Album name: Black Gives Way To Blue Artist name: Alice in Chains Genre: Rock Released: September 29 2009 Label: EMI ZME Rating: 8/10 Website: aliceinchains.com There are lots of ways to open a review of Alice in Chains’ long-awaited return to the studio. The obvious approach is to eulogise Layne Staley, their sorely-missed lead singer. But I have some deep-seated neuroses that don’t let me do things the obvious way. (They also don’t let me…
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, White, and Snapline. Information about this tour, as well as tour dates and links to all of the bands and…
The Rest is a seven piece indie pop band that managed to impress a lot of people at the start of the year thanks to their sophistical pop arrangements and crafty songwriting once with the release of their sophomore “Everyone All At Once.” The album was recorded after The Rest made a couple of incursions in Ontorio’s isolated woods, where they just jammed and wrote songs from dusk till down, thus making for a non-intrusive,…
After a run of somewhat mediocre releases across the band’s 10 years existence, Fruit Bats have returned this year with their forth full length, “The Ruminant Band.” I’ve yet to have the chance to sample anything from it, expect the title track single and a few other tracks found on YouTube, but I’m really liking it so far. The video for The Ruminant Band, the album’s stand out track, tells the story of seemingly heart…
Coming off as one of the best video’s I’ve seen all year, this incredible piece of artwork visually animating Modest Mouse’s infectious “Whale Song” will most likely make you pause for a second or two after watching it and before hitting the play button again. Dark, enigmatic, intricate, it’s all been laid down by director Nando Costa to form a catatonic world of strings, mazes and twilight. Word of advice, don’t watch the video until…
If you were lucky enough to have attended Pearl Jam’s show in L.A. on October 6, then you know that Temple of the Dog reunited for one song, “Hunger Strike,” when Chris Cornell joined the band onstage. It marks the first time in six years that all the members have shared a stage. The footage isn’t pro-shot but is definitely worth checking out. If that weren’t enough, PJ’s very next song (and last of the…
I was confused, but now I’m really messed up. A few months ago, Thom told The Beliver Mag in an interview, that “none of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off. I mean, it’s just become a real drag. It worked with In Rainbows because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we’ve all said that we can’t possibly dive into…
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 Special Sweetheart.” Fallon recently (and giddily, which made my respect for the guy shoot up) hosted equally influential emo…
Metal can something be sooo ridiculous versatile. A few days ago I came across this band called Alestorm, a true Norwegian Black Metal Scottish Pirate Metal band, that’s simply hilarious in everything from lyrics, to music, to props. Not that I’m saying they’re a bunch of clowns or lame, oh, on the contrary, Alestorm is pure awesome! You only need to check out the video bellow for one of their songs, called “Keelhauled”, where band’s…
A lot of things can happen when your next door suburban couple gets sick and tired of all the bullshit in the world. Running away is the most common thing, somewhere around there’s stealing too, but if you want to go after you girl and then tag her along for your personal vendetta against your boss, always remember never to go into a pool with your cloths on. No, really. “There Are Listed Buildings” is…
Al Byrne
Tyler Sonic
Tibi Puiu
Steve Lampiris