“Too many rappers overrated” begins the title track of “The Gathering,” the long-awaited new release from the Living Legends collective, and truer words were rarely spoken. It’s rare that a group of this size contains so much talent. The best known (and smoothest) of the group, is Murs, but the rest of them are underground [...]

Right from the beginning, Liferz feels more linear, more upbeat, and more polished than Blood On The Wall’s earlier work. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either, because although Awesomer than had some transcendently psychedelic moments, it also had some too-weird-for-words moments that sounded like the members were fighting each other instead of playing together. [...]

Dear Web Sheriff: In the past week, I’ve heard from you twice.  Both of your notices were posted in the comments section of my blog, which I assume you did as a warning to all bloggers and readers that you are out there and that you are watching.  Fair enough.  But please consider the following. [...]

I used to love The Raconteurs . . . But Web Sheriff killed that! Oooooh yeah. I used to love The Raconteurs . . . But Web Sheriff killed that! Just knowing he’s watching And leaving me strange comments Makes me dislike the entire baaaaaaaaaand. Based on WS’ comment below, I have deleted any pre-release [...]

I like but don’t love Chuck Prophet. He’s one of many deep-voiced guitar-playing singer-songwriters with obvious talent, and I like many of his songs, but I haven’t found his albums captivating the whole way through. But this latest project, a cover of an entire Waylon Jennings album, I was incredibly curious. There’s a long tradition [...]

Florida-based Clock Hands Strangle are releasing their debut full-length (on the heels of an ’07 EP), a gentle collection of indie rock tunes featuring primarily acoustic guitar and various rhythm-making instruments. And I can sum up the record in one word: Fascinating. Starting with the opening cut off side one, Redshift, which feels like the [...]

“Electric Night Falls” is the kind of album that usually doesn’t work for me. It’s conceptual, intellectual hip hop with soaring, spacey soundbeds that often barely have rhythm or bass, sparse hooks, and abstract lyrics. But this one does work. And I’m not sure why. Bisc 1 is clearly more concerned with creating art than [...]

On the same stage as Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, the Treacherous Three, Joe Ely, The Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, The Fall, The Sugar Hill Gang, The Slits, and even ESG, our heroes ground through a 17-show run that actually got the place closed by the fire marshall. It’s not a wonder that the [...]

Okay, so I’m not sure what the fuck is going on, but I seem to be finding nothing but music I really dig lately. But the Fuck Buttons are an exception. This CD wasn’t one I just really dug. It literally knocked me flat on my ass and left me gasping for breath. Street Horrrsing [...]

Today’s A to Z is songs/themes from TV shows and movies often make for great hooks, and artists with pop sensibility often dip in that well. There’s lots more than this–these are the indie/mashed up/underground ones that I dig (and a few that I don’t necessarily dig, but I think are kind of interesting). What’s [...]