AltWeeklies Wire
An Old Punk's Guide to the 2008 Vans Warped Tournew
The Warped Tour is back for its 14th year, and with it comes the annual query, "What's so punk about the Warped Tour anyway?" It's a loaded question.
San Diego CityBeat |
Jim Ruland |
08-13-2008 |
Concerts
Sam Phillips Strips Down for 'Don't Do Anything'new
As on all of her best work, Phillips is humble and open-hearted, invitingly tuneful but unsparing in her assessment of the emotional wreckage she sees.
San Antonio Current |
Gilbert Garcia |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Sam Phillips, Don't Do Anything
Gary Allan's Music Evolves an Emotional Edgenew
Last year's Living Hard followed, highlighted by the hit "Watching Airplanes," in which Allan lays on his car hood at the runway's edge, watching the lights go overhead, knowing his baby's gone, 30,000 miles above, and a million miles away.
San Antonio Current |
Chris Parker |
08-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Paul Westerberg Releases a New Online-only Concept Albumnew
The songs themselves—or the segments of the track that could be divvied up as songs, given that nothing on 49:00 is separated or labeled—are, for the most part, straightforward and representative of Westerberg's songwriting style.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Andrea Myers |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
Bark Hide and Horn Debuts With Sprawling Sing-along Diary 'National Road'new
Inspired by singer Andy Fergeson's large collection of vintage National Geographic magazines, the record narrates the supposed adventures of Melville Bell Grosvenor, editor of the mag from 1957 to 1967 and grandson of Alexander Graham Bell.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
VJ-turned-archivist Dan Woods Tapes Men That Make the Whole World Singnew
The Ponyrock zine founder as compiled the ultimate indie rockumentary with no background in journalism or filmmaking. Then again, the unaffiliated press shouldn't land a chat with James Murphy in the first place. Nor Sonic Youth. For Kraftwerk, the New York Times should doubt its chances.
Willamette Week |
Jay Horton |
08-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Rock Riffs Meet Classical Chops in the Hands of Judgement Daynew
For a mutant that's half-string quartet, half-power trio, this triple threat of violin, cello, and drums turns out to be mighty tough.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dina Maccabee |
08-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Judgement Day
Squirrel Nut Zippers Mine Mysteries — and Their Back Catalognew
After a lengthy hiatus, the Squirrel Nut Zippers are back. Just don't call them a swing band, anymore, OK? Thanks.
Eugene Weekly |
Chuck Adams |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Squirrel Nut Zippers, preview
Just How Texan are Hayes Carll and Miranda Lambert?new
Unlike the Outlaws or Lovett/Griffith/Earle cadre, this bunch doesn't socialize regularly or share a common background. They're all Texans, indisputably, but even how much that has to do with their current success is open for debate.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm on Living the Bluesnew
While his first CD with Malcolm, Juke Joint Duo, was self-produced, their latest, still-untitled album was recorded professionally in Nashville, and Burnside is extremely excited about it.
Houston Press |
Ben Westhoff |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Post-Perfect Circle, Billy Howerdel Puts Himself Out Frontnew
He's stepped out as Ashes Divide's singer, now that the group is on tour.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Alan Sculley |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
KaiserCartel Skips School to Bring Its Hopeful Harmonies Out Westnew
Elementary school teachers Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel won't be returning to the classroom this fall. Instead of tutoring kids in music and art, they'll be continuing their summer tour into the autumn as indie-pop duo KaiserCartel.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Mandy Moench |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
George Thorogood's Making New Music, But He Knows What You Want to Hearnew
Thorogood is considering at what point he should quit making new music and instead rely on his back catalog to fill the set list for his live shows.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Alan Sculley |
08-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: George Thorogood, The Hard Stuff
A New Six-Disc Set Documents Two Years of Live Suicide Havocnew

Filling six discs with 13 complete sets from New York and Europe, Live 1977-78 is perhaps, as the back cover text admits, "Not for the fainthearted or casual fan." (Is there even such a thing as a casual Suicide fan?)
Baltimore City Paper |
Marc Masters |
08-12-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: suicide, Live 1977-78
Nas Revels in Frictionnew
There are a multitude of obvious reasons why Nas would choose to christen a record about race relations in America with an unprintable epithet, but there are subtler implications, as well.
Philadelphia City Paper |
J. Edward Keyes |
08-12-2008 |
Reviews