Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
30 years in, Swans make their masterpiece with ‘The Seer’. ‘The Seer’ (Young God Records) [rating=6] Rare is the band that’s still at their creative peak 30 years into their career. But Swans new album ‘The Seer’ is their best work to date. Founding member Michael Gira and co. seem brimming with purpose and demonic […]
Dell and YouTube to Stream ACL Festival The ACL Festival has been sold out for months, but for those who are ticketless, Dell is offering a live stream of the Festival via YouTube. They’re also running several contests, one of which would entitle the winner to a 3 day pass (and travel expenses for out-of-towners) […]
David Lynch guest stars on ‘Louie’ with sublime results. The 3-part ‘Late Show‘ storyline on FX’s ‘Louie’, has been brilliant, with our miserable hero vying to take over ‘The Late Show‘ from a retiring David Letterman. But things went into comedy nirvana when film director David Lynch appeared. It’s been a lot of fun seeing Chris Rock and […]
Welcome to 40 Bands That Should Have Been Bigger Part 3, where we celebrate bands who never got as big as their talents. Make sure you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 so you see who I’ve already covered. If you want to preview or buy any of these lost treasures, click on their name (highlighted […]
Welcome to 40 Bands That Should Have Been Bigger Part 2, where I’m looking back at bands that had awesome songs but couldn’t sustain success. Be sure to catch part 1 to see what artists we’ve already covered. If you want to rediscover these bands, clicking on their name (highlighted in blue) will let you peruse their […]
*Here we celebrate 40 Bands That Should Have Been Bigger…but didn’t. They had the talent, but couldn’t cross over. What happened? I’ve celebrated underrated musicians recently in lists, (specifically; singers, guitarists, and riffs.). But a lot of bands listed still have a small, loyal set of fans. Some are critically lauded for their influence even if […]
Concert Review: Riot Fest Chicago Day 3. The Stooges rock the Windy City. I had a great time in Chicago. Visited some old friends, ate some great food and topped it off by going to Riot Fest Day 3 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park to check out Jesus & Mary Chain and Iggy & The Stooges. These […]
Get a sneak peek of the long-awaited animated movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ Ever since DC Comics launched their PG-13 animated straight to DVD/Blu-ray line, fanboys have clamored for an adaptation of Frank Miller’s iconic 80’s Batman tale “The Dark Knight Returns”. And now they’ll get their wish. I’ve been impressed […]
The XX ‘Coexist’ Review [rating=4] *British trio The XX play it safe on their sophomore album ‘Coexist‘, but if it ain’t broke, why fix it? I just wrote about bands that Peaked With Their First Album. Sometimes a first release is so perfect that its impossible to top. The XX’s 2009 self-titled début was a perfect album. […]
12 Bands That Peaked With Their First Album A band’s first album presents their potential, their declaration of intent. With successive albums they improve in songwriting and performance chops, building their legacy. But eventually, most plateau or peak. Internal pressures, label issues, writer’s block, and lack of artistic hunger are just a few factors that can […]
