Though Russian Circles’ last album was released in May of 2006, the melodic metal instrumentalists built mounds of momentum in 2007. Enter, that six-song, 44-minute album, was released in the United Kingdom, and the trio toured Europe with progressive radio rockers Tool.
Two Lone Swordsmen: Wrong Meetings
Two Lone Swordsmen — aka Andy Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood — have traced a sweeping career arc over the last two decades. Moving from mutated trip-hop (Andy Weatherall as Sabres of Paradise with his classic Haunted Dancehall) to vintage Warp Records-style downtempo electronics (Stay Down) to hard electro (the outstanding Tiny Reminders), the Swordsmen milked electronic music for everything it was worth — until, it seems, they tired of it.
Menomena Begin Fall Tour with Illinois
Experimental indie rockers Menomena began their fall tour in Boise, Idaho on Friday, October 26. The trio, whose ever-changing live dynamics are not to be missed, will add banjo-tinged indie rockers Illinois to the tour starting on Halloween.
Weekly Burlesque: Interview with a Legend: Dixie Evans, Part Two
In the second of a two-part series, burlesque columnist/dancer Jo Weldon finishes her conversation with legendary performer Dixie Evans, discussing raunchy innuendo, wailing saxophones and The Burlesque Hall of Fame.
Devendra Banhart Displays Art Alongside Works of Paul Klee
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is holding an exhibition titled Abstract Rhythms through February 24, 2008, depicting the correlation between music and visual art. The presentation combines Swiss painter Paul Klee’s (1879-1940) creations with the works of modern artist and musician Devendra Banhart.
Control Demystifies Life of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis
Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis may be rock’s ultimate death-and-rebirth archetype. Like Kurt Cobain after him, his early suicide ensured that his visionary music would live long after he did. But in Control, director Anton Corbijn is more interested in the man than the mythos.
Sonic Youth Draw to Desert for Chinati Open House
Marfa, Texas, might be the least rocking town on Earth. For starters, it’s in the Big Bend area of west Texas, seventy-four miles from the nearest interstate and a three-hour drive from the nearest city, El Paso. Marfa eerily resembles itself circa 1956, the year that the James Dean classic Giant was filmed there.
Maritime Entertain with Melodic Tunes, Tipsy Banter
For a group with such an independent pedigree, Maritime’s one-off show at Los Angeles’ Viper Room was a welcomed retreat from their opening stint for pop rockers Jimmy Eat World. This was such an intimate gathering, singer Davey Von Bohlen (shown left) later bellied up to the bar with the twenty or so fans in attendance.
Rilo Kiley Rock for Ravenous Fans
Who knew such a petite frame could contain such pith, such Pat Benatar-like feistiness? That’s what you get in Jenny Lewis, the main musician and minx from Rilo Kiley, a band that exemplifies the term “indie darlings.”
The Forms: s/t
Post-hardcore is not a genre known for being sleek and graceful. Bands like Fugazi and Jawbox were known for complex melodies and accessibility, but their music was also characterized by a fierce aggression. However, those are not hard and fast rules, which New York’s The Forms make perfectly clear on their self-titled second album.
Weekly Burlesque: Interview with a Legend: Dixie Evans, Part One
In the first part of a multi-faceted discussion, burlesque dancer/columnist Jo Weldon interviews Dixie Evans, a legend of the genre that curates the Burlesque Hall of Fame and started the Miss Exotic World pageant in 1990.
Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies
Hip-hop records have never had what one would call “substantial” liner notes. Obligatory credits to various producers and guests, a representative photo or two, and often indecipherable shout-outs are all that crowd the glossy pages of inserts to virtually every classic and current hip-hop album, much to the frustration of detail-hungry fans.