EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview originally published in June 2017. We are reprising it now in advance of Kiss’ performance at the PP&L Center in Allentown tomorrow night, the second date on the End Of The Road farewell world tour, with David Lee Roth opening. We will be sending a writer and photographer, stay tuned for a complete report. In the meantime, enjoy. BY JONATHAN VALANIA In advance of his performance at the Trocadero tonight as part of the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con nerd jamboree at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (June 1-4), we got Gene Simmons, commander in chief […]
INCOMING: Zen Arcadia
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally published in 2014 in the pages of MAGNET MAGAZINE. We are reprising it now on the occasion of a string of East Coast solo dates. He play the Queen in Wilmington last night and he plays a sold out show @ The Iridium in NYC tonight. Enjoy. NEW DAY RISING Bob Mould has survived the rise and fall of Husker Du in the 80s, Sugar going supernova in the 90s, a premature retirement in the late 90s, a detour into DJ culture during the twilight of the alt-rock gods in the early aughts and […]
THE RENTALS: Great Big Blue
January 28, 2020 (New York, NY) – Today marks the 34th Anniversary of the Challenger disaster. To honor the fallen Space Shuttle Astronauts, The Rentals are releasing “Great Big Blue”, a song based directly on the tragedy. Outside the thermometer reads 31 degrees Our families in the bleachers, bundled up so they don’t freeze The inspiration for the song came after Matt Sharp accidentally came upon a video of raw, uncut CNN news footage of a select group of school children and families of the seven Challenger astronauts watching the take-off, and tragic aftermath, from the bleachers about 3 1/2 […]
BEING THERE: Blackalicious @ Ardmore Music Hall
Photo by JOSH PELTA-HELLER Halfway through a characteristically killer set from opener Reef the Lost Cauze [pictured, above], the Philly rap artist noted, “I expected more Black people! There’s not a lotta Black people here for a band called Blackalicious!” Reef’s rap swings hard and pulls nothing, offering in his trademark explosive delivery shrewd social commentaries that tend not to dodge the uncomfortable, even if he affixes a modicum of self-aware humor at the end — the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. His observation on the crowd was only half in jest. Wherever they stand with […]
TYLER THE CREATOR & BOYZ II MEN: Earfquake
Tyler the Creator’s IGOR won Best Rap Album @ The Grammys tonight.
INCOMING: The Circus Is In Town
LISTEN: The Gliterest Rockinest Overtime-Paidest Boogiest Band In Town
THE LOCUST ABORTION TECHNICIAN: Q&A W/ Gibby Haynes, Frontman Of The Butthole Surfers
EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview originally published on July 19th, 2020. BY JONATHAN VALANIA Saints be praised! Butthole Surfers frontman/madman Gibby Haynes will be celebrating the publication of his debut novel Me & Mr. Cigar with a book released party/concert (backed by The Paul Green School of Rock) at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville on Friday January 17th — and we are totally there for this. To help get the word out, we got Gibby on the horn for a wide ranging, no-holes barred interview. If you are new to the Gibby/Surfers’ weird-ass corner of the universe, I suggest you read […]
UPDATE: we’re up to 4.2 MILLION unique visitors since this was made.
IN MEMORIAM: Kill Your Sons
BY JON HOULON When David Berman hung himself on the eve of his first tour in over ten years – with new moniker Purple Mountains replacing his former Silver Jew tag – the outpouring was incredible. And as one might expect for this most literate of indie rockers – DCB had an MFA from U.Mass where he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Tate as well a connection with the highly regarded Charles Wright during his undergrad years at UVA – the stuff written in the wake of his death was both moving and beautifully written. I was particularly taken […]
BEING THERE: The Jesus Lizard @ Union Transfer
Photo by JOSH PELTA-HELLER The Jesus Lizard – if you’re into the trashy side of ’90s alt rock/noise rock/post-hardcore, you either know ‘em, or you don’t know ‘em yet. If you fall into the latter category, I suggest you go blow your ears out to their 1991 record, Goat; it’s a good place to start. What makes this band special is their ability to meld harsh punk tones and belligerent drunken preaching into something that sounds much more mature than the sum of its parts. Their hooks and grooves are the glue that holds this seasick monkey trick together. The […]
Q&A With Jesus Lizard Guitarist Duane Denison
EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview originally published on 9/7/18. We are reprising it here in advance of the Jesus Lizard’s performance @ Union Transfer on Monday December 30th. Enjoy. BY RICH FRAVEL Jesus Lizard ruled the indie noise-rock roost in the ’90s releasing six albums of elegant psychosis before breaking up at the end of the decade. And now they’re back. I chatted up J-Liz guitarist Duane Denison [pictured, above left] for a bit over the phone. Hopefully I don’t sound too stupid. Duane sounds smart — I’m pretty sure he’s a smart guy. When he’s not Jay Lizzing, he’s a […]
FRANCES QUINLAN: Rare Thing
From Likewise, the debut solo album by Hop Along frontwoman Frances Quinlan, out January 31st on Saddle Creek. PREVIOUSLY: Q&A W/ Frances Quinlan, AKA The Best Voice In Indie-Rock PREVIOUSLY: Review Of Hop Along’s Bark Your Head Off PREVIOUSLY: Video For Hop Along’s “Powerful Man”