Music
The Defibrillator: Beat Happening
Beat Happening Beat Happening 1985 I’ll be the first to admit it — Calvin Johnson and Heather Lewis can’t really sing.
Time-Proven Cure
Oh, Robert Smith. With an ever-expanding bird’s nest of hair resting neatly atop his head and a mouth covered in countless layers of lipstick, there’s nothing more to say about his disheveled appearance than that it perfectly suits his disgruntled vocal style.
Whigging Out
The Whigs have had a busy year. After releasing their major-label debut Mission Control in January, they’ve toured relentlessly, and are planning on some well-deserved rest after a year of talk shows, truckstops and tours.
This Week in Music History
November 13 1974: An imposter posing as Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore crashes a borrowed Porsche in Iowa City, after conning fans and receiving celebrity treatment. 1990: Rod Stewart sued by a fan who claimed that a soccer ball kicked into the crowd at a concert damaged a tendon in her middle finger.
The Defibrillator: Nirvana
Nirvana Bleach 1989 In sixth grade I developed a massive crush on a boy named Gus. He was the better half of a pair of twins and played the clarinet next to me in jazz band.
Like Drawing a Perfect Circle, Freehand
I've got to start off by admitting that I hate Coldplay. I think that the peak of Chris Martin’s creative ability came when he named his first child Apple.
No Reminder Necessary
Kintrell “Krispy Kream” and Alvin “Rah Almillo” Lindsey aren’t rappers. They aren’t hipsters either.
The Renaissance Age
It was way back in 1991 when Q-Tip rapped the now classic line “Industry rule #4080: Record company people are shady.” Shady indeed.
Campus Cred: Still Putting The Pros Before Hoes
Street: You were previously known as Leviathan and now you go by Satellite Heights. What is the significance of this name change? Zach Williamson: We didn’t get enough girls with Leviathan. Street: Since you’ve done this before, we’re gonna ask you to step it up.
Defibrillator: Deerhoof
Deerhoof Milk Man 2004 Maybe it’s their San Francisco sensibility that makes Deerhoof’s harshest moments sound soothing.
Riding The Lightning
The joy of Of Montreal used to be found in the fact that they didn’t take themselves seriously. Their unashamedly upbeat, poppy style was complemented by inane lyrics and simple song constructs, forming the ultimate peppy guilty pleasure music.
Phila Phunk Punk
Brown Recluse Sings www.myspace.com/brownreclusesings If the members of Belle and Sebastian dropped acid with the guys from Elephant 6 somewhere before the turn of the century, the result would be the music of Brown Recluse Sings.
Man Vs. Machine
Since their 2006 release Ten Silver Drops, The Secret Machines have gone through a thorough process of renewal.
Defibrillator: The Libertines, "Up the Bracket" (2002)
By the time I entered high school, I was already months into the greatest love affair of my lifetime.
What Became of The Likely Lads?
The new millennium ushered in an awkward moment for British music. After 2000, most of the bands that epitomized '90s Britain were not producing new material.
Don't Let The Mirage Fool You
Oasis doesn’t release bad albums. Their work spans a range from good to great, and the band’s immense talent is almost always obvious in their tightly woven, upbeat pop-rock records.
Not The Change We Need
As a white Jewish boy from Boston, I’m an unlikely candidate to review West Coast rapper Murs’s latest release, Murs for President.
Tokyo Experience
Japanese indie rocker Shugo Tokumaru is a virtual unknown in the States. This, however, has not stopped him from creating album after album of endearing, upbeat indie pop-rock (for which he records almost every instrument by himself, at home on his laptop). He has even started to gain a following that includes the likes of Animal Collective and Jens Lekman. The release of Exit can only cause his fanbase to broaden.
The Best Defense Is A Good Offense
If San-X (one of the leading manufacturers of cute Japanese merchandise... think Hello Kitty, et al) sponsored a basketball team, their warm-up anthem would be “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back” from Deerhoof’s new album, Offend Maggie.
