AltWeeklies Wire
The Revamped Sounds, Songs and Suits of The New Familiarsnew
Charlotte, N.C.-based folk-rock outfit The New Familiars blends traditional roots music with energetic, modern sounds and great vintage suits.
Mountain Xpress |
Alli Marshall |
12-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Cajun Gems' Ben Whitesides Has a Long History of Bright Futuresnew
Amid false rumors of the Joggers' breakup, Whitesides recently began focusing on the Cajun Gems for the first time in years. Armed with a huge batch of songs, built from "days' worth of riffs and rifflettes" on his computer, Whitesides is now readying tracks for both the Joggers and the Cajun Gems.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
12-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Hollywood Undead Dig Up a Music Genre That Was Better Left Buriednew
The real question is not about the band's originality, but, rather, is it too soon for nü-metal to be cool again? Judging by Hollywood Undead's success, the answer seems to be "no."
San Diego CityBeat |
Seth Combs |
12-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Hollywood Undead, nu-metal
Black Tie Dynasty Steps Past Its Hatersnew
Even though the band is just now releasing its first follow-up full-length since Movements, it just might be the most polarizing band in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Dallas Observer |
Pete Freedman |
12-15-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Colourmusic Searches for its Identitynew
Ryan Hendrix and Nick Turner, the founding partners of Colourmusic, aren't cut from the same cloth, and bridging the creative divide wasn't easy.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
12-15-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Orange, Colourmusic
The Black Dahlia Murder Keeps Death Alivenew
Michigan's the Black Dahlia Murder have been trying to shake the metalcore tag ever since they first got started in 2001. A shame, really, because they are about as molten metal as it gets.
Montreal Mirror |
Johnson Cummins |
12-15-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Can I Bite Your Thigh? A Trent Reznor Interviewnew

The Nine Inch Nails frontman goes off on a failed record industry and life as an indie artist after decades of appeasing "asshole" executives.
Sacramento News & Review |
Alia Cruz |
12-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Rise of Blind Pilotnew
To think, less than six months ago most of us were unaware of Blind Pilot. There was no 3 Rounds and a Sound (their staggeringly gorgeous debut, which is primed to top many a year-end best-of list), no bike lanes traversed by their peddle-powered tours, and no ensemble cast of musicians.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
12-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: 3 Rounds and a Sound, Blind Pilot
Stewart Erlich of WadiRum Finds His Voicenew

Spending time alone in the desert has long been thought to be a spiritual experience. The Jews wandered for 40 years. Jesus endured the devil for 40 days and nights. In Stewart Erlich's case, it was more like a long weekend with a nasty bout of the stomach flu, but life altering, nonetheless.
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Delta Spirit: Music That Lastsnew
Delta Spirit concludes its latest tour -- and hopes to avoid further legal entanglements.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
There's Still Something About Death Cab for Cutienew

Most bands these days may not know how to record to multi-track cassette tapes, or how to build a fanbase without MySpace or Facebook. Death Cab for Cutie knows all of this well, and the reissue of Something About Airplanes is a sign of the times.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Elliott Murphy's Second Actnew
The literate rocker comes home for a rare U.S. appearance.
New York Press |
David Freeland |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Elliott Murphy
Ben Vida brings His International Noise Convention to Brooklynnew
Like a musical conjurer, Ben Vida coaxes a remarkable array of instruments to take on lives of their own and reveal their extraordinary songs. For his third full-length record under the moniker Bird Show, Vida continues his obsession with an exotic assortment of music makers.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
John Legend Expands Sound on Latest Releasenew
John Legend is known for making music that goes straight to your heart — or the heart of the one you love. He hasn't lost that feeling, but he's expanding his horizons on his latest release, Evolver.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
John Grooms |
12-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Georgia Blues of Mudcat's Music Go Deepnew
Singer, guitarist, and bandleader Danny "Mudcat" Dudeck is revered for his raw and edgy guitar playing and singing in his hometown of Atlanta. He's a man comfortable with playing complicated slide guitar and belting out a few rhymes about bad love, booze, and life's hard experiences.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
12-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews