Grinderman

Review: Grinderman’s 2 RMX

Grinderman: 2 RMXGrinderman: 2 RMX (Anti-, 4/17/12)

“Evil (Silver Alert Remix f. Matt Berninger)”

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It’s not an obvious idea to remix Nick Cave. His status as a musical icon seems to discourage the thought that his manic tales of depravity can be improved or successfully altered. But Grinderman’s 2 RMX — damn, does it work well. From A Place to Bury Strangers’ post-punk rendition of “Worm Tamer” to the spooky, shamanistic vibe of “Evil” by Silver Alert (Grinderman’s Jim Sclavunos) and The National’s Matt Berninger, it’s a surprise to find a style so distinct that’s also so versatile. Grinderman is ripe for experimentation.

Dirty Three

Q&A: Dirty Three

Dirty Three: Toward the Low SunDirty Three: Toward the Low Sun (Drag City, 2/28/12)

Dirty Three: “Rising Below”

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It’s been seven years since Aussie post-rockers Dirty Three have released an album. That’s not to say the band members have been lying low: residing in Melbourne, guitarist Mick Turner has kept himself busy with the Tren Brothers and his solo career, as well as his visual art; currently Brooklyn-based drummer Jim White has been touring the world with the likes of Cat Power and Bonnie “Prince” Billy; violinist and recent Parisian Warren Ellis, when not on the road with The Bad Seeds or Grinderman, can be found working with Nick Cave on film scores (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road).

The past seven years have been one of the most creative periods in the band’s history — and it shows on the the trio’s new album, its Drag City debut, Toward the Low Sun. Each member seems to have benefited from the hiatus, as they return with a sound that’s more definitive than ever.

Nick Cave: The Other Man in Black

With dozens of records, several novels, and many film and theater scores, Nick Cave is one of today’s most prolific, consistent, and intense artists. In this interview, conducted in 2008, Cave discusses longevity and reinvention.

100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

Among the thousands of under-appreciated or under-publicized albums that were released in 2010, hundreds became our favorites and were presented in ALARM and on AlarmPress.com. Of those, we pared down to 100 outstanding releases, leaving no genre unexplored in our list of this year’s overlooked gems.

Grinderman

Concert Photos: Grinderman @ the Riviera

Grinderman: “Heathen Child”
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Grinderman, the debauched incarnation of Nick Cave and key members of his Bad Seeds, is currently on tour in the US, with dates in Australia and England scheduled for early 2011. Contributing photographer Drew Reynolds attended the band’s recent show in Chicago at the Riviera and captured the band’s blues-rock swagger in high-contrast grayscale.

Check out the ALARM’s recent interview with Grinderman and profile of its new album, Grinderman 2.

Grinderman

Grinderman

Grinderman posts teaser trailer

Grinderman, the raunchy alter-ego of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, will release its second album, Grinderman 2, on September 13/14 via Mute (England) and Anti- (USA).  To get fans excited (or confused), the band has posted a weird 20-second trailer.

ALARM’s Top 10 Albums of 2008

Our list of favorites from last year includes devastating dub metal, organ-fueled psychedelic grind, a re-released classic-rock gem from nearly four decades ago, an international assemblage of punk-infused field recordings, and an Indian/surf/metal take on John Zorn‘s Masada material.

ALARM’s Top Ten Albums of 2007

a2a.jpgDespite increasingly miserable mainstream hits (how can the radio get any worse?), 2007 was an excellent, indulgent, fulfilling year of music. Here is a look at our favorite ten albums of the year.