Whether or not you’re a fan of his music, it’s hard to argue that Trent Reznor, the creative mastermind of Nine Inch Nails, is constantly at the forefront of innovation….
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103 Articles
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Many seem eager to send bands like Vampire Weekend to the firing line for their afro-pop-lite brand of indie rock. For those on the often thankless crusade for authenticity, meet…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
There’s so much to like about the self-titled debut from Tacoma, Washington’s Mono in VCF, it’s hard to know where to start. As a debut, it’s almost too good. Mono…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
For five years now, the Mars Volta has colored the alternative rock scene with their hardcore-prog-jazz hybrid. They’ve represented the point where hippies, metalheads and avant-garde fans could meet in…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Coming into their first full-length, Vampire Weekend are in the precarious position of having a reputation that precedes them. Before their self-titled debut can be properly digested and enjoyed, let’s…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) makes two ballsy moves with her new album, Jukebox, largely considered her second covers album, though it contains two originals. She leads off with the…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Dear Chris Walla, As a longtime Death Cab for Cutie fan, I was pretty excited to hear about your solo album. By “longtime fan,” I mean longtime fan. We’re talking…
Taylor Long
2 Min Read
Quirk is a risky thing to play with. If it’s not done in the right way or if it’s taken too far, it can seem insincere, gimmicky, or severely limit…
Robert Cass
2 Min Read
Throughout the CoCo B’s self-titled debut album, frontman Kevin Castillo’s casual, somewhat sleepy vocals, similar to those of the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas or Phoenix’s Thomas Mars, initially lulled me into…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Not since the Riot Grrl movement has there likely been a better time for alternative female singer-songwriters. With the likes of Feist, M.I.A., Lily Allen, and (on a smaller scale…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
The two biggest criticisms that Black Mountain’s In the Future is likely to receive are the following: 1. STONERS 2. They’re not doing anything “new” These points do hold weight….
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
At first, Finian McKean’s Monsters of the Deep Woods seems deceptively simple, with its sparse acoustics and oblique lyrics. Each successive listen, though, reveals a new layer of meaning and…
Taylor Long
1 Min Read
Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, rapper Lupe Fiasco mixes sentimentality with harsh attacks on the hand that feeds him in his sophomore effort, The Cool. He attempts to do…
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