AltWeeklies Wire
Aaron Parks Seeks a Nu Piano Groovenew
As a member of Brooklyn's "Nu Jazz" movement, Seattle-born Parks seeks to reclaim the spontaneity that was characteristic of the Miles Davis–led cool-jazz era with his new album.
New York Press |
Ernest Barteldes |
09-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Lykke Li Feels Your Pain and Then Somenew
You're arriving late to this Swede's party.
New York Press |
Christine Werthman |
08-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Lykke Li, Youth Novels
The Walkmen Survive the Chinatown Bus to Create the Year's Best Albumnew

With band members and practice spaces in New York and Philadelphia, nearly every day of the week required half of the band to make the trip while recording the new record, You & Me.
New York Press |
Jonny Leather |
08-18-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Vintage Dance-punk Band The Faint Still has the Movesnew
The Faint's fifth full-length release, Fasciinatiion, stands as a study in taking over the means of production—and at the same time, wrestling with the vagaries of technology.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
08-18-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Hercules and Love Affair Storm the Stage with Disco Deliverynew
The exuberant, self-titled debut album from Hercules and Love Affair, the heroically named dance-music project led by longtime New York DJ Andrew Butler, lives up to the lofty expectations its mythical moniker entails.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
08-07-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Atlanta's Rock Scene Explodes into Brooklynnew
Through their often-astonishing live shows and impressive recordings, the Black Lips and Deerhunter, have drawn attention to a locale that has not typically been seen as a breeding ground for independent rock.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
07-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Fans are Too Old for Smack, Not Spiritualizednew
After releasing Spiritualized's latest album, A + E, fresh off a battle with a life-threatening illness, Spaceman seems slightly more cautious about glorifying that "hurricane in [his] veins."
New York Press |
Maggie Serota |
07-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Queens-born Rapper Homeboy Sandman is Headed For the Big Timenew
Actual Factual Pterodactyl is not only the best-named album to come out of the New York hip-hop underground this year; it has the added benefit of being exactly the kind of album that you would hope for from something bearing its name.
New York Press |
Hamilton Nolan |
07-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Mae Shi is Like Los Angeles: Sprawling, Vast, Dynamicnew
The Mae Shi is the sort of group that can lose a lead singer (in this case founding member Ezra Buchla) but remain comfortably intact, enlisting a brand-new member (Jonathan Gray) to yelp into the mic without losing its manic stride.
New York Press |
Greg Burgett |
07-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Yaz, the '80s Electropop Duo, 'Reconnects' After 25 Years Apartnew
The communication between the members of Yaz is much better on its current "Reconnected" tour than it was when they broke up. Then again, a lot has changed in the lives of keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Alison Moyet. Now they can perhaps talk about one thing they have in common: parenthood.
New York Press |
David Chiu |
07-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: electro pop, Yaz
White Rabbits Spoon Out More Creepy, Honky-tonk Calypso Soundsnew
Though an interest in world music and an affinity for ska and New Wave perked it up a bit, their first album, Fort Nightly skewed toward the macabre.
New York Press |
Callie Enlow |
07-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: White Rabbits
Emperor X Speaks a Private Language that Remains Accessible to Allnew
I watched Matheny, who records and plays out solo under the Emperor X moniker, strum a charmingly small six-string acoustic as pedal-delayed tones pouring out of his tiny amp.
New York Press |
Greg Burgett |
06-26-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Despite Smaller Fan Bases, '90s Acts Like Polvo Continue to Reunitenew
"We're not a nostalgia act. We're trying to stay relevant to the times and ourselves," vocalist and guitarist Dave Brylawski says, adding that with a new drummer, Brian Quast, the band undoubtedly sounds different.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
06-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: indie rock, Polvo
Immortal Technique Proves That Mindful Hip-Hop is Anything but Deadnew
The ever explosive, articulate and militant musician is leading the charge of this hidden side of contemporary hip-hop with his new album, The 3rd World.
New York Press |
Billy Jam |
06-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks Return to the Stagenew
The seminal No Wave freak scream act, will play two shows at the Knitting Factory. The performances are timed with the release of No Wave: Post Punk. Underground. New York 1976-1980, a photographic and oral history edited by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley.
New York Press |
Georgia Kral |
06-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews