Regarded as one of the greatest graphic-novel writers ever, Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Watchmen) has delved into the world of biography with Unearthing, an expansive narrative art-book. With photography by Mitch Jenkins, Unearthing “maps the lifetime of author, orientalist, and occultist Steve Moore, while simultaneously investigating the extraordinary history of South London with which that life has been intertwined.”
Meaghann Korbel
Racist sheriff gets blasted by Conor Oberst’s reunited Desaparecidos
For the first time in 10 years, Desaparecidos is back with new material. And front-man Conor Oberst has a bone to pick with embattled Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Gainesville’s “The Fest” turns 11, adds even more names to ludicrously large lineup
As Gainesville, Florida’s The Fest heads into its 11th year, its already massive lineup has expanded to add Propagandhi, a reunited Grade, and others to Anti-Flag, Negative Approach, Braid, Coliseum, Naked Raygun, 7 Seconds, Baroness, and more than 270 others.
Video: Raveonettes’ “She Owns the Streets”
The Raveonettes: Observator (Vice, 9/11/12)
In light of its forthcoming sixth studio album, Observator, Danish indie-rock duo The Raveonettes has released a video for the album’s first single, “She Owns the Streets.”
Watch the inspiration for this song — a street dancer named Loan — as she makes her own fun on the streets (and subways) of New York.
Label Q&A: Constellation Records
This content appears in the July/August iPad edition of ALARM Magazine. Download it for free and keep reading!
– Location: Montréal, QC
– Year founded: 1997
– Employees: 6
– Genres served: Many, all hyphenated
– Current # of recording artists: 27
– Lifetime total of recording artists: 36
– Best-selling album: Yanqui UXO by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (by a long mile)
– Website: cstrecords.com
In the late 1990s, Montréal was a dismal scene for emerging artists, providing mostly pay-to-play venues that made it difficult for underground acts to perform. Recognizing the need for sustainable, artist-friendly music infrastructure, friends and music lovers Don Wilkie and Ian Ilavsky started Musique Fragile — a monthly concert series run out of an inner-city loft — and launched Constellation, issuing handmade records by local bands.
The label’s third release was Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s F#A#∞, which granted both the band and label an instant cult following. Constellation would quickly (but begrudgingly) become synonymous with the post-rock movement, and it has since been home to artists such as Vic Chesnutt, Do Make Say Think, and Thee Silver Mt. Zion. Here Ilavsky shares the label’s impetus and mission.
Review: Yawn’s Happy Tears EP
Yawn: Happy Tears (Feel Trip, 7/24/12)
“Ganymede”
Chicago indie-psych-pop upstart Yawn gained popularity in just a few short years after a self-produced EP found its way to the ears of some booking agents at SXSW. Though the band only had a handful of live local sets under its belt, its successful showcase in Austin garnered praise and enthusiasm from unsuspecting attendees, eventually leading to attention from Pitchfork and NME. The band finally released its first full-length, Open Season, last summer, and has since toured with Mates of State and The Kooks. (And, of course, it was featured in Chromatic: The Crossroads of Color and Music.)
Video: Off!’s “Borrow and Bomb” / “I Got News for You”
Last month, we shared the first installment of Off!‘s video trilogy with “Cracked,” a humorous glimpse into competitive sign-spinning. Now enjoy the final chapters: a double video for “Borrow and Bomb” and “I Got News for You.”
Review: Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack
Various artists: Moonrise Kingdom Original Soundtrack (ABKCO, 5/22/12)
Alexandre Desplat: “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
Alexandre Desplat: “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
Classical and country/western, as genres of music, are about as polar opposite as they get. For director Wes Anderson and music supervisor Randall Poster, though, they make perfect sense to combine in a film. In Moonrise Kingdom, Anderon’s first film since Fantastic Mr. Fox, the director who’s so obsessed with the eccentric and eclectic situates the work of classical composer Benjamin Britten side by side with Hank Williams, with the addition of Alexandre Desplat’s subtle suite.
Contest: Win tickets to see Refused in Chicago!
In 1998, Swedish hardcore outfit Refused addressed a letter to its fans, proclaiming, “Refused are fucking dead.” Most were left longing for a reunion, particularly without seeing the band get its due for its ahead-of-its-time swansong, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts. Now, after nearly 15 years, those fans finally got their wish, and a bunch of grateful Americans are seeing the band live this week and next.
Video: Napalm Death’s “The Wolf I Feed”
Napalm Death: Utilitarian (Century Media, 2/28/12)
After surviving more than 20 years together, Napalm Death still is going strong. Earlier this year, the English extreme-metal outfit released its latest acclaimed effort, Utilitarian — its 15th to date.
For its latest video, the band teamed up with director Tim Fox (Tesseract, Skindread) to fulfill its vision for “The Wolf I Feed.” Incorporating apocalyptic, sci-fi visuals, it explores the song’s themes about exploitation of power, propaganda, and religious dogma.
Review: Calibro 35’s Any Resemblance to Real Persons or Actual Facts is Purely Coincidental
Calibro 35: Any Resemblance to Real Persons or Actual Facts is Purely Coincidental (Nublu, 7/10/12)
“Uh Ah Brr”
Film scores have seeped into the collective consciousness of musicians since they were first introduced to cinema. Their influence is widespread and unmistakable, but few artists have derived so much of their aesthetic from this sub-genre as Calibro 35, an Italian instrumental five-piece that works to pay homage to the Golden Age of Italian cinema.
Video: Gangpol & Mit’s “The 1000 People Band”
Gangpol & Mit: The 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club (Ipecac, 3/29/11)
Gangpol & Mit is a French audio/visual duo creating quirky electro-pop that draws from myriad influences, including funk, digital, noise, and cartoon and video-game worlds. Gangpol handles the boops, blits, and whirs, while Guillaumit contributes his equally bizarre animations that feature colorful geometric shapes and characters. The result is a whimsical, humorous romp through the absurd.