The Smashup plays the type of post-hardcore that all the kids seem to be eating up nowadays. And that’s fine. The Brooklyn-based band makes a nice racket, and it has the decency to back it up with lyrics about real issues (addiction, abortion, etc) instead of sappy love songs. Before…
Impeccable Blahs, the latest album by Brooklyn’s Say Hi to Your Mom, is not only the rare synth-pop project with depth; it’s also a journey through the swarm of literal and figurative bloodsuckers who walk among us. “I think that certain songs are blatantly about vampires, and other songs just…
DJ Rap’s moniker may be a little misleading in its simplicity. Created out of an early fixation with breakbeats and hip-hop, it served better as a bypass key into the cock-and-balls attitude of the club world. You see, DJ Rap (AKA Charissa Saverio) was born in Singapore and spent an…
Hank Williams Sr. is legendary. Called the “Hillbilly Shakespeare,” he lived fast, died young, and left a beautiful legacy. Hank Williams Jr. is almost as legendary as his dad. Like many sons with famous fathers, Hank II grew up in his father’s shadow; but he eventually heeded his genes’ call…
Over the past year, the Radiators have received more national and international exposure than at any point since their late-’70s launch — but the attention has come at a heavy price. The bayou-rock band calls New Orleans home, and after that city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, reporters sought out…
There’s an obvious kinship between roots music and punk rock. When you break it down, there probably isn’t anything more DIY than grabbing an acoustic guitar and just lettin’ loose. Perhaps that’s why there have been so many local shows that mix the two genres lately (e.g., Wayne Hancock, Legendary…
Ice-T is almost 50 years old. One of the first rappers to reach the half-century mark, the man born Tracy Marrow practically invented West Coast gangsta music. Despite a successful acting career, the man who borrowed his alias from famed author/pimp Iceberg Slim is still in the hip-hop game —…
Along with Diddy and Eminem, Snoop Dogg (AKA Calvin Broadus, AKA the Doggfather) is in the household name category of rappers. People still borrow from Snoop’s slang (his hiz-ouse), and any of his album tracks, old or new, are likely to set off a college keg party… or a Long…
The recent success of Mae is proof-positive that nice guys don’t have to finish last. In fact, they can get the girl and manage to open for Weezer. Not bad for a quintet of good ol’ boys from Norfolk, Virginia, who are currently preaching the gospel of spiritual piano rock…
It’s been 16 years since A Tribe Called Quest dropped the tune “Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts).” But only four weeks have passed since the Poor House last devoted itself to the Art of Moving Butts — and damn if it ain’t time for another. If you…
James Brown may hold the title of the hardest-working man in show business, but in the business of post-hardcore music, As Cities Burn could be the hardest-working band. Within two years of its first practice deep in the swamps of Louisiana, As Cities Burn had self-released two EPs and played…
Confucius say, “Rabbit in the Moon will make electronic music more entertaining than a fire-breathing stripper with three boobs.” All right, so the ancient Chinese philosopher didn’t say that. And neither, for that matter, did the music producer born David Christophere. But it was the basic idea the latter had…
Sure, Ryan Cabrera may be best-known for his failed relationship with Ashlee Simpson, but beneath the flat-iron Stegosaurus ‘do, the scorned man is one hell of a pop-rocker. Although plenty of teenaged girls blindly reel for his lovelorn lyrics, Cabrera’s resonant tenor and effortless falsetto separate him from the whiny…
For those of you tired of the paint-by-numbers approach employed by too many emo bands, here’s some good news: An increasing number of them find it boring too. Matchbook Romance is a case in point. A quartet from the rock hotbed of Poughkeepsie, New York, the group, led by guitarist/vocalist…
It would be difficult to imagine two artists who better embody the spirit of authentic Americana than John Fogerty and Willie Nelson. Each has established an indelible imprint, from the relentless refrains that framed Fogerty’s Credence Clearwater Revival hits to the rugged, backwoods drawl Nelson navigated. Likewise, their careers paralleled…
Bands change, fortunately, and so does the music they make. But that implies opinions must change too. After telling MxPx frontman Mike Herrera’s bass tech at this summer’s Warped Tour that the band was a pale Green Day imitation, a moment later we were introduced to Herrera himself. Oops! He…
Culled from a few historically significant West Coast punk bands (Agent Orange, Social Distortion, and the Detours) came one of the most influential outfits in American punkdom: the Adolescents. Buzz-sawing their way since 1981’s self-titled debut, the Ads are a textbook example of chemistry, growth, and influence, from the guitar…
Anthony Green was California dreamin’. In 2003, he left his hometown of Philadelphia for the golden sands of Newport Beach, where he formed Saosin. But a year later, Green exited stage east, back to Philly, where he hooked up with former This Day Forward guitarist Colin Frangicetto to start a…
There’s something about Juana, apparently. Whoever she is, the namesake of Miami’s Locos por Juana (“Crazy About Jane”) has inspired one spiced-up fusion of Latin-style music. The band is pure Miami — Biscayne Boulevard, baby — taking everything from salsa, reggae, dub, and hip-hop and spinning it into a rhythmic…
At this point, it’s no secret that the Kottonmouth Kings indulge in all things cannabis. Bona fide stoners who, unlike many of their fellow tokers, have managed to stay busy and creatively peaked. With a handful of albums under its belt collectively (and a few solo ventures), the six-man bong…
The latest schlep to win American Idol may have the downhome looks and soulful voice (and the last name) to have won the Southern vote. But the second Taylor Hicks took his prize-winning pipes to the studio (for the single “Do I Make You Proud”), he proved to be just…
The past six years have been pretty damned good to Ayme Sanchez. In 2000, the Davie-based singer/songwriter bested nearly 1,000 other contestants to win Y-100’s “Big Break Contest.” A year later, Sanchez scored a demo contract with producer Emilio Estefan (that’s Este-fan, not Este-vez; you know, Gloria’s husband). In June…
