COMING BACK!

I promise. Just been very busy. In other news, I"M GETTING MARRIED NEXT YEAR!!!

Here's something new for you in the meantime. You can stream the brand new Cold Cave album from this site:

http://matadorrecords.com/uk/widgets/coldcave/cherishthelightyears/cherish.swf

GIRLS ROCK!!! The 10 Best Female-Fronted (or all girl) bands ever.

10. The Donnas

Originally a bratty girl-punk band with a Ramones-indebted image (All the girls initially went by the moniker "Donna"), over the course of about a decade together, the Donnas have become a bad-ass cock-rock band without cocks. Their music often flips rock and roll cliches on their heads simply because of the female perspective. Singer Brett Anderson has more balls than most men in the current rock scene, and she's not afraid to get bitchy with horndogs at gigs, or their jealous girlfriends.


9. The Distillers

Although they split up after only three albums, The Distillers, led by Aussie bombshell Brodie Dalle made a huge splash with a grittier take on the early 00's pop-punk explosion. While the boys in bands like New Found Glory, the Ataris and The Starting Line were busy singing about high-school crushes, Dalle and CO penned barn-burners like "City Of Angels" a snarling screed about the dirty underbelly of Los Angeles. The band turned toward a more alt-rock sound on their final album "Coral Fang", earning the band a number of comparisons to popular 90's girl-grunge band Hole.
Dalle currently fronts sleaze-rock band/de-facto solo project, Spinerette.

8. Tsunami Bomb

While they might not be a household name, Tsunami Bomb paved the way for female-fronted punk bands like the Distillers and Tat. The band broke up in 2005, and saw a lot of line-up changes. What never changed was the groups penchant for machine gun drumming and frantic guitars, with firebrand vocals courtesy of long-running vocalist Emily Whitehurst.

7. No Doubt

Survivors of the Orange County Ska scene, No Doubt outlasted their peers with a flair for pop-hooks and an overriding new-wave influence that was more their speed anyway. The band went on hiatus in late 2004, as front-woman Gwen Stefani focused on her solo album and starting a family with (former?)Bush vocalist, Gavin Rossdale. The band played a string of tour dates with Paramore in 2009, and has been hard at work on a new album since May of 2010, the new album is expected sometime late this year or early 2011.

6. The Dresden Dolls


The Dresden Dolls caused a great stir in the indie scene when they debuted in 2001 with a decidedly theatrical and raucous sound the group called "cabaret punk". Made up of vocalist/pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Viglione, the group developed a reputation for smart, bawdy lyrics, gender bending and menacing, yet celebratory, live performances. The band flirted with mainstream success on their second album, Yes Virginia, released in 2006. They toured with much-maligned emo-dance-cabaret pretty boys, Panic! at The Disco, earning some backlash from small minded idiots who couldn't see how perfect the bands fit with each other.
The band went on hiatus in 2008, and Palmer released a solo album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer". A reunion tour was announced in September of 2010, but the future of the band is still uncertain.

5. Ladytron


Ladytron debuted at the dawn of the 21st century with an appropriately retro-futuristic, slightly creepy sound. The combination of sci-fi synths, dance beats and eerie female vocals courtesy of two sirens: Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo was exactly the kind of thing the world of electronic music needed. The band became ragingly popular in England and Europe, but their climb in the states has been considerably slower. The band has toured with Bjork, Nine Inch Nails and Goldfrapp and produced remixes for dozens of popular UK and ¨US artists. The band is currently recording their fifth studio album.

4. Hole

You might not know it to look at her now, but Courtney Love was once grunge's great white hope. Kurt Cobain might have been the poster child for grimy rock with an undeniable pop sensibility, but after his 1994 suicide, Hole was expected to rise to the occasion and fill the shoes of the biggest band in the world.
Love seemed poised to accept the crown when Hole released, "Live through This" it's major label debut, in 1994, months after Cobain's death. Love was a sexy, opinionated rock goddess with a bitchin' back-up band. However, internal issuses and the death of Hole's original bassist nearly derailed the band. By the time they released "Celebrity Skin" ,in 1997, Love was beginning to gain credibility as an actress but Hole was hanging on by a thread. The band broke up in 1999, and Love's professional and personal life went to hell.
Love reformed the band in 2010, but with none of it's original members (save herself). She has been through a maelstrom of bad press, drug relapses and professional disputes, though in recent months she seems to have shaped up a bit. Courtney Love has fallen pretty far, but part of me hopes some of her old genius remains.

3. Garbage

Garbage was inescapable on modern rock stations in the late 90s. The band, made up of mega producers Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker and scottish sex-bomb Shirley Manson took grunge to it's logical pop extreme. The music was a mish-mash of pop, punk, alternative, noise, hip hop and electronica that many bands without Garbage's talent would fail miserably at. The band rode it's self-titled debut and it's follow up, "Version 2.0" to mainstream success even as rock began to get out-shined by pop and rap music. Unfortunately, the band saw a huge drop in it's popularity in the new millennium, thanks to the tepid response to "Beautiful Garbage" the band's third album. After 2005's "Bleed Like Me" the band had seemingly run out of gas, despite that album's focus on a leaner production and a more "authentic" sound that was intended to win back some fans who were turned off by the last album's overly glossy finish. The band went on hiatus in 2006 and Manson focused on a solo album that never materialized. Just a few months ago the band announced it was reuniting with a brand new album in the works. This might actually be the ideal time for a garbage comeback, since their brand of edgy electro-alterna-pop would fit in nicely with what's happening in popular rock right now.

2. Siouxsie and the Banshees


I almost went with Blondie for number 2, but the Banshees have had a much further-reaching influence. The band burst out of the British punk scene around the same time as the Sex Pistols. But Siouxsie and the guys were of a different kind than those infamous, foul-mouthed, rabble rousers. There was something darker and sexier about them, and they soon broke away from the punk scene to plant the seeds of goth and post-punk. Even with shifting lineups, the band came to define the goth sound in the early eighties, inspiring the likes of Sisters of Mercy and The Cure. Even after their heyday the band continued to inspire groups like Portishead and Massive Attack as well as pop-rock groups like Garbage. Even today, Siouxsie and the Banshee's influence can be heard in the music of bands like The Birthday Massacre, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Horrors and pretty much every other run-of-the-mill goth band not terribly interested in vinyl pants and florescent fake dreadlocks.



1. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts


Although the Runaways had more punk cred, Joan Jett's second band was a far more polished and confident sounding rock band. Hits like "Bad Reputation" and "I Love Rock and Roll" are so popular, your grandma probably knows the words. A rotating cast of musicians has backed Joan Jett since the band's inception, but her throaty, sassy vocal style has been a mainstay. Not to mention she's always had an ear for really catchy lyrics. These days Jett still tours and records music both as a solo artist and with the current incarnation of the Blackhearts. She is a breast cancer survivor and thanks to a life free of drugs and hard living, she looks better than some musicians half her age. A stint on the warped tour in 2005 showed she could still command a crowd and introduced a generation of pop punk fangirls to the real deal.
Jett was a trailblazer for women in music (not to discount the contributions of the other Runaways), without her, most of the bands on this list would not be here today.

Jimmy Eat Kubrick?

Okay, so this is the video for Jimmy Eat World's new single, "My Best Theory" it's super weird, and a nice departure from the band's typically straightforward videos.

MCR's new single!!! Brought to you by attentiondrain

MCR Na na na by attentiondrain

The 20 Coolest Music Videos Ever Made

Music Videos are one of my favorite things to watch. They are in some ways the most pointless concept ever. I mean, a miniature movie set to music is really just an advertisement for the song. But sometimes a great video is more like a short film. A work of art that perfectly compliments it's auditory accompaniment.
Anyway, here are 20 videos I consider the best ever made.

20. Madonna- "Material Girl"

Madonna was aiming high with this early career video. The concept is simple, Madonna recreating the "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" scene from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", with herself in Marylin Monroe's role. The video seemed to be announcing Madonna's coronation as a sex symbol for a new generation.



19. Placebo- "The Bitter End"

Placebo are not as well known stateside as they deserve to be, but Europe has embraced them whole-heatedly, and this video is a good indication why. Though it isn't their absolute best song, it features the band at it's goth-glammy best, with a desaturated blue-ish color palette. Oh yeah, and they play in the middle of a fucking giant Russian satellite dish . Beat that, Axl Rose.
(I apologize this is only a link to the video.)



18. Pearl Jam- "Do The Evolution"

I'm not a huge fan of Pearl Jam's music, but this animated video by Todd MacFarlane is genius. Not only did it express the band's political views with a withering nihilistic "plot", it also gave the notoriously un-video-friendly band a Grammy nominated video. The video is full of references to global politics and history, but it also seems a lot like a nod to the stoner/nerd animation classic "Heavy Metal."



17. Nirvana- "Heart Shaped Box"

What? You thought I was gonna put "Smells Like Teen Spirit" here? That video's actually pretty lame. The video for this single from the band's masterful "In Uetro" album is far weirder and far more visually arresting. The video is cheap-looking and garish, which in some ways reflected Nirvana (and Cobain's) frustration with their "grunge" tag. Nirvana always considered themselves a punk band. The combination of Kurt's psychotic grimacing and dali-esque imagery makes the video extremely unnerving, especially viewed in the light of Cobain's tragic death.



16. Beck- "Loser"

The world was introduced to Beck with this charmingly bizarre low-budget video, which perfectly complemented the song's stream-of-consciousness lyrics and white-boy hip hop meets hippie folk-rock vibe.



15. Echo and the Bunnymen- "The Killing Moon"

Echo and the Bunnymen were one of many 80's bands to experiment with music videos, but this particular video is haunting in it's abstract simplicity. Somehow the melancholy and subtle menace of the song all come across in the visuals



14. Muse- "Time is Running Out"

An extended Dr. Strangelove nod plus dancing fascists? Did Lady Gaga put you up to this? Ah well, it's nevertheless a great showcase for Muse's slightly tongue-in-cheek conspiracy-obsessed, gothy prog-pop.




13. Weezer- "Undone"

This is the video that introduced me to visionary director Spike Jonze, who went on to direct many brilliant msuic videos as well as movies. Shot in one continuous take, this simple performance video captures blue-album-era Weezer's geeky appeal. Rivers Cuomo had yet to don his now signature spectacles, but the band act quirky and spastic and a bunch of dogs randomly run through the set at one point. It makes no sense at all, but you can't stop watching it.



12. Garbage- "Only Happy When it Rains"

This one was directed by another video aueter, the legendary Sam Bayer. I think he and Spike Jonze more or less created the 90's music video aesthetic. But where Jonze favored abstract minimalism, Bayer was a purveyor of grungy, candy-colored visual pop. One of his best videos is this clip for Garbage's "Only Happy When it Rains" which features his signatures: wrack focus effects, saturated color palette and extreme closeups. And Shirley Manson is wicked sexy in this vid, too.



11. Ladytron "Destroy Everything You Touch"

Ladytron are only marginally popular in the states, but like Placebo, have a huge international following. They also share Placebo's love of cinematic, sci-fi leaning videos. They have plenty of excellent videos, but this one took people by surprise by featuring a miniature Japanese landscape covered in snow, with the band members portraying a band of travelers beset by vengeful mountain spirits (also portrayed by the band).



10. The Smashing Pumpkins- "Zero"

For this video the pumpkins successfully drove a wedge between themselves and the grunge scene. The band had always had a goth/glam leaning, but this video (and it's counterpart "Bullet with Butterfly Wings") revealed them as entirely new creatures.



9. Johnny Cash- "Hurt".

Comprised of archive footage of the Man in Black throughout his life and footage shot just months prior to his death, this video pushes Cash's already poignant and haunting interpretation of the Nine Inch Nails ballad over the top and creates a stunning and startling reflection on a man who had lived several lifetimes in his 71 years.



8. Green Day- "Holiday"
I could have chosen "Wake Me Up When September Ends" But I actually felt it was a bit too overtly political without the tongue-in-cheek apocalyptic glee of "Holiday". The video features Green Day experiencing a little fear and loathing in Las Vegas, playing dress up (with Tre Cool in drag) and generally having a good time, while subtly underling the song's anti-war sentiment. Also, Billie Joe punches himself out at 2:25. Awesome.



7. AFI- "The Leaving Song Part 2"

AFI unleashed a pop-punk classic with "Sing the Sorrow". The album was wildly successful, and AFI's vids got heavy rotation on MTV and MTV2. This clip was particularly popular. It features "hardcore" dancing, slow-motion stage jumps and AFI as the most bad ass black tie entertainment ever.



6. AFI - "Love Like Winter"

AFI's follow up to "Sing the Sorrow" was the divisive yet ambitious "Decemberunderground", which featured this eerie, beautiful piece of icy goth-pop. The video appropriately features a lot of ice and snow and, of course, a wicked winter siren.



5. Smashing Pumpkins- "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

The Pumpkins came out of the gate strong with this lead single, and it's accompanying video heralds the band's rebirth as the kings (and queen) of 90's rock weirdness.



4. My Chemical Romance- "Helena"

MCR became TRL darlings with this alternately sad/spooky/funny video, and it perfectly captured the band's candy-coated goth punk image. So much so the band continued to wear their Helena costumes (with slight modifications) for the rest of the tour behind their second album, "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge"



3. REM- "Losing My Religion"

This is one weird video, yet it somehow illustrates the complex emotionality of Michael Stipe's often inscrutable lyrics. Director Tarsem would go on to create the visually stunning, yet commercially dismal film "The Cell".



2. My Chemical Romance- "The Ghost of You"

My Chem surprised anyone expecting another funeral-themed video with this artful, beautifully shot, beautifully acted mini WWII movie. It showed that the band was capable of creating a wide range of imagery around it's music, and also showcased a cinematic ambition that was fully realized in the creation of their epic third album, "The Black Parade" (In which the videos were good, but not quite this good.)



1. Nine Inch Nails- Closer

Controversial and shocking. Banned by MTV. And one of the greatest visual interpretations of a song I have seen to date. Pre-dating "Saw" by more than a decade, this video showcased a distinct "torture porn" aesthetic. Much like the majority of "The Downward Spiral" album, "Closer" is a grinding piece of death-funk that seems to decay before the listeners ears. Likewise the video seems both futuristic and decrepit, with hand-cranked shots, washed out colors and images that seem to erode the film they're captured on. The video is a perfect collision of sex, violence and religion that always ruffles feathers but makes for an unforgettable piece of work.

Needless to say, this clip is not suitable for all ages.

The Black Keys Find their Inner Children..

10 Bands From the Nu-Metal/Post-Grunge Era That Didn't Suck.

The late 90's and early 00's were a dark time for modern rock. The Strokes were still a few years away from ushering shaggy haircuts, skinny ties and tight pants back into style. Alternative rock became a haven for dudes in footbal jersey yelling things over muddy, thudding guitar riffs.
However, things weren't all bad. As with any musical trend, a few good acts do emerge from the crud. So, here's a list of 10 bands who came to prominence during the nu-metal era who actually didn't suck. I'm also including a little update about the current status of these bands.

10. Orgy

Orgy earned their nu-metal tag by touring with bands like Korn. However, they really had more in common with Nine Inch Nails and Marylin Manson. Their debut album "Candyass" had plenty of crunchy riffs with vocals that were more groaned and shouted than sung. But Orgy had a distinct pop sensibility that would come out in their far superior second album "Vapor Transmission". For a while it seemed Orgy was going to take over the world. But the bubble burst when they released their third album "Punk Statick Paranoia". Feeling pressure to compete with the multi-platinum success of bands like Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock, Orgy tooled around with rapped vocals and other nu-metal trappings. It wasn't a good fit for the band, and they subsequently went on a seemingly permanent hiatus.

Where are they now?:
Guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Dekah formed Julien-K, who released their debut album, "Death to Analog" in 2009. It's more or less a continuation of Orgy's "death-pop" sound, but with even more emphasis on electronics and pop hooks. Singer Jay Gordon has been largely absent from the music world, although he briefly surfaced to perform Orgy's cover of "Blue Monday" with Shuck and Dekah at a Julien-K show. There have been rumblings about a reunion of the band, but nothing has been announced.

9. A Perfect Circle

Formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan, APC was a more melodic and dynamic alternative to the sometimes dirge-like sound of Tool. The band's debut "Mer De Noms" was highly praised and sold like hotcakes. Unfortunately, several member shakeups and Maynard's much-talked-about distaste for fame and recognition may have held the band back from the powerhouse they could have been. The band went on hiatus in 2004.

Where are they now?:
A new album is in the works as we speak. Tool has been on a long hiatus and Keenan's Puscifer project seems to be on the back burner, so another great album may be coming soon.

8. Papa Roach

Papa Roach pulled off something very few bands ever succeed at: A stylistic 180. In 2000 Papa Roach debuted as rap-metal thugs with a pop sensibility. They began to pull away from their parent genre on "loveHateTragedy", their second album, but it wasn't until 2003's "Getting Away With Murder" that the band truly transformed. Adopting the look of the burgeoning goth-pop-punk scene, Papa Roach was reborn as a pop-metal band.

Where are they now?
The band is still making albums and touring. They've retained their popularity despite their dramatic makeover. And their music continues to be catchy and FUN, which is almost never something you'd associate with nu-metal bands.

7. Korn


Korn more or less invented nu-metal. And in their early years, they were one of the more innovative and strange groups in the genre. Much of their strangeness came from frontman Jonathan Davis, who while not really a great singer, was able to do some bizarre things with his voice that made his singing instantly recognizable. The band enjoyed commercial success for many years, but eventually, changing tastes pushed them out of favor and an increasingly dangerous amount of drug consumption nearly destroyed the band.

Where are they now?
Still making music for some reason, despite dismal sales and the loss of bassist Brian "Head" Welsh to Christianity.

6. Powerman 5000

PM5K was one of the earliest nu-metal bands and one of several influenced by industrial rock. Helmed by Spider One, also known as Rob Zombie's little brother, Powerman 5000 made big, dumb electro-metal that was always more silly than sinister. This wasn't a problem for the band, who never took themselves very seriously, as evidenced by their space-suit costumes and goofy B-movie inspired videos. The band's popularity waned, and they eventually dialed back the electronics in favor of a more radio-rock sound. Sadly, rock radio had moved on.

Where are they now?
The band is still making new music and touring. They've gone back to their electro-rock roots and seem due for a comeback.

5. Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie had been pretty famous for a while when nu-metal first reared it's head. His band, White Zombie is often sited as one of the founding fathers of the genre. Still, when Zombie struck out on his own in 1998 With "Hellbilly Deluxe", few could have predicted the blockbuster success it would become. Rob Zombie became the music of choice for angry jocks and alienated goth-metal kids alike. With a mix of southern rock swagger, industrial beats and pure, concentrated evil, Zombie was everywhere for a while.

Where is he now?
Zombie has had a fairly successful foray into film-making with "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devils Rejects". Less successful? His recent albums. Still, there are many devoted fans awaiting his next release, and many new fans awaiting his next film.

4. System of a Down

SOAD never really fit in with the nu-metal scene. They had far more progressive structures, they were political, they were Armenian. Nevertheless, they were embraced by nu-metal mooks with open arms, and sales of their landmark album "ToxiCity" pushed them into rock-stardom and allowed them to do whatever they wanted. The band matured and grew into a truly unique act that transcended it's origins as mosh-pit fodder. Fusing elements of Goth, Punk, Thrash, Prog and traditional Armenian music the band created a sound that has yet to be duplicated.


Where are they now?
After releasing the critically lauded double album "Mesmerize/Hypnotize" in 2006, the band went on indefinite hiatus. Singer Serge Tankian released a solo album in 2007.

3. Marilyn Manson


Although technically a forerunner to nu-metal, Manson CD's were prominently featured in most mooks' collections. A protege of NIN's Trent Reznor, Manson became a huge success with a shocking image and songs that sounded like they were written by Satan's scrawny kid brother. His landmark album, "Antichrist Superstar" is a bona-fide post-grunge classic.


Where is he now?
Manson continues to release albums, most of which perform reasonably well. However, these days he has become a caricature of himself, and his increasingly desperate attempts at remaining relevant have been embarrassing. Fans still hold out hope for another "Superstar", but I wouldn't hold my breath.

2. Rage Against The Machine

Another forerunner of rap-metal, Rage was one of the few groups to truly pull off the combination. It helped that frontman Zach De la Rocha was a gifted wordsmith and a talented MC. Also helpful was guitarist Tom Morello, who's inimitable guitar work provided Rage Against the Machine with a slew of memorably off-kilter guitar riffs. The band released hit album after hit album, gaining a huge following and making boatloads of cash, all while railing against capitalism and corporations. Their politics may have been questionable, but none doubted their ability to ROCK!


Where are they now?
The band reformed to play a protest show during the Republican National Convention in 2007 after a 7 year hiatus. However, no plans have been made for a new album or tour. Morello and De La Rochaha both have side projects putting out material.

1. Deftones

If there is a more artistically credible and long-lived band to emerge from the nu-metal movement than the Deftones, I've never heard of them. The band struck a chord with Chino Moreno's strange lyrics and dreamy singing, which stood in stark contrast to the heavy yet melodic music created by the band. The band survived the nu-metal scene and quickly found acceptance among punk and metalcore bands and fans alike. "White Pony", the band's third album is still seen as one of the most artful and innovative albums of the 00 decade.

Where are they now?
Bassist Chi-Cheng was injured in a car accident in 2007, that has left him in a minimally conscious state for the last 3 years, with possible permanent damage to his brain. The band has continued on without him, recently releasing "Diamond Eyes", which I highly recommend picking up a copy of. Seriosuly, get on iTunes right now.