My parents are, in the simplest of terms, ex-hippies. There are more pictures of my father wearing bandanas than there are of us together and my mother still dances like a girl on Haight Street.
Two Tongues starts off somber, with a quiet, almost innocent, guitar solo. Then there’s a lurching stop, a screaming “Wait!” and a massive power chord followed by the crash of cymbals.
If Judy Garland had landed in Oz in 1960 instead of 1939, followed the yellow brick road straight to the local karaoke bar and requested something bluesy to ease her not-in-Kansas-anymore induced homesickness, the resulting sound would be that of Heartless Bastards’ The Mountain. Owing to a distinct, mature vocal tone (think Melissa Ethridge comes to Zooey Deschanel’s window) and a constantly changing line-up, Erika Wennerstrom truly is Heartless Bastards.
Using a rusty guitar, a falsetto yowl and as much heartbreak as he could shove into 37 minutes, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon created For Emma, Forever Ago, one of 2008’s most critically acclaimed records.
Lykke Li
The First Unitarian Church
1/30 8:30 p.m., $17.50
People were remixing Swedish internet darling Lykke Li long before she ever stepped foot inside a US venue.
After a month of car radio top 40, when you thought you’d die if you ever had to listen to Hoobastank again, our favorite bands are back with new releases for ’09.
NASA’s The Spirit of Apollo is overflowing with guest appearances.
Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion (MPP), which dropped so early in 2009 that we still had unbroken resolutions, has already been called the year’s best album.
B.o.B., Asher Roth, & Charles Hamilton, “Change Gon’ Come”
Up and coming internet favorites B.o.B, Asher Roth and Charles Hamilton philosophize on the election, the economy and plenty of other well-worn topics for socially conscious rappers.
Street U.: Are you right side up or upside down?
Dave Matthews: Ha, I don’t swing that way. It’s cool whatever other people want to do, but I’m very straight.
Some days, I’m just too hung over to play video games. On a morning when my eyes are still unable to focus, the flashing lights and seizure-inducing animation can be a little much.
Death from
Above 1979
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
2004
Winter of 2005. My friends and I were hitting Jupiter Room every Saturday, the indie club that didn’t charge cover.
Street breaks it down with rapper and finance major Steve "Witz" Markowitz, of Hoodie Allen.
Street: As a self-proclaimed Jewish rapper, how much does the Torah influence your work?
Street: What can we expect from your live show?
Ryan Leslie: I’ve been going around the country — touring with really exciting live band arrangements, just going out in different venues to earn respect, earn an audience.
This review might be coming a little late for those of you who heard Deerhunter’s Microcastle performed at a secret show in Brooklyn this April or when it was leaked in an excessively dramatic fashion in June.