One of the forerunners of the ‘Iranian rock movement,’ it feels good to say that Hypernova is deserving of their coverage, not just because of their struggle in getting the eff out of Iran after President Ahmadinejad banned all Western music in the country, but because they are four…

The second installment of George Winston’s tribute to Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi is a warm, nostalgic compliment to a piano idol.

Winston became inspired to pursue a career in music at the age of 16 after becoming obsessed with Guaraldi’s score of the 1965 holiday classic Charlie Brown Christmas, namely…

Their third album since 2003, The Besnard Lakes’ The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, is a rock album that murmurs, hums and drones. I was expecting an album that was entirely atmospheric, but husband and wife duo Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas have created highly textured rock songs. The…

NEW YORK, NY—New Found Glory is a band that 20-somethings such as myself have no problem admitting influenced a large part of our youth and continues to flow through the speakers of our cars as we sing loudly on the drive into work. Even though I knew this was a…

NEW YORK, NY—It’s Memphis, Tennessee, in 1951 before the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll. Black kids are rockin’ to soulful rhythm ‘n’ blues (as exemplified onstage by some funkin’ dynamic choreography by Sergio Trujillo who choreographed Jersey Boys). White kids are bored by cardboard singers like Perry Coma  and radio…

SAYREVILLE. NJ—Winter tours are sure to have faced you with an important decision to make when snow is predicted – to go to a show or not.  That was the dilemma I had for the Starland Ballroom stop on Anti-Flag’s ‘The Economy Sucks, Let’s Party’ tour.  But, when snow hadn’t…

There’s a new voice to be reckoned with. It’s a lowball Tom Waits/Leonard Cohen swoon with a Steve Earle twang and Dylanesque presence. The scene is set with opener “Bellingham Blues.” Kasey comes on serious, deadly, with-intent. He instantly forces you to listen and listen hard. You get mesmerized ‘til—pop!—track…

NEW YORK, NY—I’m always amazed by a Between The Buried And Me performance. Really, every time. And it’s not so much BTBAM that blow me away—it’s their intensely loyal fans and somewhat accidental status as icons in the prog-metal niche.

Hardcore and metal fans with a nerdy streak filled up…

Fuckin-a.

What a wonderful world 1988 in Britain must have been. Obviously, not everything was rosy—the Troubles were ongoing, Thatcherism was in full effect, and HIV/AIDS was still rampant and misunderstood—but unemployment was low and John Peel was producing sessions with Napalm Death, Carcass, Godflesh, Bolt Thrower, Extreme Noise Terror,…

Raised in England, New York transplant Lightspeed Champion is reviving the late ‘70s and early ‘80s ELO-esque vibe. His sophomore full-length Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You begins slowly, with the aptly titled “Dead Head Blues” a trippy, a little experimental and depressing opener. Quickly, though, the album picks…