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Richard Barone
PCP: Hello Richard! You’ve written some great songs, what inspires you when you’re composing a song? Richard Barone:Thank you for your kind words! Well, what inspires me is always different. Sometimes, in fact most often, it’s a person. Other times it’s a concept that I don’t particularly understand myself -- and the song is sometimes a device for working out a problem, or trying to get my head around an issue or an emotion that baffles me. Ultimately, though, inspiration is a sacred mystery. I don’t question it -- I just surrender to it. I’m usually as surprised by the outcome as anyone else. (more)
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Idgy Vaughn
There’s a tremendously talented, but relatively unknown, Austin-based singer/songwriter increasingly receiving critical acclaim on both sides of the pond. Her name is Idgy Vaughn and if you haven’t heard her yet, don't worry, you will. (more) |
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Yonder Mountain
Yonder Mountain String Band finds personal fulfillment on the road less traveled. Eschewing any notions of fame and fortune when they united seven years ago, the four 30-something musicians sought only to deliver an unlikely message to anyone who would listen: Bluegrass is cool. Turns out, that simple focus has lead to professional fulfillment, too. (more) |
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Arthur Lee
On August 3, 2006, Arthur Lee died at the age of 61 from acute myeloid leukemia. In 2003, I wrote the following memoir of my one personal encounter with Lee for a website based in Malta, the small Mediterranean island nation, but with his recent passing, the editors at PCP thought it would be a fitting tribute to the man and his music if I dusted the piece off, updated it and re-published it. (more)
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Sara Hickman
In June 2006, Austin-based singer/songwriter Sara Hickman released the double album, “Motherlode,” on her Sleeveless record label. Considered her “first album for grown-ups” in five years, “Motherlode” incorporates songs about depression, addiction, domestic violence, the joys of motherhood, and love—and what may be the first cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper” performed by an actual mother. (more) |
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Steven Drozd
At the end of Stephen Herek’s 1989 magnum opus Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Rufus explains why keeping Wyld Stallyns together is so important: “You see, eventually your music will help put an end to war and poverty. It will align the planets and bring them into universal harmony, allowing meaningful contact with all forms of life. From extraterrestrials to common household pets. And, it's excellent for dancing.” (more) |
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Ian Brown
In the pantheon of British 1980s pop
music, was any band as massively lionized as The
Stone Roses? Heralded as the saviors of British
rock and the progenitors of the druggy, dance-soaked
scene that came to be known as “Madchester,”
the Mancunian foursome of vocalist Ian Brown,
guitarist John Squire, drummer Alan “Reni”
Wren and bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield,
enjoyed a brief, but tempestuous heyday that fell
in the nether region that separated 1980s indie
rock from the first flowering of Britpop.
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Roseanne Cash
The late great Johnny Cash sang a somber duet
on his daughter Roseanne’s previous album--The
Rules of Travel--and he continues to haunt
her songs, only now in the magnetic echoes of
old family tape recordings. (more) |
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PCP's SXSW 2006 in review
The South By Southwest Music Conference
celebrated its 20th anniversary in March, and
Pop Culture Press was on the scene. (Read
Kent Benjamin's exhaustive conference diary.)
(Read
David Pyndus' review of the Pretenders showcase.)
(Read Luke Torn's recap of the Pop Culture Press
day party.) |
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"Pop Culture Press Around the
World" Spring 2006
It was a remarkable two days in mid-April
when two of the groups that helped to ignite
my current interest in world music came to Austin
on successive nights to play concerts. What
made this especially rewardiong is that Austin,
as vibrant a music center as it is, is often
bypassed on many tour routes which tend to focus
on the east and west coasts and the cities of
the upper Midwest which tend to have better
public arts funding. And what made the two evenings
even more compelling is that they provided music
of incredible unfilitered, authenticity straight
from the source. (more)
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Wannabes
On November 18, 2005, Wannabes, one of Austin
longest-serving and finest power pop band's
celebrated its 20th anniversary with a suitably
beer-drenched show at the venerable Hole in
the Wall. At that show, the band, which has
earned near-legendary status among fans for
their mix of great power pop songs, irreverent
wit, and highwire live shows, was joined by
MIchael Comiskey, its original frontman. This
is his exclusive story of the band’s early
years. (more) |
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Kissigner
Kissinger has survived the slings and arrows of
self-reliant indiedom for eight years. During
that time, these four rock warriors have produced
two full-length records, an EP, and a 7-inch,
and have undertaken some fifteen regional and
national tours, all of which the band has done
completely without the benefit of label support
or management. In the beginning, Kissinger believed
in the brass ring of major labels, but lately,
says singer/guitarist/songwriter Chopper, the
band is focused more on the purely creative rewards:
"Now there is more of an internal motivation
to make great music instead of trying to be rock
stars." (more) |
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The Capes
As prime contenders to be the next breakout buzz
band from London's hip art school indie environs,
the Capes set out on their maiden US tour in September.
With the seven song Taste EP already receiving
attention from critics and radio, these five affable
guys took a journey that would a prime introduction
to the often bizarre life of the American road.
(more) |
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Kevin Wommack
On May 14, 1978, Kevin Wommack and his band, The
Wommack Brothers, opened for Paul Ray and the
Cobras at the Armadillo World Headquarters in
Austin. On the same day, about 290 miles away
in Snyder, Texas, Maria Garza gave birth to a
son named Henry who would one day grow up to lead
a Grammy award winning band called Los Lonely
Boys. A team of astrologers couldn’t have
predicted how these two people would some day
be connected, but their meeting was written in
the stars. (more) |
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The (International) Noise
Conspiracy
There is an undeniable irony in the saga of a
record by a group of avowed anti-capitalist Swedish
rockers stuck in limbo for over a year due to
major label corporate wranglings, but that is
what happened to Armed Love, the newly released
record by The (International) Noise Conspiracy.
Back in 2000, armed with one of the most high-octane
live shows anywhere, T(I)NC came to the attention
of Rick Rubin, who offered to produce the band's
next record and sign them to his American Recordings
label. The product of those sessions, Armed Love,
was ready for release in the summer of 2004, but
it was held up after American Recordings corporate
partnership with Island/Def Jam/Universal was
dissolved in favor of a new agreement with Warner
Brothers. (more) |
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Moonlight Towers
Austin's Moonlight Towers play a style that splendidly
blends the guitar rock of Replacements and Oasis
but can't hide its southern upbringing. The band's
2002 self-titled debut caught a lot of Austin
scenesters by surprise when it came out and led
to both a local following and some national attention.
Hoping to make the next step up the career ladder,
Moonlight Towers decamped to New Orleans to record
the follow-up with producer/engineer Mike Napolitano
(Blind Melon, Squirrel Nut Zippers), and the resulting
Like You Were Never There is a terrific sounding
record that effectively captures the band's gritty,
melodic sound. (more) |
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Low
“So I took my guitar and I threw down
some chords and some words I could sing without
shame...”-“Death of a Salesman”
So humble, so hearfelt, so Low. For well over
a decade this trio from Duluth has been a part
of my life (and many other devotees' as well)
and it's been a really wonderful trip seeing
them transcend the little slowcore bubble they
were originally trapped in. Who knew then that
they would be the ones to come out on top as
opposed to, say, the Red House Painters, Codeine,
or Idaho. So many fine records and tours (and
two children) have been produced by this hard-working
team: Alan Sparhawk and his wife Mimi Parker
(plus bassist friend Zak Sally). (more) |
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Cargoe: The complete story
Pop Culture Press is proud to present for the
first time anywhere the full-length, uncut story
of the great lost Tulsa/Memphis band Cargoe, whose
lone album was released on Memphis' Ardent records
in 1972. The band scored a major radio song with
"Feel All Right" (later retitled and
referred to herein as "Feel Alright,"
but were caught up in the same distribution/bankruptcy
label problems at Stax/Volt, who distributed the
album and owned the masters, which meant that
listeners who heard the hit couldn't actually
buy the record. The same label troubles caused
both Cargoe and Big Star to disband within a short
time. Big Star went on to become one of the most
beloved and influential bands of the entire decade,
while Cargoe pretty much disappeared out of the
popular memory. (more) |
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2005 was quite an interesting year for world music
and featured a number of exciting releases; some
of which were among the best records of the year
in any genre. So in an effort to give due notice
to as many of these records as possible, especially
since many did not quite fit into the general
Pop Culture Press editorial direction, let's take
a trip around the world and roundup the diverse
styles and genres that comprise the impossibly
vague but still fitting category of "world
music." (more) |
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Big
Star In Space
It's been thirty years since the last of Big Star's
three studio albums. Each of them has gone on
to become among the most influential American
albums of the 1970s. From selling only about 4000
copies each of their three albums, they've become
cult fan favorites, and ultimately, have become
nearly household names (at least among music fans)
thanks in part to their music being played weekly
on a hit TV show. (more) |
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I’m the aural equivalent of a carnival geek.
I make unlistenable 'rant' records where I bellow
incoherently over an instrumental backing track.
I’m usually severely intoxicated when I
do this and the recorded results are uniformly
cringe inducing to me. I simply never want to
hear any of my records cuz they’re embarrassing
as hell to listen to … but very meaningful
for me to do, personally speaking. (more)
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Austin City Limits Festival 2005
2005 brought the fourth installment
of the Austin City Limits Festival, which has
risen with startling
speed to become one of the nation's most popular
and influential music festivals. Our coverage
included:
- Previews by some of our contributing
writers on some of the performers:
Bloc Party,
Bob
Mould Band, Doves,
Drive-By
Truckers, Mike
Doughty Band, and The
Walkmen.
- An overall
festival wrap-up which included
highlights from all three days.
- Reviews of individual performances by Aqualung,
Bloc
Party, Drive
By Truckers,
Steve
Earle/Lucinda Williams,
Keane,
and Wilco.
- A review of the
2004 Austin City Limits Festival CD/DVD.
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Record
Review Capsule Corral
(Summer
2005 edition)
An occasional column rounding up various and sundry
indie roots, pop, folk, and rock detritus; also
known as "so many records, so little time"
(more) |
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British Sea Power Write Elegiac Stanzas
For You
This phenomenon has infiltrated music
on so many levels from hip-hop to metal to indie
music that the lack of originality in style, music,
and personalities has lead some long-time music
aficionados to feel as though they are watching
re-runs cast with look-alikes. So this is why
British Sea Power is so compelling in this surreal
post-modern era where it seems as though time
has done a u-turn, and the only new ideas are
recycled bits of the past. (more) |
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Pop
Culture Press Around the World:
Africa, Where Music Truly the Weapon
The continent of Africa has seen an unfair
share of repressive political regimes and social
struggles over the past 50 years. A number of
new releases spotlight the important role that
music has played in both the tribulations and
triumphs in the ongoing turmoil in some of Africa's
most prominent nations. (more) |
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A Real Live Wire
A few years ago, on the occasion of British
punk's 25th birthday, media coverage focused on
the usual suspects. Often conspicuously
absent were Wire. Wire's place in the popular
narrative of punk has always been problematic.
They were the odd band out, the fly in punk's
ointment. (more) |
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The specter of the sophomore jinx was certainly
hanging in the air when Kings of Leon began the
process of creating their second album, Aha
Shake Heartbreak. But given the differences
in the circumstances surrounding Youth and
Young Manhood, the 2003 debut, it was plainly
apparent that the industry's cliched truths held
no sway with Kings of Leon. (more) |
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SXSW Diary, March 16-20, 2005
Well, it was another really great SXSW Music and
Media Conference in Austin, Texas, this past March.
(more) |
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The Hellacopters
By the Grace of God
Two years ago, a record called By the Grace
of God was released in Sweden. It went gold.
Now, it has finally made it to the United States
and blessed is our good fortune. The Hellacopters
are true rockers, a fusion of 70’s arena
shredding and punk attitude that hits like a bolt
of lightning. Few bands do it better. (more) |
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Around Again
Blue Ash are the great lost band of the '70s --
one of, if not the, best power pop band of all
times, playing a passionate '65-'66 inspired version
of pop music that predated but exactly foreshadowed
a lot of the great punk records in '76-'79. (more) |
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HANOI ROCKS
Twelve Shots on the Rocks
Did you hear? “They’re getting back
together and touring!” Every time I hear
those words in reference to the legendary Hanoi
Rocks, my heart skips a beat. Thus far I’ve
been disappointed, as the rumor circulating since
at least the turn of the millennium has never
come to fruition. (more) |
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DOA
A Conversation with Joey Shithead
With a guy nicknamed “Shithead”
one has to wonder just what in the world it’s
all about. But what’s revealed here from
Mr. Joey “Shithead” Keithley, leader
of D.O.A., Canada's most influential punk rock
band is... (more) |
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That Was the Year That Was: 2004
A round-up of the best in the year of
music for 2004 as compiled
by the Pop Culture Press staff
and contributing writers. (more) |
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PAST EXCLUSIVES
A carefully constructed collage of Bill
Doss's favorite songs (some selected from deep
down in his and his collective friends' subconscious),
Green Imagination by the Sunshine Fix, in referencing
many intricate facets of the musical past...
(more)
The first two Big Star albums have rightly
become the stuff of legend.
(more)
On
December 13 of last year, Jason Stollsteimer,
the Von Bondies' lead singer and principal songwriter,
made his mainstream pop culture debut, appearing
in damn near every music publication and many
mainstream newspapers--with a swollen eye and
a bloody nose... (more)
Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! is an
up-and-coming trio from Brooklyn who've recently
signed to Polyvinyl Records.
(more)
“I just got off the phone with Duane Eddy,
how cool is that?” asks Big Al Anderson.
. (more)
For those who remember active spectatorship
checking into a sloth and dank hotel, where
scabies were caught flipping on the light switch
and V.D. was just a highball away, As Above,
So Below (1998) was—for all intents and
purposes—a negative/hedonistic lodging
in hell templated from New Orleans and Herbert
Selby Jr.’s Brooklyn. (more)
Pink sunset blooms over a sticky evening
in New York, and it feels even stickier down
in the Lower East Side between the dense conglomeration
of old, graffiti-strewn brick and steel tenements.
(more)
It has been 12 years since
I last interviewed Mark Gardener. The then-21-year-old
singer/guitarist of the great Oxford indie group
Ride had just woken and stumbled into the Warner
Music office.. (more)
"I always admired that idea -
that really natural idea," offers a wistfully soft-spoken Kurt Wagner when asked
why he decided to pursue the song-a-day writing
schedule that filled his creative coffers so
full of material that Lambchop could afford
to release two albums. (more)
By PCP Staff (more)
The Apples in stereo strips away the pop artifice
and expose the rock foundation that has been
there all along (more)
Mia Doi Todd has been on my radar now for a
few years since first reading about her in a
magazine left in a North End laundromat.
(more)
November 1,1966 - December 9, 2002 dnl remembers
(more)
What do you do growing up in Leeds, England?
Get into fights or form a band. (more)
I t’s not a bad time to be Missy Roback.
Consider the following: Her debut solo CD Just
Like Breathing was the subject of a glowing
review in the alt.country bible No Depression
(more)
Attention would-be knaves, suitors, swains,
and fuck toys: If you're trying to get on a
chick's good side (more)
While it's a quaint and touristy place rife
with the maritime charm unique to coastal New
England hamlets, Bridgeport, Connecticut has
apast as dark and murky as the brackish tide
in its harbors. (more)
It’s happening all over again for Wire,
who have been through countless incarnations
in their constantly shifting, mutating, and
adapting career of fits and starts.
(more)
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