Preliminary note: Imagine my shock when I woke up to find out I’ve got the top 2 on Blog Machine. Go me! The first Arctic Monkeys album was an extraordinary burst of power-pop with acidly wicked lyrics and fist-to-the-face hooks that I kept in active rotation for about a year. The second Arctic Monkeys album [...]

I’ve written about Zilla Rocca before. His day job is Prez and co-founder of Beat Garden Entertainment (which, with Yadibox, is the home of Nico the Beast and 2ew Gunn Ciz), a hip-hop producer, and a rapper in his own right. He’s also just released his first solo mixtape. And, of course, it’s hot. There’s [...]

I’d never heard of The Ocelots before they sent me their latest album, “The Cellar and the Ghost Have Let Us Down,” with an October 7th drop date. What’s it like? Well, it’s a lot like indie rock: Lyrics about death and drama, really fast drums, and grinding guitar with hot hooks and riffs. There’s [...]

Somebody give Sub Pop records a cookie. They’ve discovered one of the most fascinating, promising artists I’ve ever heard.Chad VanGaalen‘s, “Soft Airplane,” is nothing short of genius. The lyrics alone are worth the price of admission. Check out the single, the folky “Willow Tree,” on which he muses: “When I’m dead/ Is when I’ll be [...]

Slow Night, So Long-Eddie Vedder and Kings of Leon Mr. Brightside-Amy MacDonald Staring at the Sun (TV On the Radio cover)-Subways Don’t Fear the Reaper-Wilco

The Clash are the band that proved that too much money will destroy the heart and soul of an artist. Although Joe tried (at least publicly) to eschew material gain, there was simply too much riding on their success to keep him immune from the power of being a commodity. The Clash were and will [...]

“The Iller Sessions” arrived in a plain brown envelope, with no press information. The websites printed on the album aren’t helpful either. What the hell is this? I know Z-Trip; he’s a fantastic remixer/blend DJ who did a great version of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” several years ago. But here, he’s assembled [...]

Everything old is new again. Bands like Earth, Dungen, Black Mountain, and countless others are creating dark, organic, psychedelic works. And The Secret Machines is one of the bands that were ahead of the curve, pioneering the “new” sound eight years ago. In 2000, this Dallas power trio, which then consisted of the Brandon and [...]

The biggest news of the week came on Wednesday. No, it wasn’t that McCain was suspending his campaign so that he could rush to D.C. to vote on the bailout bill, but only after making three fundraising stops, spending the night in New York, and, ultimately, missing any opportunity to participate in the negotiations, which [...]