Not One To Be Outdone, SXSW Announces Initial 2010 Lineup

It seems like only yesterday that I announced Muse as a “confirmed” headliner for the 2010 Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival. What? It was only yesterday? Well then! Austin’s annual SXSW Festival has just announced their initial 200 bands. The list is long and tedious, but a few standouts…

Muse “Confirmed” to Headline Coachella

Yours truly is a big fan of Coachella, having attended the festival for the past 4 years, and this news only ramps up my excitement for the 2010 edition. Muse last played Coachella in 2004, when their music wasn’t being played during Monday Night Football broadcasts and promos for the…

King Khan & BBQ Show Phoenix Gig Canceled

As I reported on Friday, Arish “King” Khan and Mark “BBQ Show” Sultan — as well as their tour manager — ran into some legal problems in a sleepy Kentucky town. They were a no-show at their Thursday show in St. Louis amid speculation that they had been arrested. Friday’s…

This Just In: Brooklyn Has Own “Sound,” Numerous Bands

[jump] Here is NYMag’s full list, Brooklyn Top 40:40 Light Asylum – “Angel Tongue” 39 Oakley Hall – “All the Way Down” 38 Here We Go Magic – “Fangela” 37 Apache Beat – “Tropics” 36 Bishop Allen – “Click, Click, Click, Click” 35 White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun” 34 Japanther…

Melt-Banana Lite: A Second Opinion

[jump] Here is yours truly’s own take on Melt-Banana/Melt-Banana Lite/Whatever the hell they need to call themselves: Japanese noise-rockers Melt-Banana made their name by shucking convention to the curb and recording loud, abrasive music employing heavy, screeching guitar riffs with experimental electronic music. That formula, while adored by their fans,…

Kenny G and Weezer Collaborate, Plan to Conquer Earth

[jump] Here she is:”I’m Your Daddy” is pretty standard fare, even for a band like Weezer. Rivers Cuomo loves to gallivant around these days, and why not? He hasn’t aged a bit since the Buddy Holly video. This video/collaboration is what it is, as deep as that may sound. Kenny G…

Google Launches Fancy New Music Search

[jump] This handy-dandy video explains just how Google’s new music search works:Type in a half-assed lyric you just heard and Google figures out you’re a Lady Gaga fan. What’s not to love?Google’s partnerships with Lala and MySpace (recent buyers out of iLike) make getting a song to your ears a…

Real Estate Set to Play Pre-Thanksgiving at Modified

[jump] Real Estate will be gracing the small, often aurally-challenged staged at Modified on Wednesday, November 25. For those keeping track, that is the day before Thanksgiving, a night notorious for heavy drinking due to either: a) having to spend the whole next day with extended family or b) the…

Digital Leather Set To Rock Tempe’s The Manor on Saturday

Digital Leather is the lovechild of Shawn Foree and, well, Shawn Foree. He is the creative force behind the band — injecting dirty synths, subdued guitars and crunchy drum machines into his grimy sound. This paragraph, taken from the band’s website, best sums up Digital Leather’s live sound:The live Digital…

Kanye West Not Dead Despite Massive Rumors/Speculation

[jump] Granted, West isn’t exactly most people’s favorite person right now, especially after his little shit-fit at the VMAs this September. Then the news came that his “Fame Kills” Tour with Lady Gaga was no more, due to the fact that West needed to take a break from the limelight –…

Lady Gaga Announces New “The Monster Ball” Tour, Screws Over PHX

​Lady Gaga, that lightning rod of weirdness and pop music giant, has announced her new North American tour, appropriately dubbed “The Monster Ball.” It was a month ago when she and professional interrupter/gay fish Kanye West had announced their “Fame Kills” tour, picking Phoenix as their first stop. Well, “Fame”…

New Release Tuesday: Bob Dylan’s Christmas Album

[jump] Make no mistake — Bob Dylan is not one of my favorite people. I know and understand fully his impact and influence on music, but his career became what it was long before I graced the earth with my presence. That’s no excuse for not being a Bob Dylan…