Volume 28, Issue 10, October 27, 2005
Let the Sunshine in
Boston band erases line between indie, jam scenes
By Boyd Fletcher
fletchar@mscd.edu
I've been into the "jam band" scene so long I lost touch with the rest of the music world. However, I realized lately, I need to quit making judgments based on the pigeonholing and labeling of bands. When I came across the "Phish of indie rock" (as they were so wonderfully described to me), it sounded like a good opportunity to broaden my range without straying too far from my comfort zone. more >>>
spotlight! sippin' on Jin and juice
By Joe Nguyen
nguyjos@mscd.edu
Jin has been compared to Eminem because he's a quick-tongued rapper with witty lines and a knack for free-styling and, as one of his verses goes, "the only reason you compare me to him is 'cause I'm not black, neither." more >>>
The Vanity fair
Pursuing pop perfection
By Cassie Hood
hoodc@mscd.edu
Vanity is the term for one who exhibits excessive pride or conceit, and it's a common trait among the self-absorbed, pretentious hipsters in the indie scene.
It's somewhat ironic that the Denver band, The Vanity, doesn't fit the description at all.
They took the name as a way of "poking fun at ourselves," said guitarist Kamruz Mohager. A love of pop music of all kinds, from acceptably cool indie pop to reviled mainstream acts (the name Hanson came up) is the basis for their sound. more >>>
incoming! extraterrestrial rockers
By Megan Carneal
mcarneal@mscd.edu
Warning! This is not a test. Thrash-metal aliens have come to enslave the planet and ravish our women.
GWAR, an acronym for "God, What an Awful Racket," has been offending people for 20 years. Their perverted hedonistic style of thrash-metal is matched only by the absurdity of their live performances. They are headed out to bring more shock-rock to the masses this year for their 20th anniversary tour more >>>