Polarity #5: Is This the Way they Say the Future’s Meant to Feel? ‘Different Class’ Ranked

I’m back! Did you guys miss me? No? I’m honestly not surprised, but I do feel bad about falling off the radar yet again. That’s not to say my interest in writing these columns has waned at all. I wanted to publish something this month, and today may be my only good chance to do [...]

The 5 Worst Songs of the Decade by Artists Who Should Have Known Better, and Kid Rock

Hey ZME Universe, I’m sorry I’ve fallen a bit off the map in terms of my columns, but I’m excited about these end-of-decade lists. I’ve been preoccupied with my own list of best albums of songs. I love the lists that the ZME crew is putting together, but something tells me no one else on [...]

The Dead Milkmen Live at the Trocadero, Philly (Halloween, 2009)

The Dead Milkmen, a Philadelphia quartet known for their quirky underground hit singles such as “Punk Rock Girl,” “Dean’s Dream,” and “Stuart,” spent years making an art form out of not taking things too seriously during their late 80’s heyday. Twenty years later, the world hasn’t forgotten them. There could have been little more proof [...]

POLARITY #4: “Special Favors come in 31 Flavors”… The ‘Violent Femmes’ Ranked

Are you ready to feel like a piece of shit? Gordon Gano was 19 when the Violent Femmes recorded their self-titled debut album. True story: the trio borrowed $10,000 from bassist Brian Ritchie’s old man and ground out one of the great American rock albums of the 1980’s, and certainly one of the most unmistakable. [...]

Maybe Mars brings top Chinese indie bands to the US this Fall

I just got word from an old friend who currently lives in Beijing about this really cool tour about to come through the US. Five of the most highly regarded indie and underground acts from the Chinese city are coming through for a set of US dates. They include P.K. 14, Carsick Cars, Xiao He, [...]

Jawbox to reunite for ‘Fallon’ gig, reissue “Sweetheart”

They’re Jawbox and they’re back! At least for a spark around Thanksgiving this year. According to Billboard and Reuters, the massively influential DC indie/punk quartet Jawbox will be reuniting for a December 8 performance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The performance is largely to promote the band’s (finally) reissued 1994 touchstone LP, “For Your Own [...]

5 Albums that would make better Soundtracks for the NHL than “Back in Black”

[Sorry I was unable to write a new "Polarity" this week, but it should be returning next time. This is a piece I wrote recently in honor of the start of another National Hockey League season last night, and my inability to not connect it with music in some way. If you have any other [...]

POLARITY #3: “You Can Never Quarantine the Past”… ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ Ranked

Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this? Am I doing this to provoke hatred from the legions of indie-rock loving blogcrawlers? Absolutely not; these are my opinions. Am I doing this to capitalize on the Pavement craze that’s sweeping the nation in light of a particular recent news item? You’re damn right. [...]

POLARITY #2: You Don’t Stand a Chance…”Milo Goes To College” Ranked

Happy Friday, ZME readers. We know there are a ton of music websites you could be choosing to burn your time on while you should be entering data, emailing clients, or for the funemployed of you, watching some high quality porn. So, we appreciate that you’ve chosen us. Today, I’d like to present my breakdown of [...]

Teenage Bottlerocket: ‘They Came from the Shadows’

Album name: They Came from the Shadows Artist name: Teenage Bottlerocket Genre: Powerchords and bubblegum Released: September 15, 2009 Label: Fat Wreck ZME Rating: 7/10 Website: Official (Note: I’m going to challenge myself that I can make it through a review of Teenage Bottlerocket without including one mention of the Ramones. Besides that one). Pop-punkers Teenage Bottlerocket are probably the best band out [...]

Subscribe