Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan And Laura Ballance Open Up About Shutting Up, Running Merge And More

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , on 09/15/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Keeping the Superchunk momentum going after yesterday’s release of Majesty Shredding, here’s another vintage interview previously unavailable online. This one was conducted about nine years ago and primarily revolves around their penultimate record, Here’s to Shutting Up. Continue reading →

Superchunk’s Laura Ballance In 1998: ‘The Music Industry Is Nuts Right Now’

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , , , , , on 09/14/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

With the music-business climate perhaps more rotten than ever, there’s a growing tendency to romanticize the past. But it’s easy to forget the challenges faced by indie-rock bands and labels prior to the dawn of the Internet. Or, in the case of Merge Records, prior to the dawn of the Arcade Fire. Continue reading →

Bad Penny MP3s: Best Of 2010, Part III – Superchunk, Lovers, Robert Pollard, Women, More

Posted in Lists, MP3s with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 09/12/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

With the first day of autumn only 10 days away, here’s a new batch of chestnuts for yer ears. Continue reading →

Steve Earle: ‘It’s Very Dangerous To Be Ignorant Of Islam’

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , on 09/08/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Amid the increasingly incendiary debate over Islam in America, here’s a look back at a related interview I conducted with Steve Earle in 2004. In the article, now online for the first time, he admitted his previous ignorance about the religion and stressed the importance of understanding it, particularly in the wake of 9/11. He also criticized then-President George W. Bush – but admitted that Condoleeza Rice was “kinda hot.” Continue reading →

FYF Fest 2010: Sleep Are Reawakened, Growlers Are Scary-Good, Titus Andronicus Prove Weak

Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 09/05/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

There’s no shortage of gripes being voiced in the aftermath of yesterday’s FYF Fest 2010 at Los Angeles’ Historic State Park. Continue reading →

Apocalyptica’s 7th Symphony: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , on 09/05/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Continue reading →

Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik Feels Your Pain

Posted in Interviews on 08/19/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Here is my recent Herald-Tribune interview with the remarkably down-to-earth frontman.

Holy Fuck’s Latin: Filter Album Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews on 07/22/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

My Filter review of Holy Fuck’s Latin is here.

The Dylan-ification Of Bright Eyes?

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 07/22/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Here’s another vaulty thingy: me blabbing with a red face about Bright Eyes some years back on NPR.

Tool Take The Wiltern: 8.13.01

Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags on 07/21/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Just unearthed my old review of Tool’s August 13, 2001, show at Los Angeles’ relatively intimate Wiltern Theatre (years before it became the Wiltern LG):

“The invincible act proved its robustness once again …”

Read the full piece, published in Campus Circle, here.

More reviews here.