In early 1991, before Nirvana’s “Nevermind” came out, the underground music scene was at a crossroads. Groups like Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden were able to cross over (some would say sell out) to mainstream rock audiences by combining the energy of ’80s hardcore punk with the classic heavy metal sound of [...]
July 28, 2010 at 9:00 am | Share |
No Comments »
In the early days of electronic music, composers intended the music to be listened to. Edgard Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen constructed elaborate collages of sound, intended to be performed in concert halls. John Cage took a more indeterminate approach to his compositions, but they were still considered to be artistic statements. Even [...]
June 14, 2010 at 9:00 am | Share |
1 Comment »
INT. COURTROOM — CONTINUOUS
Low buzz in the courtroom as judge bangs gavel
JUDGE: Order in the court! Prosecution may proceed.
PROSECUTOR: Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my intent to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant, known to the public as Killing Joke is guilty [...]
April 19, 2010 at 8:00 am | Share |
2 Comments »
Synth-pop has never been afforded much respect by music critics. Like disco and techno, it has been accused of lacking soul, and its creators of being too lazy to learn and use real instruments. While there are plenty of examples that fit this description, it is not by any means an [...]
April 9, 2010 at 11:37 am | Share |
No Comments »
If there were a way to measure the ratio of musical influence to the number of albums sold by an artist, Pixies would be up there with the Velvet Underground, Big Star and Television. Like those groups and many others, much of the energy of the Pixies came from the tension [...]
March 22, 2010 at 9:23 am | Share |
4 Comments »
It’s a tradition at South by Southwest: Japan Nite, where bands from the bustling island nation descend on Austin with their take on rock ‘n’ roll.
This year’s Japan Nite showcase, happening Friday at Elysium, kicks off with the Osaka band JinnyOops!, a girl group that describes itself as “genreless” and as having “produced Real Loud [...]
March 16, 2010 at 8:59 am | Share |
No Comments »
San Francisco indie-rock band Beulah never really settled on a single definitive lineup, and singer Miles Kurosky wrote most of the songs anyway, so it’s not such a surprise that the end of Beulah would mean a solo record from Kurosky.
It sure took him a while, though: Beulah broke up in 2004, and Kurosky, now [...]
March 15, 2010 at 7:30 am | Share |
No Comments »
It’s a fact of South by Southwest that sometimes you pick bands to see based solely on their names. For example, I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness in 2003, or I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House in 2007.
Not only does Ratas del Vaticano have an excellent name, the Mexican punk band has [...]
March 11, 2010 at 11:26 am | Share |
No Comments »
House music may have originated in Chicago, but it was New York City’s Deee-Lite that put it on the map. A trio comprising vocalist Lady Miss Kier and DJs Towa Tei and Dmitri, Deee-Lite dropped their début “World Clique” in August of 1990.
Best known for the hit single “Groove Is in the Heart,” featuring Bootsy [...]
March 10, 2010 at 8:24 am | Share |
1 Comment »
Not only is their second album a delightful leap forward, She & Him is bringing it to you live with a handful of shows at SXSW that come as part of a spring tour.
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward have outdone themselves on “Volume Two” (due March 23 on Merge): the vintage-style pop songs are catchier [...]
March 9, 2010 at 7:30 am | Share |
No Comments »