NEW YORK, NY—Back in 2004 Phish did the unthinkable and broke up leaving thousands of fans inconsolable and unsure. Five years passed, and in 2009, Phish did the unthinkable again and reunited, released a new album, and toured the country. They stopped in NYC on Dec. 2, covering Madison Square…
Interview with the Disco Biscuits: Always On Time
I like jam bands because they aren’t really afraid to do things new and different. Jam for hours sraight? Sure. Add synths and computers with live instruments? Why not? Collaborate with some Philly-based hip-hop producers to add a little extra groove? Fuck yeah.
To be fair, the above doesn’t apply…
CMJ 2009 Wrap Up: The City And The Sea Of Sound
Like my editor Patrick Slevin said a few weeks ago, you can’t see everything at CMJ. No matter how well you plan, there’s too many bands, too many venues, and way too many cases of P.B.R. standing in your way, so why not just throw away the list and let…
Badfish @ Governor’s Island
NEW YORK, NY—Most critics, when reviewing a tribute band, often start out with something along the lines of, “I have a long and complicated relationship with tribute bands blah blah blah…,” but not me. I hate tribute bands. I think they’re boring, cheesy, unwanted and unnecessary monkeys who are stuck…
NOFX: Don’t Call Me Red, White, And Blue
NOFX are a fucking punk rock group, plain and simple. For nearly a quarter of a century now, the band has sold over six million records worth of its unique So-Cal style skate punk, whilst successfully avoiding both major labels, contract and the likes of MTV or VH1. How’s that…
Explosions In The Sky: Interview with drummer Chris Hrasky
For 10 years now, Explosions In The Sky have been the band at the forefront of the instrumental rock movement. Drawing inspiration from the likes of ’90s post rock masters Mogwai and Dirty Three, EITS took instrumental bombast to a new level with their second album, the paradoxically titled, Those…
Interview with Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups
It’s a beautiful thing to create music that straddles boundaries. I’m not necessarily talking about rap-metal or fusion type music, but rather music that manages to spread itself across several different territories of our emotional range. Music that is eloquent and flowery, yet at the same time, quite violent and…
Flogging Molly @ Hammerstein Ballroom
NEW YORK, NY—I would say it is pretty rare to be able to judge the quality of a show based on the people standing in line outside of it. Sure, you could probably guess the genre, the vibe, maybe how much energy there will be once inside the venue, but…
Pete Francis @ The Canal Room
NEW YORK, NY—It must suck sometimes to be a solo artist who was once in a great band, since I imagine that every time that most of these once had been great artists play live, the audience just heckles for old material, ignoring whatever direction the artist might prefer to…
Interview with Flogging Molly: Float On
Mortality certainly does put a damper on things. The fact that the time we have, not only in our time on Earth but ultimately in everything, has set limits is a very sobering realization, yet ultimately one that makes life very much worth living. If we had all the time…
