BY JONATHAN VALANIA FOR THE INQUIRER Funny how Gen X used to mercilessly mock its predecessors for endlessly revisiting the Woodstockian ecstasies of its youth, as though nostalgia were a generational affliction instead of a universal symptom of aging. Now that the gray-bearding of Gen X has commenced, its members have proved no less immune to the impulse to revisit the pleasures of their gloriously misspent youth. Exhibit A is Guided by Voices’ sold-out “Hallway Of Shatterproof Glass Tour,” which reunites the so-called classic lineup of the Dayton, Ohio, indie darlings for one more beery, fist-pumping, scissors-kicking sing-along of their […]
ALBUM REVIEW: The Growlers’ Hot Tropic
BY MATTHEW HENGEVELD Returning with pounding lo-fi neo-surf-rock, the Growlers create a little brother for their 2009 psychedelic monster, Are You in or Out? The brand-new EP, Hot Tropics, sounds like a collection of B-sides from the Growler’s debut— but that’s not a bad thing. They’ve patented a new brand of hypnosis in their rehashing of surf-rock and drugged-out droning. I found these guys in the The State Theater lobby at Penn State, schmoozing with the college students. Just about to open for Dr. Dog, they wanted to sell a few discs before getting on stage. The South Cali band […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Bassnectar & Beats Antiques
BY PELLE GUNTHER Walking into the Electric Factory, the glow stick littered pavement told tales of many an enthusiastic raver’s shattered dreams as security confiscated everything they could find a reason to take. Watching the vibrantly dressed fans enter the venue, as glow sticks were pulled from shoes, out of sleeves, from hats, pants and god knows where else, the security’s failure at the art of security became painfully clear. Once inside the venue the amount of successfully-smuggled contraband-rave materials on display was astounding. But these fans brought their rave A-game for a reason: This frigid 5th of November (my love […]
ALBUM REVIEW: Black Mountain Wilderness Heart
The words “psychedelic rock” can be an easy turnoff for some, especially those who have no truck with hair-wagging peddle-hopping stoner-rock. However this is something entirely different. The heavy-riffing Canadian psychedelic outfit known as Black Mountain has been causing quite a stir with their latest release Wilderness Heart, which feels like listening to an immaculately-preserved mix tape of late 60s/early 70s psychedelic rock you found in your hippie uncle’s basement. The album starts it off strong with the Zep-tastic “Hair Song.” Its very Americana chord progression makes me want to sip Coca-Cola on the sidewalk outside a corner store while […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Wolf Parade @ The Troc
[Illustration by KAGAN McLEOD] BY PELLE GUNTHER Wolf Parade has long been known for heavy indie rock dirges covered in wild synth leads and a live show does not disappoint. On top of that Spencer Krug’s wailing vibrato is just as bizarre and captivating in person, all pining and heartbreak mixed with a strange sense of hope. Unfortunately, when Krug took a break from screaming his vocals, Dan Boeckner filled in with his much less distinctive voice, which didn’t carry the same emotional pull that Krug had captivated me with. The band focused much of their set on new music […]
EXILE IN GUYVILLE: Liz Phair Reviews Keith Richard’s Life For The New York Times
[Illustration by Enkeling] NEW YORK TIMES: As their popularity grows, so does their stardust. “Suddenly we were being courted by half the aristocracy, the younger scions, the heirs to some ancient pile, the Ormsby-Gores, the Tennants, the whole lot. I’ve never known if they were slumming or we were snobbing.” It’s a blue-collar fairy tale, but distance between Mick and Keith begins to steadily expand — so much so, Keith confesses, that “I haven’t gone to his dressing room in, I don’t think, 20 years.” The Glimmer Twins, once so close Keith claims they had “identical taste in music,” now […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Social D @ The Electric Factory
BY ARTHUR SHKOLNIK Friday night I arrived at the Electric Factory and saw gray-haired grandpas, hawked and studded teens, and everyone in between standing side by side; three generations of concert-goers with one thing in common – an abiding faith in Social Distortion — a legendary band that, for over 30 years, has both defined and transcended the rebellion and attitude of punk rock while remaining fearlessly unabated in the face of its own evolution. This is undoubtedly due to the hardships a now 48-year-old Mike Ness has faced on his long and arduous path through love, loss, and drugs, […]
CONTEST: Win Tix To See Brat Productions’ Carrie
After playwright Erik Jackson wrote an impassioned 6-page letter asking Stephen King to entrust him with one of his great bestsellers, the world-renowned novelist agreed to allow Jackson and Theatre Couture (creators of the off-Broadway hits Charlie! and Tell-Tale) to mine Carrie for humor, developing it into a dark comedy for 2006’s sold-out off-Broadway run at PS122 in New York, featuring the internationally-recognized drag queen Sherry Vine (aka Keith Levy) as Carrie White. Carrie – which has also been a 1976 feature film directed by Brian De Palma, a 1988 Broadway musical, a 1999 feature film sequel, and a 2002 television […]
Iverson Signs $4 Million Deal To Play Ball In Turkey
NBC PHILADELPHIA: Longtime 76er Allen Iverson has agreed on a two-year, $4-million contract with the Turkish team Besiktas, reports the Associated Press. He’s expected to officially sign with Turkey this week, according to the AP. The 35-year-old, 11-time all star struggled to remain in the NBA but with no team wooing him, he’s found himself ready to suit up for the Turks. The Besiktas are considered third among the three most powerful franchises in the Turkish first division and start league play over the weekend. Besiktas have a strong following in Turkey, and team officials believe Iverson could be an […]
SAY IT AIN’T MO: Velvet Underground Drummer Explains Why She Joined The Tea Party
RIVERFRONT TIMES: In April 2009, WALB-TV aired a story about a Tea Party rally in nearby Tifton, Georgia. About two-and-a-half minutes into the feature, one “Maureen Tucker, Tea Party Supporter” was quoted as saying, “I’m furious about the way we’re being led toward socialism. I’m furious about the incredible waste of money, when things that we really need and are important get dropped, because there’s no money left.” Eighteen months later, the news story somehow ended up posted on YouTube, and the blogosphere started buzzing. Could this actually be Moe Tucker [pictured, bottom left], former drummer for the Velvet Underground, […]
REVIEW: Cut Chemist The Sound Of The Police
BY MATTHEW HENGEVELD Making music with turntables quite honestly scares the shit out of me. I understand MPC drum programming, vinyl scratching, chopping loops and synth programming. However, mixing a live performance in front of an audience, regardless how rehearsed it may be, is an impossibly difficult task. One small slip-up can ruin an entire set; it’s not like missing a snare drum or hitting the wrong note on the tuba. Musicians with turntable expertise are like circus performers— stellar freaks of nature that leave us staring agape at their wacky hijinks. One such freak of nature is Cut Chemist, […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Dead Kennedys At The TLA
BY ARTHUR SHKOLNIK After a stop at South Street’s Lorenzo’s Pizza for one of their renowned mammoth slices, I walked into the TLA and almost immediately my ears perked up to the sound of 80’s hardcore bands including Bad Brains and Minor Threat blaring on the house speakers. It might have been a good idea to hit a bar beforehand, because a seven dollar cup of beer from the TLA couldn’t possibly taste anything but bitter. I put my money to better use, instead buying a Dirty Tactics CD. Philly punk trio Dirty Tactics had just recently come back from […]
REISSUE: T. Rex’s The Slider
Oxford, MS label Fat Possum has announced a series of reissues of classic T. Rex albums, beginning with The Slider, which will be available on CD and digital formats on Oct. 26 and newly remastered vinyl on Nov. 23. The Slider, along with most T. Rex titles, has been out of print on all formats in the US since 2003. The Slider is the definitive soundtrack to Bolanmania that swept most corners of the globe during 1972. It was boom-time for manufacturers of lipstick-sized phials of glitter. The music press had a field day, too, seizing the opportunity to debate […]