Prosthetic Records death-metal posse Undeath are about to drop their third album and shove off for an extensive tour. Go to New Noise for my previously unreleased interview from a couple of years ago in which vocalist Alex Jones of the Rochester, New York, crew opens up about struggling with mental health and reveals what Undeath have learned about being a band since the last time around.
In honor of Wild God, the just-released 18th album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, New Noise published a previously unreleased and unabridged interview I conducted with the Australian rock legend/bookworm more than 20 years ago. Go here to read our lengthy conversation, which shows a lighter side of the sullen superstar.
With the November election only 64 days away, incendiary discussions about politics, the role of government and the future of the United States are permeating—make that dominating—the lives of practically every American. As we watch the nauseating campaign spectacles unfold (and try not to blow chunks when vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance gets hold of a microphone), some of us long for the days when mayonnaise-on-white-toast automaton Mike Pence ran in the same capacity (and lost) on the Republican ticket four years ago. In honor of the former Indiana governor, here’s a little piece of trivia about Pence: What is his favorite song of all time?
Continue readingSunny Day Real Estate, Seattle’s blasphemously overlooked indie-rock trailblazers who split up but then reunited multiple times, are stepping out for another tour in just a few weeks. In honor of their return, bounce over to New Noise to read my out-of-print interview with SDRE frontman Jeremy Enigk from June 2009.
With As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, frontman Colin Meloy and his merry pranksters prove that all is not lost. Go to Music Connection for my full review of the Decemberists’ As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again.
“We’re pretty much finished with (the) second album,” In Flames frontman Anders Fridén revealed to me about his electronic side project — If Anything, Supicious — in a recent interview. He also shared his thoughts on old pal Mikael Stanne and his side project, The Halo Effect. Read the exclusive news story on New Noise and look out for the full Fridén interview soon.
As has been widely reported but woefully under-discussed in the national conversation about the future of news in the U.S. and around the world, Paramount recently vaporized the online archives of MTV News, which it owns. The vault included thousands upon thousands of news stories, artist interviews and other historically critical pieces of reporting created by me and my former colleagues at the culturally iconic organization.
Paramount’s surprise and shocking move marked the latest in a seemingly unending series of body blows against journalists and exemplified efforts by corporate America to eliminate the trade of journalism, which is already withering on the vine, altogether. (Read the best take on the matter by founder and all-around great guy Michael Alex on Variety‘s website.)
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With the aid of Mike Haliechuk’s ever-improving production, hardcore-punk group Fucked Up’s punchy sound practically jumps out of the speakers on their ferociously live-sounding seventh record. Read my full album review courtesy of FLOOD.
Raw Blood Singing (Debemur Morti Productions) is the latest affair from two-person unit Insect Ark
— and the result is an eight-track menu of harrowing horror. Read my review of the record via New Noise.
The word “procrastination” doesn’t necessarily imply that a person is 100 percent idle. It just means they’re avoiding what they should be doing in favor of doing something they shouldn’t be doing. With that in mind, here’s a stupid, superfluous and solitary game that The Bad Penny calls “Procrastination: A Word Game for Music Nerds.” (Trademark pending.)
Flaming Lips
Flamin’ Groovies
Groovie Ghoulies
Groove Collective
Animal Collective
Animal (from the Muppets)
Dr. Teeth (from the Muppets)
Dr. Teeth (the band)
Dr. Dog
The Bad Penny (beta) 