The foremost reason that I’ve ever attended any show that’s an amalgamation of metal, hardcore, or any other random subgenre of the two is the tremendous energy level present in the room. At any given moment, I can never quite be sure just when the crowd is going to break into an adrenaline-soaked...

What’s exactly happened to real, honest R&B records in the past few decades? Where have all the sultry crooners been hiding their collective heads? Have they been so beaten down and bludgeoned by those average-voiced, yet attractive-and-marketable singers and groups that have come to populate...

The pretentious rock star with the big ego has become such an over-worked cliché that it’s long passed the point of ridicule. When bands themselves make fun of those other acts who are living out the formulaic rocker existence, you know that the concept is passé. Yet for all of the attempts...

Attending and attempting to chronicle one’s time in Austin, TX at SXSW 2008 can be a rather daunting experience. For a city that prides itself on being the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin is littered with bands during SXSW, as groups of all shapes and sizes play their music...

Ever get tired of idealists who decry consumer culture at every possible turn? These are the people who’ve read all the books, fawned over the poetry, and blissfully (and frequently) wax eloquently of a carefree existence where “big box stores” cease to exist. It’s not that...

There are a great many nuances to the making of a good record. A band must be able to capture their live energy in a studio setting, the songs must be top-notch and well-rehearsed in advance of stepping into the booth, and the members must be unified in their commitment to produce a quality product,...

Young bands have to take a great deal in stride as they hone their craft and follow their dreams. There are pressures they face in the studio, on the road, on the stage, and in their personal time that can easily make or break a group. And no, I’m talking about the noxious carnal pleasures that...

Sports aficionados, being the stereotypical macho and perpetually optimistic fans that they are, have few real fears, but those they do have are large and are backed by a wealth of tragic, not easily forgotten historical antecedents. And with the possible exception of a highly productive fan favorite...

There have been few instances within the indie rock subculture where the hipsters and rock snobs have been able to push aside their overwhelming cynicism and grasp the merest glimmer of hope and optimistic thinking in their sad, depressing little world. And if you do some digging into those good times,...

Oft times, music bears a striking resemblance to food. Imagine all of the parallels – pop radio is like candy (you think it tastes good and is harmless, but it’s quite damaging), rock and roll is like a cheeseburger and fries (it can be bland and cliche, but great versions of the dish still...