It had scarcely settled into its cradle after the last cry for help when the scarlet Bandwidth TipLine telephone rang anew. This time, the call was from local singer/guitarist Chris Bright, complaining of censorship. Bandwidth — which cannot stomach oppression in any form — was on the case. Since Bright…
By the time the Sex Pistols called it quits in 1978, the isolated youth of America were coming to grips with the budding romance of not caring — or finding fashionable reasons to seem that way. But before safety pins adorned faces in Stateside strip malls, Rocket from the Tombs…
It’s hard to think of Green Day as somebody’s old man. Punk lends itself to youthful exuberance, which makes even the originators of the punk revival seem like a bunch of boys out for a joy ride in their daddy’s car. But many in the silly string of punk and…
Deftly marrying ancient and modern, the organic with the synthetic, and heartfelt emotion with complete and utter alienation, Lumin’s intriguing sophomore effort, Hadra, is a study in colorful contradictions. Best described as Middle East-meets-West electronica, this is ancient folk music birthed from the worldly womb of a laptop. Well, not…
With Ryan Adams now anointed roots-rock’s commercial savior, can Will Hoge’s ascension linger far behind? Nothing on this CD hasn’t been said before, but the vivid intensity with which the singer expresses himself warrants the wider audience Hoge is beginning to receive. (Since taking up music professionally in the late…
One of the results of 9/11 (we’ve been told) is a return to the values of yesteryear: decade-old sitcoms, meatloaf and stews, casual sex. So maybe recording Are You Passionate? with Booker T. and the MG’s is Neil Young’s comfort food, a return to his roots for a musician whose…
“Welcome to the lab,” says Jamie Keogh, the turntablist known as DJ Immortal, leading a visitor into his garage turned studio at the Coral Springs home he shares with his mother. Six turntables are parked against the wall, which is plastered with several Jimi Hendrix album covers and a Wu-Tang…
Previous albums by these Northwest mofos have seen them taking a more knockabout approach, but Strangest Parade, their latest, is a much more dressed-up — and consequently less mundane — affair. A “concept” album that works like a suite in 13 parts, it’s reminiscent of such swirling pop masterpieces as…
It’s that time of year again, the beginning of May, when thousands flock to the shores of the Intracoastal in West Palm Beach to hear more bands than you can shake a mic stand at. This year’s SunFest features national acts ranging from blues rockers Bonnie Raitt and Edgar Winter…
Of course, every call made to the Bandwidth TipLine has the potential to become a monumentally important story. But sometimes, what appears to be a breathless plea for help or evidence of some heinous injustice just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. For example: A man calls, frantic. It seems a…
The subtle thud of electronic bass and the propulsive tap of a brushed high-hat cymbal underpin cool-jazz vibraphone, earthy organ, and sultry soul-diva vocals on “Into the Dark,” the peppy opening cut from Marc Moulin’s Top Secret. The brilliant blend of jazzy noodling and cool electronica is an apt update…
With its first two studio albums (Bring It On and Liquid Skin) and an odds and sods collection (Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline), Gomez crafted a sound that was rooted in the bluesy and soulful grooves of ’70s pop/rock but powered by a youthful energy and contemporary perspective. This approach helped…
The improvement in home-recording technology has caused an explosion of material from bedroom auteurs. But a not-so-funny thing often happens on the way to the iBook: Many performers spend so much time polishing their sonic rocket that their finished products sound slick and lifeless, thereby reducing the initial spark of…
If there’s one thing missing from the 12-page color booklet inside Rob Zombie’s latest CD, The Sinister Urge, it’s teeth. The four band members are all keeping their lips zipped, lest the merest hint of a smile ruin the faux menace Zombie’s crew has working here. And of course, Mr…
All you Kruder & Dorfmeister fiends, take heed: Some new shit has arrived from those illustrious Austrians. But don’t get too worked up — this isn’t exactly new new. Each album is a remix of the 1999 album Suzuki by Tosca, a duo made up of Richard Dorfmeister (the “D”…
Open the bomb-bay doors, Hal! Actually, where Pilot to Gunner is concerned, no one riding in that damn plane would be able to hear any commands being spoken, because the Boston quartet is quite unafraid to play fast and loose with dangerous decibels. But Pilot to Gunner isn’t substituting volume…
“I guess I’m the last Jew in the building,” sighed Barry Manilow, pulling out a stool so he could get the leverage he’d need to wring out one more maudlin ballad at the tail end of the final concert at Sunrise Musical Theatre on Saturday, April 13. Open for business…
London’s Freestylers are perfectly poised to simultaneously define and defy the multitude of genre tags that surround beat-driven music. The band’s 1998 debut, We Rock Hard, showed Freestylers’ incredible diversity and broad expertise under the basic breakbeat umbrella. With their sophomore release, the raucous and even more ambitious Pressure Point,…
Designed partly to pump up the reputation of Costello’s latter-day compositions, these re-releases backfire by facilitating direct comparisons between Declan Patrick McManus at his best and worst. On the “best” side, Aim and Model stand as collectors’ money shots, sporting bonus tracks and demos from as far back as 1977…
Nearly half the song titles on Andrew W.K.’s debut contain the words “party,” “love,” or “puke” — a sure sign that this is the best party metal the ’80s never gave us. Formerly a one-man show, W.K. built I Get Wet into a dual-ax, kick-drum assault chocked with shout-along choruses…
The “Do It Yourself ” ethic often espoused by rock-ready kids is too rarely put into practice. When given the choice between putting out their own music or hoping an A&R guy will eventually come around with contracts and cigars, 99 percent choose to wait. After waiting two years to…
Textbook contrarians Masters of the Hemisphere, yet another ubiquitous Athens, Georgia, poppy guitar band, regularly delve into the absurd. Look no further than the name, which far more befits an apocalyptic road-warrior assemblage of WWF retirees, when in reality, the band musters less of a threat than a muffled sneeze…
