AltWeeklies Wire
Why I Still Make Tapesnew
I still make tapes because I have always made tapes, and I tend to continue to do things that I have always done.
North Bay Bohemian |
Gabe Meline |
12-19-2008 |
Music
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
Expressing Oneself Through Music Torture Programmingnew
Music as torture makes intuitive sense to us. In milder incarnations, we've been subjected to it, and practicing it, for years. In the context of genuine warfare, however, what role should music and other forms of pop culture play?
Las Vegas Weekly |
Greg Beato |
12-19-2008 |
Music
Grammy Got Run Over ...
Oh my gawd, did you guys see the Grammy nominations show last Wednesday? What a spectacle! So many stars, and so much great music! I'm so excited for the Grammys now! The music industry is saved, I tell ya! But seriously, yuck. What a mess.
Tags: Kanye West, awards, CBS, Lil Wayne, Al Green, Coldplay, Grammys, Mariah Carey, Foo Fighters, Recording Academy, Robert Plant
Who Is Jonathan Richman?new
Richman's wisdom is that he knows it can be very difficult to restore the original visceral reaction we had to a piece of music after we've unceremoniously critiqued and torn it apart. It's a philosophy that seems right for a man who's dedicated to living in the moment, to having experiences rather than discussing them.
Seattle Weekly |
Sara Brickner |
12-15-2008 |
Music
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
Razor-Pop Beckons a Minimalist Eranew
What makes razor-pop production so perfect is the illusion of humanity it presents -- the sensation that the artist is singing on a street corner, standing around a burning trash can, with friends as accompanists.
North Bay Bohemian |
Gabe Meline |
12-12-2008 |
Music
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
Whither the Album?new
Chuck Klosterman says Chinese Democracy is the format's last hurrah. Kanye proves him wrong.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
12-08-2008 |
Music
The Titles that Axl Rose Didn't Use for GnR's Long-Delayed Albumnew
It turns out that during Rose's 17-year effort to record the album, he weighed several other different potential titles. The first batch comprised more variations on the Oriental theme, but we're guessing China wouldn't have liked them any better.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
12-08-2008 |
Music
Wanna Be MySpace Music's CEO?new
Rupert Murdoch's toy is trying to go legit; mayhem may ensue, and success may not.
Dallas Observer |
Karla Starr |
12-08-2008 |
Music
Q-Tip Beats 'Democracy' to the Punch with 'The Renaissance'new
All this talk of Chinese Democracy finally seeing the light of day has overshadowed another album many of us -- at least those in the hip-hop community -- thought would never come to be: Q-Tip's second album, The Renaissance.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Craig D. Lindsey |
12-08-2008 |
Reviews
Roy Orbison and His Nashville Recordings, 20 Years After His Deathnew
With the 20th anniversary of Orbison's death on Dec. 6, and with the recent release of a career-defining box set, Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll, it's an apt time to reflect on how several of pop music's most timeless and artful songs unexpectedly emerged from a small Nashville recording studio on 17th Avenue.
Nashville Scene |
Michael McCall |
12-05-2008 |
Reviews
Wu-Tang's Raekwon Discusses Reuniting and Reconnecting with Fansnew
The individual members of Wu-Tang are involved in so many projects, some of them might not even be aware of each other's work. For instance, Raekwon said he wasn't aware of the latest album billed to Wu-Tang: Soundtracks From the Shaolin Temple, which was released Oct. 7, even though he appears on it.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Exit the 36 Chambers: Choose Your Own Wu-Tang Clan Adventurenew
Something happened on the way to becoming untouchable hip-hop legends. At best, they've reached an artistic cul de sac with their last album, 2007's 8 Diagrams. At worst, they're irrelevant. To find out why, you'll have to choose your own adventure.
San Diego CityBeat |
Nathan Dinsdale |
12-03-2008 |
Music
