New music feature: Dashboard Confessional

November 4, 2009 Leave a comment

Music news feature on Dashboard Confessional on Billboard.com (and the lead music-section story in the Oct. 31 issue of the print magazine)

I can’t say I’ve really listened to Dashboard since I was in high school, but at least Chris Carrabba was a really good interview, and I truly appreciate that more than whether or not I like the music (in cases like this at least).

Dashboard Confessional’s MySpace (I think the new album, Alter The Ending is streaming right now)

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New music feature: Steel Panther

October 17, 2009 Leave a comment

I’ll spare you the photo because I think it might scare people away from my Web site, but you can find plenty of photos here.

Steel Panther story on Reuters.com (full version in the Oct. 24 issue of Billboard)

A couple of quotes surrounding my being assigned this story:
“I know this isn’t really your thing but…” (editor)
“If there were ever band on god’s green earth that spelled out ‘Laura Leebove’s Worst Nightmare,’ Steel Panther be thy name. They appear to be antithetical to you in almost every way.” (friend)

Ain’t that the truth. I know it’s supposed to be funny, and it is funny in a “Wow, I feel sad that there are people who can objectify women to this extent, even if it’s a joke” kind of way…but it’s too much. Among their song titles: “Asian Hooker,” “Fat Girl (Thar She Blows),” “Stripper Girl,” “Community Property,” and “The Shocker” (yes, it’s about what you think it’s about)…

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New music feature: The Raveonettes

September 21, 2009 Leave a comment

Raveonettes feature on Reuters.com (original story published in the Sept. 26, 2009, issue of Billboard Magazine)

UPDATE: You can read the full version here!

The Raveonettes’ new album, In and Out of Control, is out Oct. 6 on Vice Records. It’s good stuff, check it out!

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New music feature: Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan

September 17, 2009 Leave a comment

Interview with Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan on Billboard.com

I think I did this interview in June…? It got pushed back, bumped online, yada yada, but you can read it now! Also, I had only gotten the band’s new record, Popular Songs (out now on Matador), a day or two before the interview, so I didn’t have time to fall in love with it before talking with Ira. I’ve had plenty of time since then, and it’s great. I’m in the middle of a very Yo La Tengo–filled couple of weeks: Last week my roommates and I went to the band’s album release party at a gallery in Chelsea (Oh yeah, I live in Brooklyn now!), and next Friday I’m going to see them at the Roseland Ballroom.

Speaking of upcoming shows, I have a bunch of them on my calendar (tentative list on the left sidebar if you feel like tracking me down). Expect lots of live reviews + photos in the next couple of weeks!

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Not-so-new music feature: Regina Spektor

September 17, 2009 1 Comment

Regina Spektor feature in the Chicago Sun-Times (by way of Billboard)

The original version of this story was published in Billboard a few months ago, but it was so kindly pointed out to me that the Chicago Sun-Times picked it up (and cut out a big chunk of the story) just last week! Eventually I hopefully will have a scan or PDF of the whole thing—my biggest so far for Billboard, which was quite exciting, although it is the product of one of the most stressful weekends of my life…

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New music feature: Those Darlins

June 22, 2009 1 Comment

Those Darlins Billboard feature via Reuters (slightly edited version that’s not as business-y; full story is in the June 27 issue of Billboard)

I’m not a huge country fan but these ladies are a lot of fun and they’re releasing their self-titled debut LP on July 7 through their own label. Pretty sure I’m going to see them in Pontiac next month (on July 15, the day after my birthday!) since I’ve heard their live show is great.

Those Darlins’ MySpace page

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New music feature: Phoenix

May 2, 2009 Leave a comment

Phoenix story for Billboard (slightly edited/cut-down version by way of Reuters … full version in the May 9 issue of Billboard)

*Update: The full version of the story is now online here!*

I’m sort of embarrassed to say I had never heard of Phoenix before I was assigned this story, but now I think they are awesome and their amazing upcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (out May 26 on Glassnote), will be in heavy rotation this summer. This is my first lead music-section story in the magazine, so I would be lying if I said I wasn’t kind of geeking out about it.

Frontman Thomas Mars on the album title:

“It’s almost like unleashing a kid in a museum, or drawing a mustache on Mona Lisa. It’s something very childish. It’s messing up with something very iconic and I think maybe the fact that we grew up in Versailles, which is a very historical place … and the classical, all those names are very big weights and you can’t really have a future because you’re overwhelmed constantly by what happened before and what was greater before. I think it’s just something in that idea that you try to make something overwhelming, you try to make it your own and just mess up with it and have a chance to create something out of it.”

Video for Phoenix’s “Lisztomania”:

Phoenix’s MySpace

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New music feature: The New York Dolls

April 13, 2009 Leave a comment

New York Dolls feature on Billboard.com (and in the April 18 issue of Billboard Magazine)

I think my Q&A with David Johansen will be posted online too, but not totally sure about that. He rambled a bit.

The New York Dolls’ “Trash” a looong time ago:

The New York Dolls’ MySpace (new album, ‘Cause I Sez So is out May 5 on Atco Records)

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New music feature: Joker’s Daughter

April 10, 2009 Leave a comment

Joker’s Daughter feature on venuszine.com

Joker’s Daughter is singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Helena Costas, who teamed with Danger Mouse as her producer for her debut album The Last Laugh for Conor Oberst’s Team Love label. I think the story turned out fine but this interview was a technological nightmare! Because Helena lives in London, it was supposed to be on Skype, then Skype kept cutting out and/or not connecting, so we decided to do the interview via instant message … but then the Internet in my house went out so I had to run to the coffee shop to finish it.

Joker’s Daughter’s MySpace

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New music feature: The Bird and the Bee

January 28, 2009 Leave a comment


(press photo by Autumn deWilde)

Bird and the Bee feature on venuszine.com

The Bird and the Bee’s second LP, Ray Guns are not Just the Future, was released on Blue Note yesterday! (Amazon is currently selling the DRM-free digital version for only $3.99!)

It’s just as awesome as their self-titled album (you know, the one with the song “Fucking Boyfriend” on it). If you’re not familiar, the band is singer-songwriter Inara George (whose summer release An Invitation, a collaboration with composer Van Dyke Parks, is lovely) and producer/multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin (no big deal, he’s just produced Lily Allen’s albums and written for, produced and/or played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ben Harper, Kylie Minogue, etc. etc.).

Video for “Love Letter to Japan,” from Ray Guns are not Just the Future:

The Bird and the Bee’s MySpace
Inara George’s MySpace

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