren't going to satisfy his creative impulses. So Adam Elliott did what disillusioned students do best -- he dropped out.
The Georgia Straight |
Jenny Charlesworth |
11-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
