MGMT are still young. They’ve only put out two LPs. That said, the Brooklyn group led by Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser has toured a helluva lot, behind the platinum Oracular Spectacular and the more recent (and more commercially unfriendly) Congratulations. So why on earth haven’t MGMT, now four years old, played Florida till now? Continue reading
With the Old 97’s unveiling their eighth album this week – The Grande Theatre, Volume One, which will be followed up with part two next year – here’s a look back at a nine-year-old interview with frontman Rhett Miller. I spoke with him on August 26, 2002, shortly after he married model Erica Ihan; he very much had the wedding on the brain. He revealed how collaborator Robyn Hitchcock was partially responsible for the marriage, what it was like to record with him and Jon Brion, why his planned session with Ryan Adams fell through (booze was to blame), and why writers are usually more genuine than musicians. Continue reading
British Sea Power are blazing once again – the eccentric indie-rockers’ new Zeus E.P. came out digitally yesterday and sees a vinyl release next week (both via Rough Trade). In honor of the lads, here’s a quick interview I conducted with them in 2003. It’s finally seeing an online publish. Continue reading
With former Red House Painters guitarist Phil Carney recently granting the Bad Penny his first-ever interview (and an MP3 premiere), the time seems right to resurrect my long-lost conversation with Mark Kozelek. Conducted August 14, 2001, it is surfacing online for the first time. And, because interview with the indie demigod are hard to come by, the full piece is presented here – all 4,900-plus words, warts and all. Continue reading
Metalheads are fickle when it comes to approving a band’s metal cred. But it’s safe to say that your group qualifies if: 1) Fans can get arrested for listening to you; 2) You get arrested trying to record an album; and 3) You preach a message so radical that it makes some metalheads cringe.
Enter Orphaned Land, a metal band from Israel that meets all those criteria.
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There’s Nuggets. There’s Led Zeppelin’s Complete Studio Sessions. And then there’s the best box set ever. A bold statement, certainly. But by the end of this post, you should be swayed. Continue reading
Here’s my vintage, previously unpublished conversation with the Queen of Rockabilly (Bob Dylan’s words, not mine), Wanda Jackson. In it, she gives a track-by-track analysis of 2003’s Heart Trouble – which still stands as her most recent album. Continue reading
Get Iggy Pop talking and the time just flies. A living legend in his own right, he’s also as well-versed as anybody on classic and contemporary music. And with a frankness and candor you’re not apt to find from just about anyone else, he’s one of the record industry’s most critical – even prophetic – commentators. Continue reading
As I noted after chatting with Quasi’s Sam Coomes on October 4, 2001, “It’s impossible to do an interview these days and not have at least of it consist of war talk.” Continue reading
I’ve caught up with Nick Cave a few times over the years, but he was at his wittiest during this conversation from seven years ago, prior to the release of his Nocturama album with the Bad Seeds. Continue reading
Brad Penny
Bad Pennywise
The Bad Penny (beta) 