I love it when artists think out of the box when making music. Innovation is cool, but innovation that really makes you rethink established conventions is the best kind, in my opinion. It’s the reason why I would fall in love with bands like Morphine or Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. They’ve turned music on its ear not just with a new sound but all new band configurations that I wouldn’t even imagine. More »
Even though I grew up with a record player at home — an old cabinet-style phono system that my dad bought, I really only started collecting LPs two years ago. I’ve been a hardcore collector of cassette tapes and CDs. I began collecting cassettes when I was 14 (my first album being The Police’s Synchronicity) but was a bit late joining the CD bandwagon because I couldn’t afford to buy a CD player until I was already in the work force and earning a steady salary. In the decades that I’ve been collecting I’ve amassed more than 400 cassettes and almost 2000 CDs. But I’ll tell you a secret — I love looking at the ten LPs in my collection the most. More »
I’m on the constant lookout for fresh music. And when I mean fresh, I mean music that’s not played ad nauseum on MTV — besides I don’t consider majority of what’s played on that channel as music anyway, most of it just manufactured merchandising crap. One band I stumbled upon almost four years ago was Fujiya and Miyagi. Despite the very Japanese name and the obvious conclusion that it’s a duo, the band is actually a trio from Brighton, England (they have since added a fourth member on drums). More »
The metal world has become a touch darker with the passing of one of metal’s acknowledged gods, Ronnie James Dio. More »
Finally, more news about M.I.A.’s (love her to bits but it’s a bitch typing her name because of all the periods) upcoming new album. And if I’m complaining about typing her name, then the album’s title will just make it more difficult. More »
Godspeed You! Black Emperor has not been heard in years but finally the band’s showing signs of making a comeback. More »
If you’re one of the lucky few who have seen the newest Erykah Badu video for her new single Window Seat, then you’ll know that it’s one video that is going to get a lot of attention and discussion because of its provocative nature. More »
It is with great sadness that I write this. Mark Linkous took his life last March 6. Linkous is the brains behind the experimental blues outfit Sparklehorse. More »
Band of Horses has not been heard from in quite a while — almost three years to be exact. Their last studio effort, 2007′s Cease to Begin, which was relatively well received. But finally there’s good news from the Band of Horses camp. More »
In the 90s, Swedish pop star Robyn was packaged as a Britney Spears clone and she actually had some moderate success singing those vapid pop songs. But after going on relative hiatus on the international scene, she came back again in 2005 with an amazing pop album that not only reinvigorated her career, it has also made her cool again. More »
