Music
Keeping it Simple?
Once a near-popstar, jaded by his brush with "careerist music," Simple Kid is now a one-man act who writes and composes.
Clearly Canadian
She's the same old Alanis. She's been a victim. She's been a bitch. She's gotten better. If there is a reason for So-Called Chaos, it's pain.
Sign of the Cross
Despite the too-easy, self-deprecating title, David Cross' latest comedy CD -- It's Not Funny -- is a hilarious, diverse look at his life, at politics, and at the world.
Albums
Aerosmith Honkin' on Bobo 2 stars On Aerosmith's new album Honkin' on Bobo, the five rockers take a positive new step -- the album doesn't sound exactly like the band's last few.
Not artsy fartsy
Cursive is sick of hearing about Omaha. "It's kind of hard to have any feeling if you read press that mentions Omaha.
Cutting-Edge Traditionalism
The shape-shifting world of entertainment requires new musicians to bend borders and break with stale conventions.
Editor's picks
Tami Fertig Gary Jules Mad World Nothing quite nurses a broken heart like a sad piano song.
A 90 Day Case Study
Looking at the 90 Day Men's fourth and latest album, Panda Park, you develop a fascination with the overtly psychedelic cover art.
Albums
Michael McDermott Ashes For all the Jersey folk out there, there's been a change in tides.
Editors' picks
Tami Fertig: Arab Strap Cherubs Imagine this: a sweet and simple guitar melody floating lazily atop the slow and steady beat of a drum machine -- over and over and over again.
Coheed my call and listen to this band
Coheed and Cambria is "progressive rock, definitely not run-of-the-mill." Occasionally lumped into emo, or emo-core, the group's rock stylings are comparable to those of close friends and frequent tourmates, Thursday and Thrice.
Albums
Ben Kweller On My Way Ben Kweller wrote his first album during puberty, lived his adolescence in a recording studio and now, at 22, professes to know life's transcendental truths.
Split Kicks and bobbing heads
There are very few opportunities -- unless you are showering with them -- to hear a bassist singing.
Online Extra: Michael Franti and Spearhead/Ziggy Marley concert review
The Electric Factory is plastered with red, gold and green posters that invoke the spirit of peace, tolerance and reggae music.
Online Extra: Simple Plan concert review
As it is at any concert featuring a band that has recently been on Total Request Live, the average age of those attending the Simple Plan show couldn't have been over 16, and that's including the small upstairs 21-and-over bar area.
Online Extra: Broken Social Scene concert review
For their third visit to Philadelphia, Broken Social Scene invited their brass section (members of Stars, the night's opening act) on stage for a sultry night of indie rock.
Editors' picks
Tami Fertig: The Magnetic Fields Get Lost Lest we forget, Magnetic Fields mastermind Stephin Merritt was making records long before 69 Love Songs. That one was okay, but c'mon.
What if we all did have flying bicycles?
Dave Scher wishes people would dance at shows like they used to. One half of the duo that makes up California-based All Night Radio, Scher remembers his upbringing in Long Beach, California as a time when people danced at shows.
Albums
Lou Reed Animal Serenade Warner Brothers Lou Reed's 5,000th live album, Animal Serenade, shows that the 62-year-old legend can still put on a great show.
