Everyone's a Critic
Long live the legacy of the crooner from Manchester, England. May his presence instill in you a feeling of natural...moodiness? Random as it is, the “pope of mope” played a sold out show in the …
Jane's Addiction walked away from music at the top of their game. In the late '80s and early '90s, they brought art back to rock 'n' roll with two studio albums that had the poetry …
While peddling fare such as the burdens of loneliness and self-loathing, Andrew Jackson Jihad also explores the plight of the homeless en route to one of this year's most human releases. Through 16 folk-punk constructions, …
Pink Martini took the stage just after 8 p.m. "Amado Mio" revealed Storm Large, the Martinis interim lead vocalist. She looked as she sounded, tall, blonde, and ready to entice. (The usual singer, China Forbes, …
Ex-Oasis guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher returns shooting from the lip with his solo debut. Already a U.K. number one and outselling Liam's Beady Eye by two to one, the elder brother appears to be on top …
Brooklyn-based dance band Rubblebucket hit the Soda Bar stage with "Worker" from their album Omega La La. The band's bad-ass brass front line punched horn blasts over a dreamy and funky rhythm section. On "Breatherz …
The anthemic "Rainbow in the Dark" and irony-laden "Michael Jackson" kept heads bobbing to the stoner Zen of Das Racist, Brooklyn's funniest export. Lines like "Urban Dictionary is for demons with college degrees" struck the …
As I've mentioned elsewhere, this music produced a profound spiritual experience wherein I, a proud atheist, felt an overwhelming connection to the One, something beyond space and time, in a perpetual state of being and …
Lou Reed and Metallica's collaboration is a head on collision between two trains and the casualties are the ears of the listeners. The first words uttered on Lulu ("I would cut my legs and tits …
The expansive indie rock of Grouplove spilled over the brightly lit San Diego Bay as the audience aboard the Hornblower kicked Halloween weekend into high gear. The band, which was formed during an artists' residency …
Judas Priest never does anything half-assed. Twenty-foot-high flames erupted across the back of the stage as CO2 cannons shot off in every direction among the fog and lights. Not to mention screaming lead-guitar battles between …
After seven years' absence, the end-times crooning of Tom Waits sounds like a derelict uncle scorning a mediocre music industry. With this collage of growling, blues-drenched songs, Uncle Tom is back. Waits tries to rekindle …
Only a few of the “crank-it” tunes on this album fit the implications of its name, which references Welsh mining apparel. "Mission & Maintenance" is one of those. "Be Your Own Invention" leans on a …
With his reggae red, yellow, and green electro-acoustic guitar, Ryan Adams instructed 1334 Balboa Theatre attendees to “Put on your helmets and prepare to rock with a fury like you've never seen,” before kicking off …
Back in July, the indie-music blogosphere didn't know what to do with itself when Girls released the single "Vomit." The near seven-minute jam, complete with soul-singer backup vocals, was all hipsters needed to become obsessed …
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, a quartet from Tulsa, Oklahoma, brought their unique brand of open-minded musicianship to the Loft at UCSD. Touring in support of Race Riot Suite, the quartet added a five-piece horn section, …