June 2007
Event Reviews
Against Me!/ Mastodon
When the worlds of metal, punk, indie and rock collide, a boldly-billed package tour is born. Cursive and These Arms Are Snakes joined co-headliners Mastodon and Against Me! on one of the most diversified travelling circuses Jen Cray is bound to see this year.
All Smiles
Chris Catania comes clean about a patchy night at the rock club - with All Smiles failing to live up to the hype, errr hope, and young turks Seawolf and Bronze stealing the show.
Arctic Monkeys
A large percentage of America may not know it yet, but the Arctic Monkeys have already conquered their native England and are setting their sights on our shores. Jen Cray was not surprised that the band's Orlando date was a complete sell out.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have yet to push the bounds of their bluesy garage rock to the highs that they seem capable of, but this didn't stop Jen Cray from drinking herself into a stupor and enjoying the dirty rock.
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir may have been the draw that brought in the crowd, but the night was stolen by openers Kataklysm and Unearth, according to Jen Cray.
Jello Biafra
Listening to some middle-aged man talk about how f*cked up the world is isn't exactly Jen Cray's idea of a fun night out ... unless the man in question is ex-Dead Kennedys vocalist/lyricist Jello Biafra.
Say Anything/ Saves The Day
It's another night of horrifically catchy emocentric pop music with Say Anything and Saves The Day. Jen Cray tries to reconcile her mistrust of all things emo with the undeniably catchy hooks of these popular bands.
Stars of Track & Field
Stars of Track & Field may have been merely the opening band, but for Jen Cray the night belonged to the Portland trio.
The Clientele
Chris Catania finds himself floating on clouds of psychedelic fuzz and memories during this triple-bill of Clientele, Beach House and Single Man Affair. Not just another night out.
Tool
Tool is well known for being one of the most innovative, abstract metal bands of the last 20 years. What many people don't realize is how protective the band is of every aspect of their career, including their image. After being told again and again that she would never get approved, Jen Cray was shocked to be allowed inside the band's Orlando show with her camera.
Totimoshi
Totimoshi may have been playing to a crowd that could have fit into Jen Cray's living room, but that did nothing to dim their spirits or the quality of their performance.
Interviews
Theo & the Skyscrapers
Former Lunachicks frontwoman Theo Kogan, whose current band, Theo & the Skyscrapers, are about to release their second full length, chatted with Jen Cray about the record industry, sex in music, and her ambitious plans for the future.
Music Reviews
Muisic H
Holy Fuck
EP (None). Review by Jen Cray.
Music A
Aftershocker
Born to Rock (Self-Released). Review by Kyrby Raine.
The American Plague
God Bless the American Plague (In Music We Trust/Long live Crime Records). Review by Tim Wardyn.
And One
Bodypop (Metropolis Records). Review by Jorge C. Galban.
Criss Angel
Mindfreak - Official Soundtrack (Koch Records). Review by Joe Frietze.
Annuals
Be He Me (Ace Fu). Review by Jen Cray.
Anushka Pop
Akanthena (Sassy Boy). Review by Linda Tate.
Music B
Besnard Lakes
Are the Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar). Review by Aaron Shaul.
The Bishops
The Only Place I Can Look is Down EP (I Am Sound). Review by Jen Cray.
Black Diamond Heavies
Every Damn Time (Alive). Review by Jen Cray.
Black Light Burns
Cruel Melody (I am: Wolfpack). Review by Jen Cray.
Bodies of Water
Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Self-Released). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Breaking Laces
Astronomy Is My Life, But I Love You (Self-Released). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music C
The Clientele
God Save the Clientele (Merge). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music D
The Dear & Departed
Something Quite Peculiar (Science). Review by Jen Cray.
Defamation League
The Anatomy of Grit-Hop (Defamation League). Review by Chris Catania.
Julie Doiron
Woke Myself Up (Jagjaguwar). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music F
Fair To Midland
Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True (Universal Republic/ Serjical Strike). Review by Jen Cray.
fields.
Everything Last Winter (Black Label). Review by Jen Cray.
Music G
Gore Gore Girls
Get The Gore (Bloodshot). Review by Jen Cray.
Great Lakes Myth Society
Compass Rose Bouquet (Quack Media). Review by Jen Cray.
Music H
Joe Hedges
Curvature (Machines & Dreams/Blumpco). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Hoobastank
Every Man For Himself (Island). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music I
Ignatz
II (K-RAA-K). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music J
Joy
Devil’s Blues (Shrimper). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Juvelen
Juvelen (Hybris). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music K
Mark Kozelek
Little Drummer Boy - Live (Caldo Verde). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music L
Land of Talk
Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (Rebel Group). Review by Jen Cray.
Amos Lee
Supply and Demand (EMI/Blue Note). Review by Andrew Ellis.
The Lift
It Is What It Is (Little Red Records). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music M
Masters of the Lunaverse
The Anonymous EP (Self-Released). Review by Chris Catania.
Mesh
We Collide (Konigskinder). Review by Jorge C. Galban.
Minibar
Desert After Rain (Self-Released). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Minus Story
My Ion Truss (Jagjaguwar). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Montt Mardie
Clocks/Pretender (Hybris). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Moonbabies
At the Ballroom (Hidden Agenda). Review by Aaron Shaul.
James Morrison
Undiscovered (Interscope). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music N
The Nein
Luxury (Sonic Unyon). Review by Jen Cray.
New Arrivals: Volume Two
New Arrivals: Volume Two (MPress Records). Review by Andrew Ellis.
Music O
The Octopus Project + Black Moth Super Rainbow
The House of Apples & Eyeballs (Graveface). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Outkast
Idlewild (La Face). Review by Heather Lorusso.
OV
Noctilucent Valleys (Soft Abuse). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music P
A Perfect Murder
War Of Aggression (Victory). Review by Jen Cray.
Parts & Labor
Mapmaker (Jagjaguwar/Brah). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Alice Peacock
Who I Am (Peacock Music). Review by Sean Slone.
Poison
Poison'd (EMI). Review by Christopher Long.
Pumice
Pebbles (Soft Abuse). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Music R
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Don't You Fake It (Virgin Records). Review by Tim Wardyn.
The Rosebuds
Night of the Furies (Merge). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Luther Russell
Repair (In Music We Trust). Review by Tim Wardyn.
Music S
Secretly Canadian
SC100 (Secretly Canadian). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Signal To Noise
Kodiak (Eyeball). Review by Jen Cray.
Music T
31 Knots
The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere (Polyvinyl). Review by Nora Richardson.
Priya Thomas
You and Me Against the World, Baby (Boiling Point). Review by Bob Pomeroy.
Tiger Army
Music From Regions Beyond (Hellcat). Review by Jen Cray.
Token Entry
The Re-Issues (Jaybird & Weight of the World) (I Scream). Review by Jen Cray.
Triple Burner
Triple Burner (Madrona Records). Review by Matthew Moyer.
Music V
The Vacancies
Tantrum (Blackheart). Review by Jen Cray.
David Vandervelde
Nothin' No (Secretly Canadian). Review by Aaron Shaul.
Vapnet
Nagot dalight nytt har hant (Hybris). Review by Aaron Shaul.
VNV Nation
Judgement (Metropolis Records). Review by Jorge C. Galban.
Music W
The Warriors
Beyond The Noise (Eulogy). Review by Jen Cray.
The White Stripes
Icky Thump (Warner Brothers). Review by Jen Cray.
Print Reviews
American Spy
Shelton Hull is surprised by the candor- and relative lack of gaps and redactions- in this posthumous autobiography of shadowy CIA man and Watergate plumber E. Howard Hunt.
American Visa
What makes Juan de Recacoechea's novel, American Visa the "best-selling novel in Bolivian history?" Brittany Sturges gathered all the evidence to solve the mystery.
Blue Beetle Companion
Who was the Blue Beetle? Matthew Moyer finds that the back story for this overlooked superhero contains more mystery and intrigue than Charles Foster Kane's. Rosebud? Scarab?
Blue Monday
Bob Ham takes a look at this furiously positive and lopsided look at the musical career of a living legend.
Godlike
Carl F Gauze, who may or may not be a card-carrying member of the Blank Generation, follows punk godfather Richard Hell from the seedy world of rock to the perhaps seedier world of the written word.
Super F**kers
Some superheroes are busy saving the world, while others are more intent on desecrating graves to secure drug paraphernalia. Matthew Moyer is kinda leaning towards the latter these days.
Mastering The Melon
Tattoos, grains of rice, multiple rapid-fire marriages. Artist Alix Lambert tackles an unpredictable variety of topics, and Matthew Moyer regains his faith in performance art.
New Orleans Noir
In a city famous for its wild side, New Orleans Noir takes you down the darkest, wildest streets. Half the tales are set in historic New Orleans, while the other half are set in a post-Katrina city. Bob Pomeroy tells you where the bodies are hidden.
Please Release
Sheila Scoville is duly impressed by Nate Watson's autobiographical account of an itinerant life in pursuit of punk's more utopian values - and the pretty pictures, natch. It ain't Spiderman.
Tango for a Torturer
Don't let the blinding sun of the tropics fool you. Daniel Chavarria's new novel is prime Caribbean noir. Sheila Scoville adjusts her sunglasses and observes the bodies piling up.
The Doors
Matt Parish finds himself surrounded by lizard kings, not in an episode of Star Trek, but in the pages of Ben Fong-Torres' exhaustive new photo archive of Jim Morrison and his merry pranksters.
To Live's to Fly
Sheila Scoville discovers the great Townes Van Zandt through John Kruth's freewheeling new testament to the hard-luck cowboy junkie, folk balladeer, lyrical healer and misfit hellion. And that doesn't even begin to sum him up.
0307382656
Golf Monster
A delightful romp recounting how shock rocker Alice Cooper was able to replace alcohol with golf -- a mostly fictional delightful romp, according to Alice Cooper Band biographer Gail Worley.
Screen Reviews
Hard Rock Treasures
A behind-the-scenes look at rock 'n' roll royalty and their most prized possessions. Jen Cray passes on the overpriced food and pulls back the denim n' leather curtain.
