Skrillex – Bangarang

Moldy | Stale | Edible | Fresh | Tasty!

Sonny Moore has his place in the world; this much cannot be denied. The renegade post-hardcore vocalist has besieged mainstream dance culture since becoming Skrillex four years ago. The past two years yielded four colossally successful extended plays, of which Bangarang is the most recent and the final installment before Skrillex’s first studio album, Voltage, expected later this year. So, it’s like I said: Skrillex has found an incredibly fruitful… continue reading

Avicii @ Pier 94 12.31.11

Heaven has been depicted as a place of perfection, a world of utmost bliss where problems cease to exist and all of the world’s greatest questions are answered.  It may not be kosher to make the comparison but I’m having a hard time illustrating Avicii on New Years Eve any other way. The Swedish sensation, Tim Bergling, has been at the forefront of the most recent movement of electronic/house music. … continue reading

A Q&A with Joe Nice

  On paper, Joe Nice and dubstep are a bit of an odd couple.  While dubstep has found success in understatement – bare percussion, minimalist sub-bass, and a squinty, red-eyed gaze – Joe Nice thrives on a bold personality, off-beat catchphrases, and a contagious enthusiasm for music.  Sporting an easy demeanor, a bald head glistening with sweat, and a steady stream of conversation, he helps fill in the blanks left… continue reading

Gotye – Making Mirrors

Moldy | Stale | Edible | Fresh | Tasty!

Rock and pop flourish on Gotye’s highly anticipated American release of Making Mirrors. Multi-instrumentalist Wally De Backer is the genius behind Gotye, creating a sound much larger than himself. Five years since his previous release “Like Drawing Blood,” it becomes clear why De Backer waited so long. “Making Mirrors” and “Easy Way Out” are short and sweet numbers to start off the album. The first is a shoe-gaze track that… continue reading

A Q&A with Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem/ The Horrible Crowes)

As the bearer of good news, Brian Fallon shared the night with some fans in AfterHours for a solo acoustic performance. If this year’s release of his project, The Horrible Crowes’ album Elsie was not enough to keep fans satisfied, he announced that night that The Gaslight Anthem’s new album will be released sometime this summer (2012). As such a busy writing year for Fallon, he only showed the upmost… continue reading

The Bouncing Souls @ The Stone Pony 12.27.11

Although it was The Bouncing Souls’ Fifth Annual Home for the Holidays Event in Asbury Park, NJ, this concert was my first time experiencing the band live. And, as it turns out, I shouldn’t have waited five years. There is something very satisfying about seeing a band in concert and finding that they sound just as good live as on their albums, if not better. Three opening acts supported the headliner: Title… continue reading

Band of Horses @ Paradise 12.12.11

I’m fairly certain the first time I heard “The Funeral” was during an episode of One Tree Hill back in 2006. The song captured my attention, so I memorized some of the lyrics, looked up the song and consequently discovered Band of Horses. I immediately added them to my list of bands that I must see live after hearing their other songs. I’ve been patiently waiting for them to stop… continue reading

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

    10.“Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing” – The Wonder Years For a band whose two releases on No Sleep Records have both come within the last two years, it’s amazing to see how widespread feelings towards The Wonder Years have evolved from an appreciation of a Philadelphia pop-punk band’s uniqueness to a downright obsession. It’s not just that The Wonder Years’ musicianship, talent, and creativity… continue reading

Calling All Crows 4th Annual Benefit Show @ Paradise 12.10.11

Some might think that seeing the same musician perform live for the eighth time would get repetitive. However, that was not the case for me when Chadwick Stokes took the stage at the 4th Annual Calling All Crows Benefit Show on December 10th. I had previously seen Stokes with his other bands, State Radio and Dispatch. But I had never seen him perform with his new band, The Pintos, with… continue reading