Alkaline Trio Agony and Irony
G-Unit T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)
Los Lonely Boys Forgiven
Night Ranger Hole in the Sun (Why?)
Tech N9ne Killer
Vanessa Hudgens Identified
Byrd Gang M.O.B.: The Album
My Chemical Romance The Black Parade Is Dead!
In between benefits and festivals, there isn’t a whole lot going on domestically so I turn your attention to the world of music across the pond.
- Euro 2008 is now over and throughout Spain’s run to their first international trophy in 44 years, a curious thing occurred every single [...]
In times of crisis, when you have the opportunity to help those less fortunate than yourself, you do. Which is why tonight area musicians will be gathering at the Bluebird for Rock for Relief, a benefit to raise money and collect goods for the victims of the recent wave of [...]
George Carlin died yesterday of heart failure at the age of 71. Along with the late Richard Pryor, Carlin elevated comedy from mere entertainment to a true art form. He used the stage to make an entire generation question social norms of vulgarity, drug [...]
Click the pic for a stroll through the nappy dugout that was Bonnaroo 2008.
Pearl Jam gave the crowd everything they desired - sing-a-longs, political speeches, more sing-a-longs - in what was a pretty decent set. The entire set I was overcome with the thought that perhaps they were the US version of Oasis. They keep releasing albums to mild domestic acclaim and tour [...]
Two Gallants (whom I’m told played a basement show in Bloomington many moons ago) kicked off the day with nice set full of two-man ditties about racism, murder, and all other manner of things that filled the pages of 19th century penny novels. In all honesty, it was nice to [...]
I could talk about all of the things I saw, ate, and drank on Saturday (Sharon Jones, Pearl Jam, a practically raw burger cooked by hippies, Jager and champaign provided by some bros from Lousiville), but it was all negated by the clusterfatastrophe that was Kanye West.
originally scheduled to perform [...]
Group Fortasma is the first surprise of the festival. A latin/funk ensemble from Austin who you may have seen providing back-up to Prince and his demon phallus at the Super Bowl. As if I wasn’t already sold after 20 minutes, they threw in a dose of Outkast’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” and a [...]
So the verdict is in and the justice system has declared that R. Kelly is NOT GUILTY of 14 charges of child pornography. And he didn’t even release another “Ignition (Remix)” to bail himself out this time. He’s like Michael Jackson and John Gotti rolled into one. Now that he [...]
Back again. With a current run of form capped by a large chunk of my possessions being flooded and trashed I reneged on my plan to forgo Bonnaroo and caught a ride and a meal ticket down to Manchester, TN. After one ridiculous re-route, [...]
CDs hitting the shelves and legal distribution avenues of the internet.
Adele 19
Solomon Burke Like a Fire
Jakob Dylan Seeing Things
The Fratellis Here We Stand
Joan as Police Woman To Survive
KRS One Maximum Strength 2008
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III (Finally!!!!!)
Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement
My Morning [...]
It is that time of year once more, the entire reason that this blog began in the first place - Bonnaroo. I had some reservations about going back to cover but after having most of life flooded away I decided I need a break from Bloomington so I’m traveling to [...]
Once upon a time hip-hop and basketball weren’t married only by fashion and bankrolls, they actually jumped on mics and shared stages with every baller thinking he could be an MC as well. It used to be innocent flirtation, like when Kurtis Blow proclaimed his love for hoops on the [...]
There are many things associated with the cello, soul generally isn’t one of them. It seems Ben Sollee of the Sparrow Quartet didn’t get the memo.
Raised the son of an R&B guitar player, Sollee’s classical cello training was tempered with the soul tunes [...]
Here are the albums vying for your valuable gas money this week.
Ashanti The Declaration
Bun B II Trill
The Cool Kids The Bake Sale [EP]
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
The Futureheads This Is Not The World
Jewel Perfectly Clear
Journey Revelation (Walmart exclusive 3-disc CD/DVD)
Ladytron Velocifero
Little Brother And Justus For All
[...]
Oh man. The sweet sound of Bo Diddley’s guitar is no more. One of the forefathers of rock ‘n roll, Diddley passed at the age of 79 at his home in Archer, FL. Diddley had the whole package - a sound that came from way out in left field and [...]
Like any town or music scene, Bloomington exists in a bubble. We have our local favorites and the national acts we love so much have been stopping through town with increasing regularity. But I am always curious how our bands go over in other cities. Now when I say our [...]
Greetings Bloomington. I’m going to preface this post by explaining who exactly I am and why I am about to get very snarky. I came here in the fall of ‘04 to get my Master’s degree in Journalism with plans to jump ship the first chance I got. If you’ve [...]
Friday
- Locals galore at Bear’s Place with The Sparklyn Waylons, Bitesized Buddha, and Post Honeymoon who are in fact not from Bloomington but rather Chicago
- Bluegrass at the Bluebird with The White Lightning Boys
Saturday
- BIAS brings the avant jazz of The Chicago/Luzern Exchange to [...]
The continuing dispatches of Slate writer Josh Levin at the R. Kelly trial in Chicago.
A day after converting the courtroom into the world’s least comfortable porno theater, it’s now time for the state to prove that we watched R. Kelly having sex in his faux log cabin—not an R. [...]
Josh Levin over at Slate is camped out R. Kelly’s trial which, after six years, one video, and countless hits later, is finally underway in Chicago. It makes for a great read and as he updates, I will pass the fun on to you.
From Slate:
As R. Kelly’s child pornography trial [...]
Some of you may remember Josh Millrod, the hyperactive trumpeter/noise rock fanatic who double as one half of “rap” group Rapscallionaz aka Columbus, IN’s favorite hip-hop duo. Well he took his energy to New York City and in typical Josh fashion he landed on the radar of the uber-blog Gawker.com. [...]
The boys of Husband and Wife took time out of their latest tour to stop by the famed Daytrotter studios in Rock Island, IL. No yet on when it will hit the web but a Daytrotter session is a job well done. Combined with the Delicious being selected for the [...]
It isn’t often that you can actually say that one artist or one band actually impacted music. There are artists that were popular and bands who moved records but how many actually changed the course of music or inspired the generations that followed? The [...]
Friday
- Hip-Hop all night long. First up is Chi-city’s Yea Big + Kid Static at Bear’s Place with LVX and Tite Gripp. Then late night at Uncle Fester’s is Sonny Bamboo and friends.
- The BLEMPF Opera brings some class to the Buskirk-Chumley.
- Jason Fickel and his [...]
In the coming weeks there will be a deluge of blue-eyed soul songstresses coming our way from the British Isles, the lingering effect of Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse. While the majority of our domestic pop “stars” spent their formative years emulating Madonna or a host of sexed up flash [...]
The day that many a 20 or 30 something has waited for is finally here. New Kids on the Block are back and kicking it slightly off key on the “Today Show.” Enjoy and prepare yourself for the tour coming to a city near you.
- The Cinemat brings the heavy with Gravitas, Ketman, Cities Alone, You’re A Liar
- The hip-hop, reggae, roots rock, reggae flavor of Santos & the Saints @ The Bluebird with 2 Mics and a Kit
There has been much talk in the newsroom, streets, and meetings around town about what exactly constitutes Bloomington’s music scene. There are gaps among ages groups and genres and debates over venues and methods and gets publicity and who doesn’t and the myriad reasons behind all of these. So I [...]
Not much going on in the world of music or entertainment in the wake of John Edwards making everyone forget about West Virginia. But in case you grew up in the 80s, you might want to know that Harvey Weinstein has decided to urinate all over your childhood by making [...]
- Rocabilly galore at the Bluebird with The Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville P**y, and Backyard Tire Fire
[...]I was recently reminiscing about first concerts (mine being a BET sponsored tour at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Jodeci, Mary J Blige and a no-show Luniz) and the merit’s of Luniz when a friend of mine who came to America at the age of 12 [...]
The Black Angels - Directions to See a Ghost (Light in the Attic)
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
Old 97s - Blame it on Gravity (New West)
Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things (Atlantic)
Keith Sweat - Just Me (Rhino)
Foxy Brown - [...]
Last week the Bloomington and Indianapolis musical communities lost another member when musician cum engineer LonPaul Ellrich passed. His time in Bloomington was before mine but he left an impression on my Indianapolis youth as a member of United States Three. Better than I have written remembrances and I give [...]
Friday
- The seizure-inducing spectacle that is Speed Racer hits a theater near you
- Reggae galore at Max’s Place with Zion Crossroads
- Rock and roll for the, but not exclusively for, the kids at Rhino’s with Concordia, Civilian, We are the Talk Shos
Saturday
- A high school [...]
Into Lake Griffy is the full length debut from Good Luck, the trio of the aptly named Ginger Alford, Mike Harpring, and Matt Tobey who come to us by way of the Plan-It-X family as former members of One Reason, Abe Froman, and Matty [...]
Last night saw the return of Total Trash Tuesdays to the Bluebird, the resurrected series that combines local bands with a cheap cover ($1) and cheap drinks ($1 PBR, the best thing to happen to hipsters since Sparks became a special at Bear’s Place). With a cross-town Lymbyc Systym show [...]
- When you are done deciding the fate of the country at the polls, blow away some political steam at the Bluebird with the return of Total Trash Tuesdays where $1 cover and a tolerance for $1 PBR gets you in to see Secrets Between Sailors, Gravitas, [...]
More Blood in the Monitors is the latest release from TremFu (short for Tremendous F**king if you are scouring your local record shops), a band caught somewhere in the vortex where metal, punk, and hard rock collide. Wordy song titles aside, the album is heavy on [...]
- Stevie Wonder joins Obama for a pre-primary rally at the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis.
- Comedy Caravan at Bear’s Place with Grandma Lee and Matt Holt
- Bobby Clark, Jason Blankenship, Phil Villeza & Eric Hicks perform at Monday Night Songwriter Showcase at the Players Pub
As we approach primary day here in Indiana the candidates keep rolling out their secret weapons, be it a high tolerance for whiskey shots or a close kinship with Dave Matthews. With less than 24 hours to go Obama is going all out at a rally tonight in Indianapolis where, [...]
Friday
- A suddenly psychedelic Caribou with UK noise makers F**k Buttons at the Waldron Arts Center
Saturday
- The “Brazilian Rock Blues and Reggae with a little bit of hip-hop and funk” of Santos and the Saints at Max’s Place
- Rock meets funk meets reggae at Rhino’s [...]
There are few songs that completely encapsulate a feeling or a time and a place. In the spring of 1991 DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince took a break from fighting Mike Tyson and complaining about their parents lack of comprehension to do just that with the release of [...]
After years of creating brilliant electro-pop under the monikers Manitoba and Caribou, the one man band that is Dan Snaith released last year’s Andorra, a collective of orchestral pop that broke from tradition and calls to mind The Zombies or anything off of the Nuggets collections. Tonight the full band [...]
- If you have a need to hear solo tuba jazz, look no further that the Art Hospital where Carl Ludwig Hübsch will be giving you just that
- Roosters really knows how to get people out. Free wings and dance music spun by the horribly named DJ TiMMaY
[...]
Before I get into all that was Barry Obama’s rally at Assembly Hall, as I was sitting there listening to country and Mellencamp being played on a continuous loop, I wondered why Sam Cooke’s “A Change Goin’ Come” isn’t Obama’s campaign song? It’s a song about how the world around [...]
- Favorite of the brothers McNulty, Dead Meadow at the Bluebird with The Impossible Shapes, Gravitas, and Everything Now
- Drew Danburry at The Cinemat with Sticky and the Bees, Everybody, and TinyFolk
Perhaps you have been deprived of all human contact today so you aren’t up on things as much as you should be so let me catch you up. Tomorrow Barack Obama continues his campaign for student body president with a rally at Assembly Hall Wednesday night.
Admission [...]
- A night of ladies who rock at the Cinemat with Kill Rock Stars latest find, The New Bloods, Jonbenet Sasquatch and Quadrillion Babes
- Jake’s hosts the Goth/Industrial pajama jammy jam Axis of Evil
I was not at Coachella and based on who I saw around town, most of you weren’t either. But due to the wonder that is Youtube, there are so many videos floating around that we can all catch up on what we missed. I scour blogs and news reports because [...]
Say!
Look How we’ve grown!
I’ve even grown some facial hair
- “Hokusai”
These opening lines pretty much sum up The Delicious’ Joyful Noise debut, Postcard To My Sewing Circle. The group finally steps out of their-tried-and-true formula of [...]
With the airwaves filled with Girlicious, Dannity Kane, and the always resurgent Mariah “I used to be a respectable singer but now I’m just T&A that can sing” Carey, it’s hard to remember that there was a time when actual singers charted and female singers in particular were examples of [...]
Tonight we are once again drunk with choice as far as music and while I don’t have the time to get into major descriptions, let me run through the highlights:
- Andy Hollinden is putting is music where is mouth is and bringing his history of rock and roll class [...]
The Roots are back at it much to the delight of hip-hop heads and the indifference of the music buying public. An opening salvo, the posse joint “Rising Up” featuring Chrisette Michelle & Wale. It seems that the brass band they toured with last year is more an unofficial part [...]
So it would seem that much like the rest of the Democratic party, Mellencamp can’t decide who to through his weight behind, appearing with Obama yesterday and with Hillary in Indianapolis soon. I suppose I applaud his indecision because no one wants to be eating crow after backing the wrong [...]
Having successfully swayed the kids with Dave Matthews, a shared love of competitive collegiate women’s cycling and Nick’s strombolis, and the promise of balling all over some lucky high schooler in a 3-on-3 game with Calbert Cheaney (Keith Smart and Damon Bailey too busy to suit up), Barry Obama is [...]
The headline if a little bit misleading because this is not about the downfall of rock and roll but about the upcoming speech and book signing of “So You Wanna Be A Rock and Roll Star” author Jacob Silchter. If you don’t know the name, perhaps this will remind you:
[...]
Every Friday I will presenting you with a piece of my youth via the wonders of youtube. Even though I grew up in suburban Indianapolis, my parents are both we people who are darker than blue and therefore don’t expect to see a lot of hair metal or indie rock. [...]
Because artists and labels haven’t abandoned the independent record store like consumers have, this Saturday, April 19th is National Record Store Day when ever indie label under the sun and every indie-rock band that matters pulls together to get your butts back into stores. In [...]
I’ll admit it, I generally ignore a large amount of the emails that come my way. Everyone wants to tell me about a show, or come to a show, or here new band x. Mostly it’s because I am not the biggest fan of experimental or art rock and just [...]
As you will probably notice on Thursday, The Scene section that you knew and somewhat loved is no more, reabsorbed into the paper and no longer available for your coffee shop or bathroom reading pleasure. But fear not because I will be filling this space on a daily basis with [...]
You’ve heard the rumors and seen the Today Show appearance, but now I present to you audio evidence of the New Kids on the Block reunion. 30 something ladies prepare to get excited all over again.
Today is the greatest day in the collegiate lives of 15,000 marginally engaged would be voters because today is the day that Barry Obama brought his buddy Dave Matthews to Assembly Hall.
Those of you who stay relatively informed about the world around you already know who you are voting for the upcoming primary and very little can be done to sway your opinion. But let’s say that you don’t read or pay attention. That your entire world revolves around yourself and [...]
As we move towards a more online-centric focus I will be actually filling this space with interviews and the like but until then, I present more music related internet joy. Today I present a dinner date between Akon and T-Pain via the folks at Superdeluxe.com. Enjoy.
When life gets you down just watch Arthur.
This is Monotonix:
They are a trio of spastic, balls-out rockers from the far away land of Tel Aviv, Israel. Someone at Drag City had the good sense to pick up their demo and give them a contract. They have a percussive fury both musically and theatrically with their [...]
I have to give it up the swirling, blitzed out of his mind hippie in front of me and the thousands who came before him - Rusted Root is a good band. I generally loathe all things jam band or roots rock or other types of hippie nomenclature to describe [...]
Chicago’s favorite son and Kanye associate Rhymefest has joined forces with recent Grammy award winning producer and DJ extraordinaire Mark Ronson to create Man In The Mirror, a mixtape dedicated to the gloved one himself, Michael Jackson. Unlike the debacle that is the recently released Thriller 25 [...]
The Grammys have come and gone and the big winners are, as expected, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse. While I stopped watching the Grammys years ago when they repeatedly opted to nominate the stop selling hip-hop artists rather than the artists making the best quality hip-hop, this year’s ceremony was [...]
We speak the same language. This video is ridiculous. The song is sweet and soulful as expected but then she had to go and put herself into my record collection. I know she is black kryponite (see Common, Andre 3000) but I don’t don’t make records I book shows and [...]
Start your hype machines, a new Gnarls Barkley single has hit the interweb. I won’t fill you with my opinion on this one, just listen for yourself and then think of new and exciting ways to sing its praise. [Run - Gnarls Barkley]
No special reason for this post. I was watching an interview with Sharon Jones on Jezebel and I remembered why I dragged my parents out on a Sunday a few months back - Sharon Jones is the truth. I could wax on about this but as anyone who has seen [...]
Many people have come forward with kind words and fond remembrances of Evan since his passing. I have been lucky enough to capture some of this is print and on tape and I’m now passing some of those on to you. Below is a link to a conversation between Brad [...]
While working on this weeks column and watching MTV in the wee morning hours I noticed that they are continuing their habit of wrapping music they would never actually play on MTV around promos for whatever bs reality show or movie trailer they are pimping. I know that piling on [...]
After a brief hiatus the football rants and occasional insights you know and love are back. Thanks to our new sponsor Michael Lindsay Photography (link), we are back on the web. This week we talk about the state of the EPL entering last weekend and the Champion’s League draw.
[...]
Even as I write this it is hard to believe that it is actually true. As though we’re all going to wake up someday and realize that it has all been a bad dream.
Last week, beloved musician and handyman Evan Farrell flew out to Oakland, Calif., to take part in [...]
Earlier this week Houston rap legend Pimp C was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room, the details of his passing are still unknown. For the uninitiated, Pimp C and Bun B formed the venerable hip-hop duo UGK who came out if the Houston scene with [...]
First Wave
Ska’s roots are found on the island of Jamaica under the watch of legendary producers such as Clement “Coxsome” Dodd, Duke Reid and Prince Buster. It took reggae and infused it with elements of jazz and America soul and R&B to create music that was heavy on the [...]
This week we get a double dose of nostalgia as Hanson and Mustard Plug roll through town this Thursday and Saturday. For those who forget or were too young or isolated to remember, Hanson is the trio of adorable moppets who popped up 10 years ago with the infectious hit [...]
The following is video of Dave Davison of Maps and Atlases who performed at the Waldron Arts Center Firebay over the weekend with Alela Diane and Daun Fields aka Vera Maleta. Just because you couldn’t or didn’t make it to the show doesn’t mean you should miss out so enjoy [...]
There has been a lot of talk and chatter floating around this town and I can’t keep track or keep it straight so I’m just going to start putting a camera in front of people and letting them get stuff off of their chests. This week, Chris Barth of the [...]
Everyone’s favorite folk-punk hometown heroes Murder by Death have signed to Vagrant Records, home to The Hold Steady, The Lemonheads, Dashboard Confessional, and the Eels. It’s a big step up for them and after working their butts of for years and I’m happy to see all of the touring, touring, [...]
So Jens Lekman blew through town Tuesday night, doing double duty with an all-ages show at the Waldron Arts Center Firebay and a full set for us grown folks at Jake’s Nightclub before doing an impromtu late night set at an afterparty. Besides being a generally nice guy with an [...]
From LFB:
Live From Bloomington is now accepting submissions for the 2008 edition
of the LFB compilation CD! This will be the 23rd consecutive year of
this esteemed project. As always, all proceeds from the sale of the CD
- and the subsequent “Club Night” revenue - go to benefit Hoosier [...]
As many of you may know, today is the day that Radiohead released In Rainbows under the digital download, “pay what you feel” model. The hype has been building and after a quick listen…I like it. The bass line is turned way down on “15 Step” but I first heard [...]
There are many reasons to dislike Fall Out Boy - Pete Wentz, underage mall punk following, Pete Wentz, catchy emolicious songs, and, oh yeah, Pete Wentz - but I have finally found one reason to like them, or at least support the mainstream exposure that they are recieving. For the [...]
If you have been casuakky glancing the blogs today you’ve probably read about the alleged Meg White sex tape. Seriously people, as David Cross once asked, are we a nation of infants? Why would she be getting down with college aged Dave Matthews Band fan in a dorm room? Guess [...]
The numbers are in and Kanye West has officially won the battle for America’s music consuming dollars. Saying Kanye won doesn’t fo it justice really. Kanye bent 50 over and did unspeakable things to his backside to the tune of 957,000 to 691,000. Ouch. 50 of course has gone on [...]
That’s right Bloomington and people of the interweb, besides writing about music I also bring shows to town. In fact, I bring a lot of shows to town and if you ask around, the shows I bring have a tendency to not suck. So in a week in which there [...]
This week agit-punk quartet Against Me! return to Rhino’s and with them comes the weight of being labeled once more as sell-outs for making the leap from the punk majors to an actual major (or in truth a majors subsidiary). From hip-hop to indie-rock to punk rock, the cries of [...]
