Mar 01, 2010 10:52AM

The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night

Artist: The Besnard Lakes Review: At its website, Montreal's Breakglass Studios — run by Besnard Lakes bandleader Jace Lasek — trumpets its custom 1969 Neve mixing board, used by Led Zeppelin on Physical Graffiti. The same piece of equipment was used on "Albatross," a standout on the Lakes' immersive second LP, a magnificently oceanic meld of Beach Boys harmonies, My Bloody Valentine tidal waves and Phil Spector girl-group siren songs shot through with soaring guitar. It's a producer's wet dream, like most of the... Rating: 3.5 Stars

Mar 01, 2010 10:48AM

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo

Artist: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Review: Five studio albums in, California psych-garage trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are still religious zealots — worshippers in rock's Gothic cathedral. The song titles tell the tale: "Bad Blood," "War Machine," "River Styx." In "Aya," singer-guitarist Peter Hayes moans, "She's a reckless lover/With blood-stained hands/Around the neck of her helpless man." There was a time, circa 2001, when Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were supposed to inherit the Earth, or at least the mantle of Rock's Great... Rating: 3 Stars

Mar 01, 2010 10:47AM

Serj Tankian - Elect The Dead

Artist: Serj Tankian Review: System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's 2007 solo debut, Elect the Dead, was a harmless brain-dump, but the idea of recording it live with an orchestra is another story. The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra gamely chase Tankian into a maze of art-song, but where SoD might turn lyrics like "prophets all destroying the Tao" into an apocalyptic blitz, surging symphonics expose it as the doofy pomp it is. And asking classical musicians to play a song called "Beethoven's Cunt"? That's just mean. Rating: 1.5 Stars

Mar 01, 2010 10:38AM

Jimi Hendrix - Valleys Of Neptune

Artist: Jimi Hendrix Review: Some grousing from fans greets most posthumous Jimi Hendrix studio releases. And fair enough: Hendrix can't offer his opinion anymore, and between past dubious product (i.e., the heavily overdubbed Crash Landing) and ongoing estate squabbles, there's been plenty of sketchy business over the years. But on Valleys of Neptune — a collection of more-or-less previously unreleased tracks recorded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1969, assembled by the archivists at Legacy and the Hendrix... Rating: 3.5 Stars

Feb 16, 2010 09:38AM

Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Artist: Broken Bells Review: Part Kanye West, part Brian Eno, producer-musician Brian Burton — a.k.a. Danger Mouse — has defined himself with his excellent taste in brilliant misfits. His biggest smash was Gnarls Barkley, with whom he turned oddball former Dirty South rapper Cee-Lo into a falsetto swinging soulman on the sublime "Crazy," triggering moving karaoke performances worldwide. He's helped blues-rock freaks the Black Keys find their groove; helped midcareer weirdo Beck locate his mojo on 2008's Modern... Rating: 4 Stars

Mike Spinella on Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

TAB the Band, 'She Said No (I Love You)' -- Free MP3 Download

Filed under: Free MP3 Download of the Day

Artist: TAB the Band
Song: 'She Said No (I Love You)'
Album: 'Zoo Noises' [iTunes]
Sounds Like: Black Keys, The Walkmen

Download: 'She Said No (I Love You)' (MP3)

[Get Winamp] [Download Help]

William Mills on Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Sliimy Interview: SXSW 2010

French pop singer-songwriter Sliimy (pronounced "slimmy"), aka Yanis Sahraoui, was the first recording artist to be signed to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's label, Perezcious, an imprint of Warner Music Group. His debut album, 'Paint Your Face,' has been well-received in his homeland, landing him high on the French charts, and he's spent time touring Europe with superstars like Katy Perry and Britney Spears. Sliimy, who sings in English, is bringing his folk pop, including a widely popular cover of Spears' 'Womanizer,' to SXSW this year to spend some quality time with the American market. Spinner caught up with him just after some vacation time in Australia to get a little insight into this colorful artist.

How would you describe your sound?

My sound is like a Polaroid picture. It's a instant moment of life, and there's always an evolution to come.

What are your musical influences?

Musically, [David] Bowie plays an important role in the manner that I see the music and the visual. I also love Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Lily Allen and Diana Ross. My latest crush is on Marina and the Diamonds, and of course Gaga.

How did you come up with the name Sliimy?

My friends give me this name when I was at school. Sliimy is who I really am, this boy with his dream, and I'm feeling like I've always been Sliimy.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Nothing. I love being dirty during festivals. There's no survival kit to have, just love of music.

Tell me a little about your first celeb crush.

Jimmy Scott. His music gives me shivers. It's magic how you can feel his emotions. His life was hard and intense, but he was gifted by an amazing voice.

Tell me about your musical guilty pleasure.

Corona, because it reminds me of when my sister and I would dance in the living room, singing 'Rythm of the Night.'

What is your opinion of the American pop music scene as opposed to others you've experienced internationally?

Music is universal, and what is really beautiful is to see that everywhere in the world, even though every country is different, every person is different, we all need music. America is a big influence, and the pop music scene is huge. What i love is that you can clearly see that this is the result of a beautiful melting pot.

What inspired the very colorful imagery on your album and artwork?

You know I come from Saint Etienne. Well, it's a little town. I always wanted to escape the boring routine of this life and create my own colorful world. Although colors are uplifting, I still have my dark side to deal with. Sadness and darkness both inspire me to create.

Do you think your young age has more helped or hindered your status as an emerging artist?

Neither. I have no age. Sometimes I'm feeling old but not wise. So i need to learn and still create. I don't think that age is important in art, because art is ageless.

Jordanne Cherise on Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Ciegossordomudos Interview: SXSW 2010

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, Exclusive

Ciegossordomudos released their album 'En Paz' in 2009 and instantly won critical acclaim and reached monumental heights as a band for their profound lyrics and their avant-garde rock 'n' roll sound. 'En Paz' was named Album of the Year by Semana magazine and has reached the top of the charts in South America, earning them the title of "legend" in their home of Bogotá, Colombia. Ciegossordomudos are preparing to head to Austin, Texas, for SXSW, where they will be playing several gigs. Spinner recently sat down with lead guitarist Alejandro Gomez-Caceres about his band, their sound and their upcoming shows.

How did your band form?

Pablo [Bernal] and I met at the University of Bogotá in 1985 and started a cover band doing cover songs for the Stray Cats, the Police and Chuck Berry. We called ourselves KGB. Jota [Garcia] used to go out for drinks with his friends at this popular club in Bogotá in the '80s called The Music Factory. Pablo and I had been playing our songs there on Saturday nights and we noticed he would come and watch most of our shows. He played a mean bass at the time, and some months later we met him and he joined the band. Ten Years later, we started to write our songs and we officially became Ciegossordomudos.

What are your musical influences?

We all have quite a bit of musical influences but we, as a band, have a few that we listen to and have been influenced by. Bands like the Police, Pink Floyd, the Who, AC/DC and the Cure are all bands that we have listened to over and over again, and have certainly played a role in our music.

Stefanie Schwartz on Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Dieselboy Interview: SXSW 2010

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, Exclusive

Often described as "one of the world's great ambassadors of drum & bass," Damian "Dieselboy" Higgins has been a pioneer of the genre since the early '90s. Spinner caught up with Dieselboy to discuss his origins, his upcoming SXSW gig and his weakness for Jodi Maroni hot dogs.

Describe your sound in your own words.

My sound has changed a lot in the past 10 years. Currently, I have a really varied sound. I'm primarily a drum & bass DJ; that's what I've built my entire career on. But starting at the beginning of this year I've started experimenting with playing all different styles of drum & bass, and then I combine that and go into playing another genre called dubstep and sometimes I'll play techno or electro-house, tech house. I'll try to mix it all up into one set. By the end, it's so many different styles of dance music in one set -- that's kind of my current thing.

How did you get started?

I started DJing in college in 1991 and it was really just a hobby. I was a full-time student with a job, and when I graduated from school I still didn't think I'd be doing music, so I got a real job for a while. In 1997, I decided I was gonna DJ as a career, and it's been my career since then. I usually end up playing at least two nights a week, and I fly all over the world. One week I could be playing Akron and Indianapolis, and then the next week I could be playing London and Moscow, so it's always completely random.

Troy Thompson on Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Wiz Khalifa Interview: SXSW 2010

Wiz Khalifa flows to a different beat...make that many beats. The young and versatile flow-master is proud to let you know he's from the streets of Pittsburgh. He wears a "P" on his neck to represent. But the relative newcomer has already traveled around the block a few times.

Born in North Dakota to military parents, the "Wiz Kid" was exposed to a molding variety of streets in Germany, England, and Japan while growing up. His diversity of styles and smoothly adept rhymes brought early praise from Rolling Stone in 2006. He signed a record deal with music giant Warner Bros. in 2007 before negotiating his release from that label (two years and one hit single later) to pursue his own beats in the business world as well. Those beats are helping to create a new business model in the music industry.

His first post-Warner Bros. release, Deal of No Deal, quickly supplanted heavyweights Jay-Z and 50 Cent on the iTunes charts. Streaming a constant flow of new material on the internet has also brought Khalifa a staggering amount of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace fans and followers. He is hands on and involved with everything in his career. Spinner caught up to the tireless grinder ahead of his SXSW appearance and asked him about his music, his choices, and his advice.

Describe your sound.

It's real diverse...definitely a worldwide sound. It's not just any one thing.

What's the significance behind your name?

Khalifa is Arabic for successor, or leader. Wiz is because everyone always called me young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did. Whatever I did, I could just do it. So it comes from that.