AltWeeklies Wire
Navigating the Host of Holiday Music Releasesnew
From New Kids on the Block to Jim Jones & Skull Gang, we break down some notable holiday releases.
Tags: holiday music, holiday albums
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
After Tackling 'Politics,' Sebastien Tellier Gets Deep into 'Sexuality'new
Back in 2004, French singer-songwriter Sebastien Tellier released Politics, an album that took on what most people see as a critical topic. But with the release of Sexuality, his latest recording, Tellier says he's found a more important one.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
12-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Sexuality, Sebastien Tellier
Jimmy Gnecco's Sound is All Oursnew
Despite how he's been portrayed by critics and perceived by fans, the Ours frontman isn't particularly in love with his pain, nor does he need to feel tormented to write.
Westword |
Dave Herrera |
12-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Dead Confederate Carries the Flag for a New Variation on Southern Rocknew
Wrecking Ball, the band's debut album for the imprint, is a heavy, feedback-drenched affair that finds Morris caterwauling over expressionistic tracks like "Flesh Colored Canvas." The results have earned Dead Confederate raves from publications like Rolling Stone and Spin, if not a life-changing amount of folding green.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
11-25-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Ian MacKaye Talks About His Thoroughly Unconventional Careernew
He doesn't consider his meet-the-people events to be all that revolutionary, even if it's every bit as unusual as everything else he's done in his career to date. "The idea of the Q&A was just that people read interviews -- but if they're interested, I'm happy to talk to them directly," he says. "And that's straight up."
O'Death's 'Broken Hymns' is All About Overcoming Hardshipnew
Despite the record's inherent darkness, drummer David Rogers-Berry says it's really about overcoming hardship. He speaks from experience: Just before recording Broken Hymns, his fiancée suffered a fatal aneurysm. Making the album was a cathartic experience for the drummer, who says it saved his life.
Westword |
Jon Solomon |
11-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mexico's Jaguares Bring Their Roar North of the Bordernew
Americans of a certain age will likely assume that [45], the latest album by Mexico City's Jaguares, is a nod to the age of vinyl singles. But the title digits actually allude to a far grimmer subject: the approximately 45 million Mexicans currently living in poverty.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
11-03-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
I'm Already Prepared to Forget Oasis' Latest Albumnew
I loved 1994's Definitely Maybe and liked 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? pretty well. But do I recall anything substantial about, say, 2002's Heathen Chemistry? Hell, no -- and a year from now, I won't be able to tell you squat about Dig, either.
Tags: Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis
After Extended Break, Dressy Bessy's Tammy Ealom Feels Like She's Starting Overnew
Most articles suggest that Ealom is as bubbly as the hook-o-rama tunes she pens -- and in conversation, her easy laughter and occasional giddiness seem to confirm this impression. But she also displays a steely tone at times, making it clear that despite her fun-loving reputation, she's serious about her music.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
10-20-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Kings of Leon Makes a Bid for Mass Popularity and Critical Acclaimnew
Caleb Followill and the other members of the Kings family once seemed content with updating '70s Southern rock for the new millennium -- but no more.
Tags: Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
Pendulum's Move Toward Rock Challenges its Original Electro-Fansnew
The Aussie-born, British-based group established themselves as dance-savvy drum-and-bass practitioners -- so when they infused more rock into the songs on their latest CD, In Silico, they expected some push-back from longtime supporters.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
10-14-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Silver Jews' David Berman Keeps His Demons at Baynew
On the surface, Berman's more together than he's ever been.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
10-06-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Darker My Love Finds Beauty in the Shadowsnew
Read anything about Darker My Love and the word "psychedelic" is likely to pop up by the second paragraph -- much to the irritation of Rob Barbato, the band's bassist and vocalist.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
09-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Darker My Love, 2
TV on the Radio Gets More Accessible without Selling Outnew
Although the Radio crew's talent is well established, the band's music has always raised user-friendliness questions: Sure, 2006's Return to Cookie Mountain was excellent, but did anyone other than rock critics listen to it?
Tags: TV on the Radio, Dear Science
