If you’ve never owned a vinyl album, I feel very sorry for you. Plainly put, you’ve never actually enjoyed music in your life — you just think you have. In truth, your life is a decrepit bowl of suck, and you have no chance at happiness. Kill yourself. One of…
Today’s pop scene would be a much poorer place without the Nineties rock en español explosion that brought bands like Aterciopelados, Maldita Vencidad, Café Tacuba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Todos Tus Muertos to American audiences. It was a movement that has helped spawn a whole new musical culture that goes…
Though this Somalian-born singer-songwriter shares a few vocal similarities with Shakira, she has a distinctive style. Not unlike the Colombian pop star, Saba mixes traditional elements from her native country with contemporary European-influenced instrumentation. Throughout the disc, she celebrates her heritage, singing mostly in the Xamar Weyne dialect that mixes…
It’s Grammy weekend, and Fat Joe, the self-described “Susan Lucci of the Grammys,” is boycotting the festivities. He’s in L.A., but he’s not going to the Staples Center’s main event this year, because he’s sick of losing out to the “booji backpackers,” those conscious rappers who, he says, run a…
Since the Bo$$ of the city has a new album out today, it’s only right to show Rick Ross some love on CrossFade. His long-awaited album, Trilla, is in stores now so go get it if supporting local artists is important to you. Sure, that’s a mixed bag cause Ross…
By Andy Vihstadt Jenna Bush loves R.E.M. If you’re bummed about having to sit this year’s SXSW out, NPR’s got you covered. At midnight on Wednesday, you can stream R.E.M.’s performance at Stubbs and on Thursday, tune into Yeasayer at 2:30 pm and Vampire Weekend at 4 p.m. Later that…
R.E.M. March, 8, 2008 Langerado Better Than:Realizing that your $50 bag of mushrooms failed to induce any hallucinations This morning we read an effusive article about REM’s performance at Langerado. The writer, Leslie Gray Streeter, described the show as “energetic,” and declared that their performance was “the lovely, light-hearted, serious-minded…
Ani DiFranco Sunday, March 9, 2008 Langerado Better Than: A Chocolate Seven-Layer Birthday Cake It’s a funny thing when you feel the “obsession” link with a musician kick in, especially when it’s been a few years since you felt so in love with the music. Such was the case at…
Part psycho, part Jane’s Addiction Blitzen Trapper March 8, 2008 Langerado Better than: A wake-up call from the hippie jam band tenting next door After a night of blustery winds and torrential rain ruined any chance for restful sleep at Langerado, day 3 of the fest kicked off with a…
Tuba Gooding Jr. at work. So the Roots showed hip-hop crews why they always reign supreme this past Friday night at Langerado. The talented Philly-based band was tight, crazy, fun, and definitely experimental as they worked out a few songs from their upcoming album, Rising Down, which is dropping April…
Ben Folds March 8, 2008 Langerado Better than: Whatever and Ever Amen on constant rotation I missed Ben Folds last time he came to town with John Mayer. I figured I couldn’t stomach the fans of pasty folk hipster Mayer any more than I could stomach his music. But I’m…
G. Love and Special Sauce March 7, 2008 Langerado Better Than:All the jam in Welch’s reserves. Forget Umphrey’s McGee and the Disco Biscuits and whatever’s left of the Dead (and that includes you, Dark Star Orchestra), ‘cause when it comes to full fest groove, there is but one band that…
Last Night: Matt Pond PA and The Walkmen at Langerado Matt Pond PA, The Walkmen March 7, 2008 Langerado, Big Cypress Reserve Better Than: A hot-buttered steam bath. Matt Pond PA If there were two more incongruous acts to stage in the swamplands, I can’t think of ’em. I mean,…
I was all set to badmouth Vampire Weekend when they were to take the stage at Langerado yesterday, but the Ivy League louts denied me the privilege. Seems a little TV show called Saturday Night Live trumps Big Cypress, so the boy band decided to stay home and do their…
Alright, Langerado is in it’s first full day and early reports are indicating that the music is rocking, the crowds are thick, and the drug busts have already started. Watch your ass people. Cops are on the lookout so be safe and stay out of jail. There’s a couple of…
Nile As is so often the case with metal shows, there are too many bands on this bill. While there’s a certain bang-for-the-buck factor, in all honesty – and with no offense to the other three bands – this show could easily be whittled down to Nile and Warbringer and…
The long-haired, natty Lazaro Casanova got his start playing at the now-defunct old Malibu Grand Prix’s infamous Full Moon parties, int he Nineties. But he really became a local marquee name as the musical selector du jour for the main rooms indie-ish dance parties in Miami, most notably at the…
This quartet specializes in face-melting volume, pounding riffage, and a churning, breakneck-speed riffage section. But don’t tag ’em with the “m” word – Torche is a band possessing the rare ability to create heavy, heavy sounds that remain versatile and nuanced. With a floating overlay of intelligent, almost shoegazey textures,…
Within a span of months, the kiddies of Black Tide have shot from totally unheard-of to total buzz band for lovers of heavy music, appearing in the like of Spin and Revolver. And they are, in fact kiddies – the oldest members of the quartet are 19, and the frontman,…
Jacek Gancarz Click here to see a slide show of the concert. Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin with Hurt and Seether March 6, 2008 Cruzan Amphitheater Better Than: A cold beer on a hot night. Allow me to begin by saying that I commend everyone that made the hellish…
It’s really not surprising that the members of They Might Be Giants have started releasing records geared toward children, considering how educational and creative their music has been over the past two-plus decades. We present an encyclopedic history of the band — arranged from A-Z, natch. Accordion. John Linnell’s instrument…
Tough times in pop-starlet land these days. And riding to the rescue is … Ashlee Simpson? Laugh if you must, but Jessica’s little sister, now 23 years old, is looking pretty good lately. Not only has she avoided any kind of public embarrassment for more than two years, but also…
