Somewhere behind all that studied weirdness, steeped in the audacity that saw them famously crash Wayne Coyne’s house, is an artistic fearlessness that makes HOTT MT one of the most unique bands around. The quintet – whose acronym stands for Hour of the Time, Majesty Twelve and who go by names like Ashi Dala, Spooky […]
After last July’s one-off single “Bob Seger,†Minneapolis’ perennial hip-hop duo Atmosphere are back with their eighth full-length album “Southsiders,†their first since 2011’s “The Family Sign.†It was recorded in Oakland and their hometown, and is set to be introspective and “a very detailed look at my life,” according to rapper Slug. Its first […]
Nick Waterhouse music videos never fail to entertain. His old-school soul plays a big part of his storytelling, but the L.A. artist also knows how to heighten the drama of his songs with some suspension. The Matt Spicer-directed video for “This Is a Game” – you may have heard the song in the most recent […]
As if the lineup of OFF! weren’t star-studded enough, the veteran punk-rockers recruited two guys with long resumés themselves to star in the new video for “Hypnotized.” Which, by the way, is a hoot. Chris Grismer directs the tale of a drug-addled man (David Yow of the Jesus Lizard) dressing up as a superhero on […]
Betcha if you heard a song like this and it was by somebody named The xx, Active Child, SOHN, Lo-Fang or Bon Iver, you’d get all giddy. It’s Coldplay, with Chris Martin and gang taking a more minimalist approach on the first single from the U.K. juggernaut’s forthcoming sixth album “Ghost Stories.” The new release […]
Add Minneapolis four-piece Howler to the growing list of guitar-toting cherubs who are doing it right. The quartet’s debut 2012’s “America Give Up” didn’t quite live up to some of its feverish hype (being the teenaged darlings of Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records will make some people run a temperature), but the band – […]
The Haim sisters have never been ashamed mixing their love for classic rock and pop sensibilities, as demonstrated by songs such as “The Wire” and “Honey & I.” Their long-waited and well-received debut “Days Are Gone” oozed with retro vibes and the music clip for their track “If I Could Change Your Mind” follows suit […]
Jeff Ramuno’s duties as Josh Tillman’s sideman in Father John Misty have slowed his own explorations as Jeffertitti’s Nile, but come April he will be back in orbit. And by orbit, we mean outer space. And by outer space, we mean out there. Jeffertitti’s Nile’s psych-rock inhabits distant galaxies, where constraints are few, the vistas […]
We have no idea whether Glasvegas’ erratic career arc speaks to the short shelf life of nu-gazers (see also: The Big Pink) or the perils of changing geography. The Scottish outfit helmed by singer-songwriter-producer James Allan arrived in 2008 with a Mercury Music Prize-nominated debut and a couple emotionally devastating singles, “Geraldine” and “Daddy’s Gone.” […]
The 1980s have been watered down so much we’re pretty sure they’re drowned somewhere in a bathtub. First place I’d look is wherever the Chain Gang of 1974 live. To review, TCGO1974 migrated from Denver to L.A. a few years ago, released the justifiably ignored album “Wayward Fire” in 2011 (3,100 copies sold) and then […]
