Metric
Live It Out
Available October 4, 2005
Label: Last Gang Records
Building on the success of 2003’s Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, Canadian 4-piece Metric’s second LP, Live It Out, is a must-buy. I’m first to admit I tend to shy away from female lead singers, but Emily Haines’ lyrical approach and delivery has kept Live […]

[Read more →]

The Exit
Home for an Island
Available: October 11, 2005
Gone are the Clash and Police allusions of New Beat, The Exit’s 2002 debut. Home for an Island is a mature rock album ready for the pop charts. Reminscent of old U2, Sting and Sunny Day Real Estate, the New York trio used four producers to get […]

[Read more →]

Johnny Cash
The Complete Sun Recordings (1955-1958) Box Set
Available: November 8, 2005
Label: Time Life Records
I start a lot more songs than I finish, because I realize when I get into them, they’re no good. I don’t throw them away, I just put them away, store them, get them out of sight. – Johnny Cash
The Man in […]

[Read more →]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
September 19, 2005
L.A.’s Black Rebel Motorcyle Club were big in the late 90’s. Noel Gallagher (Oasis) declared them his favorite band earning them instant credibility with certain crowds, and yet they maintained their dark, mysterious image while peers-of-the-time the Strokes and the White Stripes had their glory […]

[Read more →]

Sufjan Stevens
First Avenue, September 18, 2005
Minneapolis, MN
Sufjan Stevens isn’t your normal genius musician with a small voice, and he proved it Sunday night before a sold-out crowd at Minneapolis’ legendary First Avenue.

His latest album, “Illinois” is only the second of his 50 States Project, a series of albums inspired the stereotypes and history of all […]

[Read more →]

Emerson Lake and Palmer
Beyond the Beginning (DVD)
Available: August 16, 2005
Studio: BMG Music
We’ve always liked ELP, but never forked out the cash to see them live and really never got further than the four disc box set. We suck.

We owned the DVD-Audio CD of “Brain Salad Surgery,” Warner Bros first foray into the medium, but we […]

[Read more →]

King Elementary
Kudzu
Available: July 26, 2005
Label: Terminus Records
It definitely took a second listen through King Elementary’s debut album, “Kudzu,” to get a feel for the group. But these high school wunderkinds have a tenacity for songwriting ripe with emotion, raw energy and that tugging feeling that they’re going to be the next big thing.

From Seattle grunge […]

[Read more →]

Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Available: September 6, 2005
Label: Mayan
Stratovarius, the Finnish metal band formed in 1982, hasn’t changed a bit in 20 years, and that’s a good thing. Fans of Dream Theater, Yes, and old school metal (Iron Maiden) probably already know about Stratovarious. Good news for them – the 11th album boasts 9 tracks of prog metal glee.

Overall, […]

[Read more →]

Vivian Campbell
Two Sides of If
Available: September 27, 2005
Label: Sanctuary Records
From helping to launch Ronnie James Dio’s solo career, to Whitesnake to the last 15 years swinging the axe for Def Leppard, wiley Irishman Vivian Campbell offers blues classics from Rory Gallagher, Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson with a raspy Irish vocal on his official […]

[Read more →]

For those of you who read our story and interview with Cordarounds (revolutionary horizontal corduroy pants) founder Chris Lindland, I think you’ll enjoy this.
Check out their new blog, chock full of hilarious news, diagrams of crotch-warming and zany fan mail from Civil War reenactors.
Oh, and we got this note back from Chris today: “Thanks for […]

[Read more →]