Invisible Brigades Records has just released an EP by NYC indie band Scout titled “∏.”  Try searching that up on the internet for more info.  You’ll find nothing. The band broke in 1998 on a major label (Chrysalis), and became a flavor of the month–marked by an appearance on Conan O’Brien before Conan tried to [...]

2011 is definitely the year of the cover. And Holmes‘ project is “another one of those.” But it’s also one of the more unusual of the lot. Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” becomes a sunny single.  “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” becomes a 1970s AM single.  My favorite Jacksons tune is still [...]

‘Allo Darlin’ cheated.  Twice.  First, their “EP” is really just a single (an A-side and a B-side), and my site doesn’t review singles.  That’s a rule.  But I’m considering this single an EP, just so I can review it. Second, they named a song “Wu Tang Clan.”  How the hell am I not going to [...]

Satan’s favorite country rock band’s EP begins with a take on Gallows Pole, the song made famous by Led Zeppelin.  But unlike Plant and Page, who sanitized the song into one about how  the doomed man was such a stud that all the girls wanted to rescue him despite his crimes, Blackwater Jukebox make a [...]

Hurricane Bells is the new band by Steve Schiltz, singer and guitarist of Longwave. I liked Longwave. It’s smooth pop, a little more mellow and mature than Longwave. And the kids love it: You probably remember their Twilight song….But don’t hold that against them. They’re pretty damn good.

I had a discussion recently with my wife about the 1980s.  We were watching VH1’s “One Hit Wonders” show—a guilty pleasure—and the focus was on 1980s movies.  The themes to both Dirty Dancing and St. Elmo’s Fire made their list, and I was reacquainted with how incredibly awful those tunes are.  My wife was prompted [...]

The Howling Bells remind me a little (just a tiny) bit of the Cocteau Twins. At least some of their songs do. On the great Cooking Vinyl label, the band features tremendous Australian vocals (and guitar work) of Juanita Stein, along with her brother Joel on lead guitar. It was recorded in Las Vegas and [...]

This one is my kids’ fault.  I was playing through some of my (non-R-rated) submissions in the car with them, and I was about to hit skip when they both screamed “No!”  They loved this.  So I stayed a little longer.  And I have to admit, there’s something here.  I’m not sure what.  But there’s [...]

Dominant Legs=Smart San Francisco Pop. About My Girls Where We Trip the Light Hoop of Love Tour Dates: 10-1 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture Gallery 10-3 Denton, TX – Dan’s Silver Leaf 10-4 Austin, TX – Lambert’s 10-5 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s 10-7 Atlanta, GA – 529 Club 10-8 Charlotte, NC – Casbah 10-9 Chapel [...]