AltWeeklies Wire
She Comes in Colors: Niagara's Tale is Pure Detroitnew

Niagara — the same woman who did time with the late Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton in the universally cultish bands Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival — whose drug-fueled, gun-toting, sexually vivid pop art is known the world over.
Metro Times |
Brent Callwood |
12-15-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Neo-mod Brit Brats the Arctic Monkeys are Slowing Down, Growing Up and Branching Outnew
A crusty British music scribe whose name I am unable to recall recently theorized that no one likes the Arctic Monkeys—until they actually listen to one of their records. But as soon as they were built up as the saviors of British rock music, they were knocked down.
Montreal Mirror |
Erik Leijon |
12-11-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
La Strada Feel at Home North of the Border, Cozying Up with New Pals Hey Rosettanew
La Strada's music is the kind usually molded by cold winters and small communities. It's an indie-rock fuelled by group harmonies, violin and cello. La Strada finally made it to Canada earlier this fall, opening up for Cuff the Duke.
The Coast, Halifax's Weekly |
Mike Landry |
12-11-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
An American Primitive Guitarist Looks Back on a Bittersweet Journeynew

In the late '90s, Glenn Jones' band Cul de Sac recorded an album with John Fahey. As a high school student, Jones had become obsessed with the legendary guitarist after his art teacher introduced him to one of Fahey's early albums.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Bill Forman |
12-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Candye Kane's More Than 20 Years of Blues, Country, Roots Rock and Jazznew

The singer's most recent challenge was the discovery that she had pancreatic cancer, an illness she has since overcome. The healing process inspired her to create her ninth album, Superhero, which was released earlier this year by Delta Groove Records.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Superhero, Candye Kane
Pete Rock, DJ Premier and the Praise of Disciplesnew
Hip-hop producers Pete Rock and DJ Premier remain among the most musically and culturally important in hip-hop's lifespan. We talked with five area artists (two of whom will perform Saturday) whose careers have been influenced by Pete and Primo.
INDY Week |
Eric Tullis |
12-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Q&A: Jay Farrar on Kerouac, 'Big Sur'new
Son Volt frontman Jay Farrar has been reading Jack Kerouac since he was a teenager. But writing the music and lyrics for the soundtrack to One Fast Move or I'm Gone, a documentary about Kerouac's semi-autobiographical novel Big Sur, provided plenty of firsts for the songwriter.
Seattle Weekly |
Chris Kornelis |
12-07-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Bill Callahan Balances Uncertainties on His New Albumnew
With an eye for such tragic ironies as Cain's ignoble fate, Callahan has written toward various shades of darkness and light, from pitch black to only slightly dim.
The Memphis Flyer |
Stephen Deusner |
12-07-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Made of Metallicanew
Robert Trujillo, who joined legendary heavy metal band Metallica in 2003, talks about the on the past, present and future of the famous band.
Boise Weekly |
Amy Atkins |
12-03-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Air Apparents Zero 7 Veer Away from Their Downtempo Rootsnew

Five years after being described by Rolling Stone as "Air without irony," Zero 7's Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker are still amazed by the persistence of comparisons to the French electronica duo.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Bill Forman |
12-03-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Chill-Out, Eska, Henry Binns, Martha Tilston, Sam Hardaker, Simple Things, Yeah Ghost, Zero 7, Air
Evol Intent Ruptures the Walls of Drum 'n' Bassnew
These three guys originally from Atlanta produce and play galvanic, kinetically de-tuning, glitch-hop-tinged drum 'n' bass, influenced by everyone from N.W.A. to Squarepusher. And they are popular in a genre that doesn't get much press but that is loyal and long-running.
Baltimore City Paper |
Tony Ware |
12-01-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
No Subject is Sacred for Vic Chesnutt, Including JFK's Sexploitsnew
All great artists are misunderstood in one way or another. When Vic Chesnutt is considered at all, it's often as a tragic figure whose past missteps continue to haunt him. But throughout his work a salty sense of humor can be found alongside much tenderness, rage, and self-doubt.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian J. Barr |
11-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Baltimore's Rapdragons Smoke Up and Breathe Firenew
"This band could never have started on some Craigslist thing like 'Hey, do you wanna play music?'" says Nick Often about Rapdragons, the hip-hop duo he co-founded with Greg Ward earlier this year. "It's really out of the fact that we're friends, that's what feeds it."
Baltimore City Paper |
Al Shipley |
11-24-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Rapdragons, Ten Stories High
Kim Deal Talks About the Pixies' 'Doolittle' Anniversary Tournew
"I like albums and I’m kind of a geek anyway, so starting something from the beginning and then doing every song in order is appealing to me."
New York Press |
Adam Rathe |
11-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Kenny G on Weezer, Barack Obama and 'Wayne's World'new
Kenneth Gorelick, the man who has moved more than 48 million records -- one of the most satirized men in pop culture -- recently gave us a call from Puerto Rico before a gig.
Seattle Weekly |
Chris Kornelis |
11-16-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Kenny G, smooth jazz