Backyard Babies show review

Backyard Babies show review
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I was caught off guard the night of Feb. 10 by some sort of speedy Swedish gear-switching that left me still in the bar with half a tall glass of Pabst in my hand when the Backyard Babies from Stockholm took the stage at In the Venue and struck their first notes in support of Social Distortion. … read more

Never Sweat a Show Until You Hit the Dancefloor: Fiery Furnaces Show Review

Never Sweat a Show Until You Hit the Dancefloor: Fiery...
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My buddy Scott, my girlfriend and I sauntered into the safety of the crowd as Dios Malos was finishing up their set but concluded that a beeline to the bar and cheap well drinks were far more in order than standing and watching a band that wasn’t rocking that hard anyway. … read more

The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower

The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower
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We bared our teeth through lipstick smears And clenched our fists like a gang of queers When they arched their backs and threw us hisses We touched ourselves and blew them kisses… [Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, cartoon-style]”I just remember getting to the Lo Fi Café and seeing a lot of tough dudes

Review: Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs

Review: Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side: The...
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Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs Chris Roberts Carlton Books Ltd Street: 10.01.04 This is the quintessential rocker coffee table book. It’s basically unbearable to read from cover to cover, but is delightful in snippets. Walk on the Wild Side is a play-by-play interpretation of literally everything

Smoking to the Filter

Smoking to the Filter
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The Struggles, Troubles, Steadfast and Momentum of Smoke or Fire There once was a band called Jericho…actually, there were two bands called Jericho. One was an aging Christian rock group trying to groove their way into heaven; the other was a punk band in Boston. One will embark on a reunion tour of the Bible

Versified Street Life Reinventing Bar Rock Hype: Interview with The Hold Steady

Versified Street Life Reinventing Bar Rock Hype: Interview with The...
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I was doing a lot of drugs when I first heard the Hold Steady’s debut release, Almost Killed Me, in January 2004, and I was enraptured. I thought, “These guys are brilliant, they live the crazy drug lifestyle and use their experiences to produce this unbelievable art that people like me can really relate to.

Review: Just Before Now: Sketchbook Drawings – Trent Call

Review: Just Before Now: Sketchbook Drawings – Trent Call
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Just Before Now: Sketchbook Drawings Trent Call A Swinj Art Production  Street: 2005 Just Before Now “is filled with selected drawings from six different sketchbooks during the time of March oh three to April oh four” (back liner note). It starts with a To Do List containing 12 items with three crossed off, one of

Local Reviews: Paper Cranes

Local Reviews: Paper Cranes
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Insanity lo-fi noise guitar/synth dancebeats are piled under paroxysmal thrashpunk powerviolence/Curtis Jensen-ish screams and yelps and indecipherable mutterings, and occasionally replaced by nearly-epic keyboard dirges that deteriorate as they form to make the five songs (all named after dinosaurs�Allosaurus, Dimetrodon, etc) that comprise this EP. … read more

Local Reviews: Stolen Marches

Local Reviews: Stolen Marches
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Ex-Endless Struggler Bobby and the boys bring eight heaping plates of punk rock snot and loveliness to the table that street punks, oi boys and rockers can all feast on together.  … read more

Local Reviews: Taught Me

Local Reviews: Taught Me
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This album seems violent in the same way that a rose’s edge in bloom pushing out into the world does�it’s forceful to an extent, but you really have to pay attention to understand why. … read more