indie Archive
21 Jan 2022
Deerhoof’s Slow Burn Approach to Making Magic
The following feature was commissioned by a publication, but prior to its running, their management made an editorial decision to cut arts and entertainment coverage. I’ve rescued it from obscurity and share it here. — bk. Ever since Deerhoof came together in San Francisco some 25 years ago, the band’s releases have tended to be
14 Jan 2022
Album Review: Hushdrops — The Static
Hey, remember the ‘90s? No, not the hair metal-lite of the era, and not the flannel-wrapped grunge of the Pacific Northwest. Well, maybe a little of that. What I’m thinking of is the rise and codification of “alternative rock,” a loosely-defined but distinctive style that combined the best of power pop, hard rock and good
24 Dec 2021
Musoscribe’s Best of 2021: Reissues and Archival Releases
An impressive batch of reissue, archival and otherwise historic releases has characterized 2021. Even with so many choices, I was able to narrow my own Musoscribe’s Best of 2021 down to five selections. All are recommended in the most enthusiastic terms. In no particular order, here they are: The Rubinoos – The CBS Tapes These
11 Dec 2021
Album Review: Los Microwaves — The Birth of Techno
(Please visit yesterday’s post for some additional background on this release.) This playfully titled release features David Javelosa (on synth and vocals) along with Meg Brazill (on bass and vocals) plus drummer Todd “Rosa” Rosencrans (two other musicians appear on selected tracks). Side One features five studio tracks, none of which were included on the
28 Nov 2021
Album Review: Peter Bilt Group — Do It Up
One set of rhetorical questions that I encountered during my research for my new book was as collection of what-ifs. Of the nearly 30 bands that released music on the groundbreaking indie label 415 Records, few realized their full potential. One such case was the criminally underrated band Pearl Harbor and the Explosions. Fronted by
10 Sep 2021
Wind Up Happening: Musoscribe Meets LMNOP (Part 5 of 5)
Continued from Part Four… We’ve talked about the whole band concept. But with MIDI technology and everything, do you have any interest at all in doing solo gigs? Well, if I had a means of doing it, possibly. When I was doing all these new songs, I made an additional track without the lead vocals
09 Sep 2021
Wind Up Happening: Musoscribe Meets LMNOP (Part 4 of 5)
Continued from Part Three… I’m not even suggesting that you should – it’s just an open question – but have you ever toyed with the idea of doing something completely in a different musical direction? No. I wish I had the time and energy to go into things like that, but the things that I
08 Sep 2021
Wind Up Happening: Musoscribe Meets LMNOP (Part 3 of 5)
Continued from Part Two… So, then you don’t record everything you write, or do you? Well, yes and no. I record what I call song snippets. I have a little digital recorder where I just come up with ideas, and I just stick them on this thing constantly. There are hundreds and hundreds of these
07 Sep 2021
Wind Up Happening: Musoscribe Meets LMNOP (Part 2 of 5)
Continued from Part One… Thrilled with my new discovery, I raced to my desktop, opened my email app and dashed off a quick note to said publicist. I feverishly typed words to the effect of, “Hey, I’m sure Stephen doesn’t do interviews, but if by some miracle he does, let me know.” I received a
06 Sep 2021
Wind Up Happening: Musoscribe Meets LMNOP (Part 1 of 5)
In one sense, LMNOP is as DIY and underground as it gets. Launched in the early 1980s in Atlanta, LMNOP was – and has remained – the vehicle for Stephen Fievet’s singular lyrical vision, a sometimes disturbing, often unsettling and sometimes wickedly funny approach that all but ensures the music will never break through to