Recent Articles in Online Exclusives
Black Lips and K-Holes Play Rocks Off Cruise, NYC, 8.02.10
Fan worship is a serious art no matter if it’s a rabid swarm of soccer hooligans or rockers, but when it’s a PBR-fueled crowd experiencing the garage kickin’ Black Lips on a rollicking, Rocks Off boat cruise, watch out.
Sparrow and the Workshop: Dark Americana, folk from Glasgow
Sparrow and the Workshop are a compelling dark Americana, folk and post-rock trio whose new release, Crystals Fall, tinkers with a wild and imaginative wall of instrumentation, from strange percussion to gunshot and whip sounds straight out of the dusty Old West.
Sentimentalist Magazine’s Top Ten Hang-Outs of 2009
Hey, we may work at making a music magazine run like it should, but it’s not all about merely checking out bands 24/7. There is schmoozing to do, mindless dancing to indulge in, people to talk to. Here are ten of our top picks of locales for band chats, dates and general carousing. Now, the [...]
Sentimentalist Magazine’s Top Ten 2009: A Medley of Albums, Shows, Places of the Year
Fifteen Favorite Albums This Year in No Certain Order Fever Ray – Self-titled (Mute) Chilling, raw, refined, rich and almost chewably dreamlike and dangerous. These mysterious anthems pulsate.Arctic Monkeys – Humbug (Domino) I’m a sucker for their dark side. The Dead Weather – Horehound (WEA/Reprise) Predictable? Maybe, but still powerful. Julian Plenti …Is Skyscraper (Matador) [...]
Submarine Bells Find Their Element
Submarine Bells just solved your crime, made you a donut and cleaned out your consciousness: I feel strongly enough about this band that even though we have covered them before, that’s rarely a crime, I want to bring them up to your attention again. I’ve seen about six shows and with each one something important [...]
Placebo on the Gentleman’s Art of Never Dropping Your Guard
Chalk it up to lucky number thirteen, in terms of years and longevity, that is. Placebo has gone well past the decade mark with album sales of over ten million to release sixth record Battle For the Sun, one of their most passionate and upbeat to date. 2009 finds the band armed with a fresh [...]
The Rakes Klang It Up
It makes sense that The Rakes’ newest release, Klang, recorded in a Communist radio station in East Berlin, was a precise piece of work that was edited and re-edited until the band felt it was just right. The Rakes make hyper-smart songs brimming with bits from history and daily life and always manage to seek out the extraordinary within the mundane.
Littl’ans at Ben Sherman, Soho, NYC. 4.22.09
Those who don’t know East London’s Littl’ans, who ventured out to Ben Sherman’s “Big British Sound Party” expecting an epic English band along the lines of Coldplay or Doves, may have been in for a shock when the band kicked the night off with a purposefully long-winded, vocal-free number. A mere minute into the set, [...]
Coachella 2009: Sunday, Day 3, April 19, 2009: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Cure
Sunday was the scorcher of the Coachella stretch, so it seemed a good idea to sleep in and catch some pool hours before braving the 100+ degrees afternoon. Fittingly, the Balearic pop of UK darlings Friendly Fires made them the hot ticket of the first shift. Their stirring, somewhat deranged punk/dance anthems like “Jump In [...]
Coachella 2009: Saturday, Day 2, April 18, 2009: M.I.A., The Killers
Saturday was definitely crazier than Friday. Even though Friday was sold out, it seemed more tame because crowds had just driven in from work or were trying to “do” the Coachella festival while working from their blackberry on site. It’s not always that easy to find the stamina to rock after putting in your nine [...]
