Hammerfall: Hammerfall Wins Respect Across Globe With Heartfelt Songs About Alienation, Killing Elisabeth McGuirk March 5, 2010 Goings-On Eighties metal redemption rock—this is Hammerfall’s schtick and it is awesome, especially the first songs of their newest album, No Sacrifice, No Victory. The Swedish group reminds us of basic life goals: “Kill...
Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears: No Longer Broke, Not Yet A Big Booty Woman Elisabeth McGuirk February 24, 2010 Goings-On On Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is, Black Joe Lewis sings a lot like James Brown and little like Jack White—smooth, but gruff. His (awesomely titled) songs, including “I’m Broke,” “Big Booty Woman,” “Humpin’,” and “...
Extra Life: Like Church, Only Better Elisabeth McGuirk February 18, 2010 Goings-On The coolest thing about Extra Life, the experimental Brooklyn-based group led by guitarist/composer Charlie Looker, is the juxtaposition between Looker’s ultra-clear voice and conversational lyrics—“This girl h...
Hellogoodbye: Third Time’s A Charm Elisabeth McGuirk February 16, 2010 Goings-On Hellogoodbye, from Long Beach, California, hit the big time in January 2007 with their song “Here (In Your Arms),” an auto-tuned catastrophe that fit snuggly among the other auto-tuned catastrophes of the Top 4...
Robin Crutchfield: The Hidden Folk Elisabeth McGuirk February 10, 2010 Albums Equal parts medieval and Middle Eastern, the pieces on Robin Crutchfield’s 2009 release, Hidden Folk, are like Middle Earth-themed vignettes from Crutchfield’s imagination. A Performance artist in the 70s and c...
Kindergarten: Schoolhouse Rock Elisabeth McGuirk February 6, 2010 Goings-On You know, just because Kindergarten is named Kindergarten doesn’t mean they’re like, a bunch of weenies or something. They’re serious artists, okay? Reasons to take Kindergarten seriously: Despite their upbeat ...
Those Darlins: Those Darlins Ain’t Chicken Elisabeth McGuirk February 2, 2010 Goings-On Female country punk band, Those Darlins, is like drinking a black cup of really strong coffee—kind of bitter, kind of gritty, but delicious. Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, wherever the fuck that is (Tenn...
Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More Elisabeth McGuirk January 13, 2010 Albums 2 The subject matter of Mumford & Sons’ first full-length album, Sigh No More, is country—regretting, repenting and exalting love—but the music has producer Markus Dravs’ name all over it. Dravs is the guy wh...
Roky Erickson: Roky Erickson Reunites With Rock Elisabeth McGuirk December 30, 2009 Goings-On Roky Erickson was the lead vocalist of ‘60s psychedelic pre-punk pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, a group vital to the histories of punk and garage rock. Known for their LSD-fueled shows and manic energy, The...
Zebra: Black And White And Rocks All Over Elisabeth McGuirk December 26, 2009 Goings-On Zebra never quite reached the popularity of their Atlantic Records brethren AC/DC, Yes, and Led Zeppelin and in the past, have been relegated to Led Zeppelin knock-off status. Fuck the know-nothings. Demanding ...
