The voice crackling over the cell phone belongs to a cat with three days left to live: D12 rapper Proof, Slim Shady’s right-hand man, and a respected hip-hop artist in his own right, who was slain early Tuesday, April 11, in a three-way shootout that the Detroit po-po are still…
Musically, this sure as hell can be an incestuous town. I see it more and more all the time, with the same musicians playing in multiple bands with different sonic flavors, often on different instruments. Especially in Tempe, where a relatively small group of musicians hold down a scene where…
As we’re all painfully aware, Monday, April 17, is this year’s tax deadline. For the average 9-to-5 schmo, that means scrounging through a pile of employment forms, bank statements and gas receipts for stuff to write off. Of course, some people try deducting every receipt in the house, from so-called…
In a bar somewhere on the West Coast, a presumptuous punk-rock fan approached a woman who looked familiar. “Hey, you look just like Exene Cervenka. What are you doing here?” The woman, taking pleasure in the opportunity to shut down this clueless tool, flatly said, “I am Exene. I just…
Whenever indie rock has veered too close to becoming like a traditional form of music — whether it’s by-the-book Class of ’77 punk, emo with sanctioned sad chords, press-the-distortion-pedal-here grunge, or power-pop that eschews anything Big Star or Cheap Trick hasn’t already tackled — that’s when it’s failed us as…
Watching the Loveblisters play on the small stage at Last Exit in Tempe, you kind of have to feel sorry for Ethan Hillis, the curly-haired drummer and youngest member of the band. He’s barely visible behind the line of the five other musicians — flanked by keyboardists Jessica Stanley and…
Rock bands, as anyone who’s been in one for more than a week will tell you, can be as contentious as an episode of Hardball. Boston’s arena-rock quartet Damone is no exception, having divorced both its label and its main songwriter, Dave Pino, under circumstances ugly enough to be kept…
New Times has been throwing this bash since 1996, and somewhere along the way, a clever employee must’ve figured out that early evening is a good time for everyone to come hang out — night owls and early birds included. Need proof? Just get a look at the 12,000 music…
For record labels, video games and music are a match made in target-audience heaven. EA Sports pushes major-label names in rock and hip-hop on the company’s yearly Madden and NBA updates, and Tony Hawk games sport underground punk and metal soundtracks, but while those are somewhat appropriate, this week’s latest…
MEMO To: New Employees From: Emo-Rock Headquarters Date: July 16, 1999 Subject: Corporate Guidelines With all of the recent hires, we thought it would be prudent to review some essential company guidelines: • Your band name must include a day, a month, or a season. Please note that “Thursday” is…
This month marks 10 years since I started covering music in the ‘Nix for New Times, and in that swath of time, I’ve met a plethora of promoters and venue managers around here — many of whom, let’s just say, I wouldn’t introduce to anyone I actually care about. It’s…
Dear Miranda, I’m your biggest fan! I know, being the famous country singer you are, you must get this a lot, but I really think we’d make a great couple. Sure, there’s a bit of an age difference here. It’s not like I could be your dad, but, hell, my…
It’s a very depressing song, isn’t it?” asks Richard Butler with a rueful laugh. The longtime frontman of the Psychedelic Furs is referring to “Maybe Someday,” the final track on his solo debut, and he’s right. The nicotine rasp that burned itself into music history in such New Wave standards…
All hail “Love Rollercoaster,” a sweet slice of funk brought to us by the Ohio Players. There is not enough funk in this world. So we welcome every bite of funk that has been fed to us and every band that cooks it. Oh, Ohio Players, the sins that have…
As a 17-year-old skateboarder up in Anchorage, Alaska, where I worked at the only skateboard shop in town, I was sprung on the skaterock that was the soundtrack of my crew’s four-wheeled adventures. Bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Agent Orange, and especially JFA (Jodie Foster’s Army) provided the extra energy we…
Listen, boys and girls: A long time ago — yes, before you or I or the Toronto music scene was even born — some very wrong people had a very bad idea. Children, these very wrong people reasoned, are small and silly. Let’s make small, silly music for them. And…
Fall Out Boy bassist and songwriter Pete Wentz can’t stand being limited by 4/4 time. He has aspirations of becoming the next Russell Simmons. “People didn’t just buy a Def Jam record,” he says. “People bought a culture.” The multitalented entrepreneur talks about the need to create a similar counterculture…
For years, the Wu-Tang Clan has epitomized hip-hop’s gritty underground, pushing the art form to another level with a street mentality and a plan to build an empire. As solo artists, its members have produced mixed results (lest we forget Method Man’s acting career), but consistency has been a strong…
All hail Boogie Down Productions! Their track “The Bridge Is Over” cemented the diss record and rap feuds as a legitimate branch of the art form! From 3rd Bass to Kool Moe Dee to 50 Cent, a rapper’s best work will come in the form of a well-thrown bitch-slap. But…
On the very morning of this interview with Albert Hammond Jr., one of the two guitarists in The Strokes, there appeared in the New York Times a review of that band’s March 1 performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The Times’ music critic Kelefa Sanneh opened the…
Flogging Molly’s “Screaming at the Wailing Wall” may be the best real punk song in half a decade. A blazing rush often accompanies the best political rants, and “Screaming,” from the band’s latest album, Within a Mile of Home, is no exception. With nods to the Sex Pistols and The…
When it comes to traditional Irish music, what’s not to love? Sometimes it’s reverent and beautiful; other times it’s clearly penned under the influence. See if you can choose the correct lyrics to complete the verses to classic songs below. 1. I’m sick in the head and I haven’t been…
