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Jon GarrettFeatures
Juggernaut Still Rides: Behind the Scenes and Times of SwervedriverSwervedriver have been away for so long that most assumed they were never coming back. Yet here they are, 17 years after their debut, in the midst of a full-scale tour. This is how they lived to tell. [23 May 2008] The Beautiful & Damned [Los Angeles]Embodying the labyrinthine decay and assured swagger of their Hollywood home, the Beautiful & Damned are fueled by a bit of literary pretension and a drive to expose the grandeur in the intimate and ugly. [16 April 2007] Blacklist [New York]Born out of twin interests in art and activism, the murky and even problematic practice of either has given way to a band that perches on the ledge between hipster fashion and scene critique. [17 January 2007] Mansun’s Lonely Love Song: Kleptomania Steals One Last Glimpse of the Band that Never WasMansun often seemed to be mocking, not just the trappings of rock stardom (which had become commonplace in the Britpop era), but themselves-the whole ridiculous notion that four kids from Chester could possibly be cut out for this monumental task. [18 February 2005] Athens’ Rich Pageant: The Whigs Breathe New Life into the Famed College Rock CapitalAthens has been coasting on legacy; the town has remained mostly dormant since R.E.M.'s emergence. But something strange is afoot in the idyllic college town once again. [19 November 2004] Crash Landing in Los Angeles: British Songwriter Alex Troup Soldiers on in an Unfamiliar PlaceNow a full six years removed from the release of his former outfit's first and only album, the erstwhile frontman for Crashland now finds himself halfway around the world, looking for a fresh start in southern California. [1 January 1995] The ShinsThroughout my conversation with John Paul Jones, one word kept popping up again and again: 'freedom'. Taking the Long Road: An Interview with The MusicThe UK's hotly-tipped new band The Music's Robert Harvey discussed his group's resolve and their initial impressions of American audiences. An Interview with Meow MeowLos Angeles rock circuit fixture Kirk Hellie and bandmate Christopher O'Brien talk to PopMatters about their new musical endeavor Meow Meow. Ready to be Believed: An Interview with The Juliana TheorySinger and lead guitarist/pianist Brett Detar recently sat down with PopMatters for a lengthy chat about the band's evolution and their impending success. The Forgotten NYC Band: An Interview with InterpolIt figures that in their recent profile of New York's 'coolest' bands, Rolling Stone missed the city's best. Interpol has been playing the live circuit for a couple of years and yet somehow they've managed to stay relatively under the radar the entire time. Hot Hot Heat Heating UpSeamlessly blending the cool and the terminally unhip, Hot Hot Heat juggles The Cars, Prince, and the jittery post-punk of Gang of Four and Wire. The New Rock N’ Roll Swindle: The Hiss Attempt to Survive the British Press BlitzkriegDrooling praise in the British press -- once the lifeblood of any American rock band hoping to make it big in the States -- has recently morphed into something more akin to a kiss of death. Can Atlanta's The Hiss come out unscathed? PopMatters music critic Jon Garrett examines. The Grandeur of GrandaddyAstute musical chameleons or tragically faddish trend-hoppers? PopMatters music critic Jon Garrett deconstructs the Grandaddy mystique. Interview with AssassinsThe Chicago band offers a sophisticated mix that takes the '80s Manchester template as a starting point, the dark dance pop perfected by the likes of Joy Division and New Order, and fleshes it out with elements of trip-hop and a post-punk guitar fuzz. Reviews
The Brother Kite: Waiting for the Time to be RightThe Brother Kite released their sophomore album more than a month ago, and while the album is easily one of the best you’ll hear this year, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of it until now. [7 November 2006] 
The Kooks: Inside In / Inside OutNot ones to be bashful or to hold back, Brighton’s The Kooks open with a whiplash-inducing clutch of certain singles. [25 January 2006] 
The Departure: Dirty WordsIn an era of bands obsessed with the glassy disembodiment of Joy Division, the Departure are the first band to nail Curtis's alien menace, to wipe away the last identifiable traces of the human artist. [15 June 2005] 
The Boxer Rebellion: ExitsThe Boxer Rebellion defies the 'rock 'n' roll paradigm' to great effect on this ambitious, if spotty, debut. [4 May 2005] 
The Manic Street Preachers: LifebloodWhile far from a smashing return to form on par with Everything Must Go (their career high-water mark), Lifeblood should reassure the public that the Manics are not yet artistically bankrupt. [12 November 2004]The Mars Volta: 24 July 2003 - ChicagoFor now, The Mars Volta live experience and the album remain separate entities as opposed to complementary halves. [29 July 2003] 
Mansun: SixThis is inspired dementia from start to finish. Some would be tempted to call it a concept album, but, honestly, there’s too much going on for there to be a coherent concept. 
Doves: The Last BroadcastThe Last Broadcast is far from a poor album. In fact, it has the elements of a great album, but it sounds like they got stuck halfway through or decided they had enough singles and cobbled the rest together hastily. [31 May 2002] |
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