Motorhead

Lemmy Kilmister is a living legend: He was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and an integral member of space-rock pioneers Hawkwind; he got kicked off an airplane for refusing to give up his whiskey at the last minute and has done more drugs than anyone except for maybe Keith Richards…

Zola Jesus

Nika Roza Danilova grew up in rural Wisconsin. Without access to the usual distractions available to most children living in a big city, Danilova had to use her imagination and natural curiosity to keep her mind stimulated, which clearly contributed to the timeless, haunting sound of her subsequent musical project,…

Roskopp/No Thought

After a sample from Robocop, Roskopp crashes headlong into “Microbial Warfare.” Though running along at a breakneck grindcore pace, the percussion and dynamics take some moments to let passages hang precariously. Taking a break mid-point with a sample from Walk Hard, Roskopp finishes out its side of this split with…

Gemini Trajectory ventures to Rhinoceropolis on February 29

Charles Ballas is the kind of record nerd a lot of people wish they were but could never be. He’s probably heard most things you’d throw his way, but he’s too good-natured and smart to be a jerk about it. While attending the University of Colorado in Boulder, he was…

Glass Hits has a history filled with punk rock and fast friendships

It’s funny,” says Keith Curts of Glass Hits. “It’s been said a million times, and I know it’s completely trite, but punk totally did save my life, because I found people somehow, the people that became my friends, that came from broken homes or were latchkey kids.” Growing up in…

Review: English Dogs at Summit Music Hall, 2/19/12

ENGLISH DOGS @ SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | 2/19/12 Throughout the show, Adie Bailey of English Dogs came off the stage and sang with the crowd just over the barrier and encouraged people to sing into the mike. But it was halfway through the show that Bailey figured he could trust…

Review: Tennis at Bluebird Theater, 2/16/12

TENNIS @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 2/2/12For a band whose music is so bright and sunny, the tinge of melancholia that swirled around “Waterbirds” gave this Tennis performance an otherworldly feel. The breakdown section in the middle was one of the most evocative moments of the entire night. Patrick Riley and…

Water Babys

This album does not aim for a single aesthetic. The jazz pop and AutoTuned vocals of “Fuck Hugh, Grant” contrast immediately with the IDM-flavored “There’s a Griffin at the Door” and the fractured playfulness of “The Hippo on Campus.” Although the bad puns end after the fourth track, the group’s…

Toxic Holocaust

The members of Portland’s Toxic Holocaust can send a bit of a mixed message when they first come out on stage, because frontman Joel Grind looks like he walked right out of Los Angeles circa 1985. As soon as he and the rest of the band start playing, though, it’s…

Critic’s Choice: The Haircut, February 17 at Unit E on Sante Fe

Nelson Echeverry may have cut his teeth on some strain of punk rock when he was a teenager, but when he connected with the merry band of indie-pop pranksters in The Haircut, his natural inclination for Fall-esque guitar experimentation jelled perfectly with Magee Headley’s spirited vocal delivery. Even with Doris…

Once “thrown into the fire,” Tennis emerges with Young & Old

We were the band that our first show was sold out,” notes Patrick Riley about the live debut of his group, Tennis. “From the start, it was like being thrown into the fire.” Riley clearly has a firm grasp of how fortunate his band has been after getting early encouragement…

Review: Spatula at Climax Lounge, 2/10/12

SPATULA @ CLIMAX LOUNGE | 2/10/12Almost without warning, King Lexie looked like she was either wheeled or aided on to stage, her bulging belly indicating a ripe pregnancy. Joining her were Summer Snover and Jesse Roadkill as well as Evan Brown and Paul Cousineau. All were dressed in various costumes,…

Sauna’s “Glitter Party” video premieres on Stereogum

It probably came as a surprise to everyone but those in the inner circles of the Sauna camp that the band’s new video for “Glitter Party” premiered on Stereogum. Not because the charming quartet doesn’t have a knack for charmingly upbeat pop songs that should be out in the big…

Subterranean Sleep

Opening with “Wrecked and Useless,” the music on this album is reminiscent of the sinuous, eclectic Jux County. On “The Vines,” Fred Thulson channels a bit of Love Hysteria-era Peter Murphy, even as the band waxes into funky territory in the song’s outro. The orchestral arrangement of “Why’d She Rain”…

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

As a pop band, you could do a lot worse than having your first-ever show be opening for Amy Winehouse and then getting tapped to serve as the opening act for her European summer tour. But that’s essentially what happened to the Asteroids Galaxy Tour after Winehouse heard the band’s…

In Flames

Originally formed as a side project of Ceremonial Oath, In Flames quickly became a full-time endeavor. While retaining some of the sharp edges of its founders’ death-metal leanings, the band successfully joined melodic hooks, vocal and otherwise, with nervy aggressiveness and sharp dynamic shifts. In 1995, the core members recruited…