A Cause For Attention
RE*Generation tries to bring care to the homeless.
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Jewel has recently continued her support of RE*Generation - a collection of organizations that care about homeless youth in America - by donating an autographed acoustic guitar for auction.
In terms of continued support, this isn’t much to compare with Jewel’s performance just a few months ago, as she took the podium before the US Congress...
Posted by Leen Morrissey on Mar 06, 2008 @ 12:00 am
The British Are Coming
The Delays Quake, Franz Ferdinand Finds Soul and The Charlatans Get Free.
Brighton based pop merchants, The Delays, are claiming responsibility for last week’s 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Britain. The band had just finished playing a venue called “The Lamp” in Hull when the quake struck. Drummer Rowly, via the bands MySpace, said "I immediately escorted my fellow Delays to the nearest archway which is the safest place to be in times like this, where we waited it out and apologized to the locals for our show maybe rocking too hard...
Posted by Joe Roth on Mar 05, 2008 @ 12:00 am
Takin' You Back
Get the pop out!
I don’t know why indie-pop is not more celebrated these days. It seemed like the wave of the future in the nineties. Of course, most people will lump pop into the indie-rock category – but indie-pop has a specific and separate place under the indie umbrella. Sometimes we just want music that is fun, happy and danceable. What is indie-pop? Keyboards and female band members are a good start. Luckily that was actually a rhetorical question because I have some answers, but none of them are very good...
Posted by Greg Herald on Mar 05, 2008 @ 12:00 am
Missed Out Music
Sometimes an album gets lost in the shuffle. HEAVE reminds you that good music never goes away.
Black Box Recorder could be the most overlooked pop group of the past ten years. They had all the elements of success, but the obvious makings of commercial disaster as well. Consisting of two British indie rock vets and an Olivia Newton-John sound alike, Black Box Recorder released three albums that provided the listener with a diary of a modern day Britain. Stories of its inhabitants coming of age, sexual identity and frustration - and equating learning how to drive with losing one's virginity were just some of Sarah Nixey's breathy musings. BBR's first two albums (England Made Me and The Facts Of Life) were a somewhat muted glimpse into what they were truly capable of.
Lyrically sharp as Ray Davies, lead singer Sarah Nixey came into her own sultry best on Black Box Recorder's last album Passionoia. Band mates Luke Haines (formerly of The Auteurs), and John Moore (formerly of The Jesus and Mary Chain) provide the perfect soundtrack to Ms. Nixey's journey through obsession with celebrity, admiration of lost 80's pop icons and Nationalistic pride over the Royal family. The crowning achievement on Passionia is the story of a country losing its true direction and ultimately embracing fear. Black Box Recorder have been on official hiatus for the past five years. They are rumored to be working on new material, but that information could be as fickle as one of the teenage subjects in their songs.STREAM: Black Box Recorder – When Britain Refused To Sing
Posted by Joe Roth on Mar 04, 2008 @ 12:00 am
We've Got You Covered
Local H Takes on Britney Spears with their version of
Hey look, it’s a Britney Spears song that’s actually good…except it’s not sung by Britney Spears. Local H took the once popular pop singer’s hit and turned it into something that you can listen to without the fear of going deaf.
In 2005, the band got quite a bit of publicity after their performance of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” The studio version of the cover was available for free download on the band’s website and is currently available as the last track, and only studio recorded track, on their album Alive ’05. The new version retains the same general melody and lyrics, but is takes the distorted guitars and Scott Lucas’s unique vocal style.
If you’ve made it this far and weren’t scared away by the first reference to Britney Spears, take a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
STREAM: Local H - ToxicPosted by Cory Roop on Mar 03, 2008 @ 12:00 am