Blog Grid
Inspired by the magazine layout, Grid makes neat and clean appearance. It is always a good layout to start with.
IT BEGAN IN AFRIKA: Akron/Family Give Us a Guide to Ali Farka Toure, King Sunny Ade and Other Artists We’d Prefer Over Paul Simon Any Day
[Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski] Since we already tried to sell you on Akron/Family‘s wild & wooly live show, self-titled thought we’d ask the band about one of its many inspirations: African music. While vocalist/guitarist Seth Olinsky spent some time in Ghana, he passed the must-buy torch to bassist Miles Seaton. The guy’s got a hell […]
OM Sign To Drag City, Get All Christian On Us With New Album Title
Here’s our theory about former Sleep bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros (the guy on the right): Dude was so taken aback by how devilish Matt Pike looks these days that he decided to call OM‘s latest disc “God is Good.” An I-cast-thee-out move, if you will.
PEEP SHOW (UPDATED): Eminem Storms Away From Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Bruno’ At MTV Awards, Lets Homophobia Gets the Best of Him Yet Again
Dear Eminem– You survived a stint in rehab and some serious weight gain, only to rebound with a hit record in an era where they simply don’t exist anymore. Lighten up. And if all of this was staged, then you truly are an unparalleled master of self-promotion. (Yep, it was; man, we’re gullible. Oh well.)
FROM THE STACKS: Nosaj Thing
We get a lot of crap CDs at the self-titled offices. But once in a while, a pleasant surprise slips into our promo stack. Here’s a recent delivery that knocked the S/T staff on its collective ass.
SUPPORT THIS: And This Week’s Must-See Opening Act Is…Krallice
[Text/Photos by Andrew Parks] While we certainly expected a LOUD supporting slot set from Krallice on Tuesday night, self-titled didn’t think the Dysrhythmia/Byla/Gorguts/Behold… The Arctopus/Mick Barr-related project would blow our eardrums out by their second song. Sticking to a largely-instrumental downward spiral of unfiltered shredding (guitar pedals? who needs ’em!) and dueling from-the-depths-of-hell vocals (Barr […]
I WAS THERE: Wolves in the Throne Room Bring Smoke Machines, Cartons of Candles and Corpsepaint-Free Black Metal To Webster Hall
[Text/Photos by Andrew Parks] When it comes to Wolves in the Throne Room, we could care less about how ‘true’ the band is to black metal‘s 101 Unholy Commandments. (Our personal favorites: [58] When referring to sex with a Metal Chick use only the terminology “sticking my clouded frost-spire into her gates of attrition”and [101] […]
NAKED AMBITION: Matt and Kim Score Bacardi Commercial, Take It All Off In Times Square…Then Get Hit By a Bus
by Arye Dworken Yes, we’re fully aware that Matt and Kim‘s sophomore album, Grand, came out months ago, but there’s no denying how the duo’s hit their stride as of late. We can’t help but think that it has something to do with self-titled‘s appearance with them on MTV, but it’s probably a result of […]
JUST A LITTLE PATIENCE: Sunn O))) Channels the Spirit of Alice Coltrane, Recruits Animal Collective Arranger For “Monoliths & Dimensions” Album
[Polaroid shot by Alexander Wagner; rest of photos by Jon Kristiansen & Giselle Vienne] Interview by Andrew Parks We usually skip listening sessions because they’re awkward, forced and rushed. With that in mind, the one for Sunn O)))‘s seventh studio album, the aptly-titled Monoliths & Dimensions, was a welcome diversion from everyday office affairs because […]