In a city often overshadowed by its DC neighbors, Baltimore has quietly contributed to many musical movements. From new wave and hardcore in the Eighties to a rise in the club scene this century, the town has shown a knack for producing forerunners of the tide. A prime example is avant-garde rock band Wilderness.
Weekly Music News Roundup
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez announces a new solo album for Stones Throw; Saul Williams speaks about the aftermath of The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust; Garage a Trois announces tour dates and posts an album preview; Don Caballero returns to the Northeast, and much more.
DIY Venue Spotlight: 591 55th Street
The inhabitants of 591 55th Street (or The Basement as it is commonly called) spend plenty of time playing Street Fighter and drinking. A few months ago, a combination of boredom and distaste for venue promoters prompted The Basement to dedicate some time to hosting bands.
Since then, a variety of musicians have performed in their space. Word has spread and many shows have reached capacity. 591 55th Street will be expanding in the near future to accommodate the crowds.
What We’re Doing This Weekend
Care to stalk us this weekend? Search for us around Chicago as we see Subtle, The Lonesome Organist, Eastern Blok, the Andreas Kapsalis Trio, Young Widows, and more. And maybe you’d care to see The Dark Knight with online editor Scott Morrow…
Japanese Motors: ST
Japanese Motors inhabits that mythical Gotham of our rock fan imagination; of tuff boys and tuffer girls, of leather jackets and tight denim and “I Heart NYC” tees, of Lou Reed and Debbie Harry and Richard Hell.
Austin, Texas is so overflowing with live music now that the city throws together an eighty-band festival in its sleep. So it was for the Fun Fun Fun Festival, whose biggest handicap might be its goofy name.Weekly Burlesque: Feelin’ Good
Yay! That’s All I Have To Say.
The Top 10 Songs by Faith No More
Faith No More didn’t revolutionize the rock landscape, but for much of its tenure, its members created some of the genre’s best mainstream songs while courting radio success. Along the way, Mike Patton and crew peppered other styles into their expanding repertoire, wedging lounge sounds, incoherent squeals, and even an angelic choir into songs that ran alongside pummeling rock tunes.
There is a kitschy guilty pleasure to pre-Patton songs such as “We Care a Lot,” but respectfully, they can’t compete. So with apologies to the Chuck Mosely era, here is our list for Faith No More’s best songs.
Viking Moses: The Parts That Showed
Melancholy Americana would be a better denomination than freak folk, the tag that has clung to Viking Moses since the band’s appearance on Devendra Banhardt’s 2004 Golden Apples of the Sun (Bastet) compilation. The band’s newest offering, The Parts That Showed, should rectify that reduction.
Grails Guitarist Discusses Creating Album Art for Doomsdayer’s Holiday
Doomsdayer’s Holiday is the new release by Portland’s instrumental rock band Grails. Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Grails is a wonderful anomaly. I recently spoke with guitarist Alex Hall, who created the artwork for the album.
Weekly Music News Roundup
ATP announces another festival; ’90s doom-metal group Sleep reunites; Calexico posts a free streaming video of a 23-song performance. This and more…
DIY Venue Spotlight: The Whitehaus Family Record
The Whitehaus Family Record is a three-story house located in the lush town of Jamaica Plain, Massachusettes. Inside this house, a variety of performances such as fire breathing, live radio drama, music playing, and weekly hootenannies occur in the living room. The Whitehaus Family plans to continue these shows until they die.