Musings on the past and present state of music, film, and pop culture. Get off my lawn.
Deftones ‘Gore’ Review: alt-metal titan’s latest rewards repeat listens. [rating=4] Sacramento’s Deftones have plugged away valiantly for nearly three decades, eclipsing, obliterating and transcending any affiliation with their late-90’s nu-metal peers. They’ve embraced elements of more experimental musical movements, integrating them into new and unusual shapes within their metal underpinnings. It speaks volumes to the […]
Deftones SXSW 2016 @ Auditorium Shores Concert Review: Sacramento alt-metallers thrill with free last-minute show. [rating=5] The Deftones surprise gig at Auditorium Shores on Thursday stood out like a sore thumb against the hipster fare that preceded them, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Thus the Austin skyline reverberated with their beautiful […]
SXSW 2016 Preview: This Year’s Must-See Bands. A definitive guide for the best acts (large at small) at the 30th annual Austin, TX Music Festival. By David Dierksen For those of you attending SXSW this year, we realize it can be an overwhelming task to decide which musical act demands your semi-undivided attention. And luckily […]
20 Most Anticipated Rock Albums of 2016: the must have rock releases of the New Year. 2016 has arrived, and it brings with it a year full of hotly anticipated new rock albums, from veteran and contemporary alternative and metal acts. Here’s our list of the 20 releases that have us excited the most about […]
††† Crosses Album Review; On yet another side project, Deftones frontman Chino Moreno explores 80’s friendly synth-rock with the release of the first full-length album from Crosses. [rating=3] It’s no secret to Deftones fans that vocalist Chino Moreno is a restless creative spirit. His love for the more delicate, electronic, European textures occasionally peeks into Deftones […]
PALMS EP Album Review (Ipecac) Palms features members of metal band Isis and Deftones frontman Chino Moreno. Their debut EP is understated and hypnotic. [rating=4] After such a strong album as 2012’s Koi No Yokan (click here for my review of that album), it is impressive that Deftones frontman Chino Moreno continues his creative winning streak. This […]
Check out our list of the Best Cover Songs Of All Time… A good cover song should do one of four things: (1) radically change the song structure to bring new life to the tune. (2) strip the song structure to its basic elements to showcase the raw components that make the song compelling. (3) […]
Album Review: Deftones come back with one of their strongest albums to date with ‘Koi No Yokan’. [rating=6] The Deftones were in major transition when they released 2010’s Diamond Eyes. Bassist Chi Cheng was in a coma from a car accident, so they put their album Eros on hold and started fresh, working with new bassist Sergio Vega (Quicksand). It […]
Welcome aboard to The 70 Most Underrated Guitar Riffs Of All Time Part 1. Recently I did a list of Most Underrated Guitarists. But what about underrated riffs? That hook that goes beyond basic chords and is as memorable as the vocal melody? Not all songs need a great riff, but the best ones usually do. Classic riffs are easy to […]
