Rock memorabilia: Jim Morrison’s last notebook for sale

By Rachel Heisler

Amazing. 36 years after his death, Jim Morrison’s last notebook surfaces, and YOU can own it. (more…)

Book review: White Bicycles, Making Music in the 1960s, Joe Boyd (Serpent’s Tail, 2006)

By Rachel Heisler

“It was great that people fought about music in those days.”

Was music promoter and producer Joe Boyd in the right place at the right time? Was he just lucky? Or was he just a guy who loved music and was destined to help bring some otherwise underground musicians into the mainstream for all to love? (more…)

CD reviews: Sage Francis, Human the Death Dance (Epitaph, May 8, 2007)

By Lindsay Winters

With the image-driven homogeneity of ‚Äúmajor label‚Äù rap, it‚Äôs a welcome respite when an MC, in an act of extreme self-awareness, dares to play the emo card. An over-arching sense of vulnerability is the epicenter of Sage Francis‚Äôs, Human the Death Dance; a power move, which, Francis himself believes ‚Äúopens up the gates to creativity much wider.‚Äù (more…)

CD review: The Todd Tijerina Band, Now (self-released, 2007)

By Rachel Heisler

You don’t listen to the blues, you live it. You don’t hear the funk, you feel it. And if you’re Albuquerque’s Todd Tijerina, you’re submerged in both. (more…)

CD review: of god and science, self-titled (Detach Records, May 1, 2007)

By Rachel Heisler

It’s been 10 years since of god and science singer/songwriter Matthew Dominguez and bassist Jeremy Fine began jammin’ together at coffee shops and open mics, and they’re still digging into their bag of tricks today. (more…)

CD review: Cheeseburger, self-titled (Kemado Records, February 20, 2007)

By Ash

This is the classic rock album: lots of guitar, lots of yelling and lots of drums. It’s a wall of sound, and Cheeseburger’s energy is raw. The Iggy Pop-influenced musicians, Joe Bradley (vocals), Luke Crotty (drums) and Christy Karacas (guitar), say this record is an ode to New York City and the love and drinking that goes on there. (more…)

CD review: William Tell, You Can Hold Me Down (New Door Records / UMe, March 13, 2007)

By Danny Brown

Leaving a reasonably successful band to strike out on your own can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can be seen as a sign of frustrations with your former colleagues and an acrimonious split, while it can also be difficult to find your own sound after being part of a group for such a long time. (more…)

CD review: Sick Puppies, Dressed Up As Life (RMR / Virgin Records, April 10, 2007)

By Danny Brown

If someone mentioned the words “Australia” and “music,” what’s the first thing that would pop into your head? Hopefuly not the Minogue sisters, although Kylie is certainly responsible for some of the biggest-selling albums by an Australian artist in the last decade. Maybe you’d think of Silverchair, or going slightly further back, Midnight Oil. (more…)

CD review: Dirty Novels, Pack Your Pistols (Self-released, January 27, 2007)

By Danny Brown

There’s a bit of a positive buzz coming out of Albuqerque, NM, at the minute, with the likes of Soular winning both fans and critics alike with their powerful form of indie. However, where they are certainly part of the new sound coming from the Duke City, The Dirty Novels are happy to remain steadfast with one foot and a shoelace in the past. And on their third album, Pack Your Pistols, it shows. (more…)

CD review: Placebo, Meds (Virgin Records, April 4, 2006)

By Ash

‚ÄúI was alone, falling free, trying my best not to forget‚Äù begins and closes the opening track of Placebo‚Äôs disc, Meds. The album quickly started receiving heavy rotation in my car‚Äôs CD player. This album it absolutely wonderful! Supposedly, Meds is much more stripped-down from Placebo’s previous work, Sleeping With Ghosts. Regardless, Brian Molko (vocals/guitar), Stefan Olsdal (bass) and Steve Hewitt (drums) laced Meds with enough strings and heavy guitar riffs to entertain the listener. (more…)