Posts
AugustAug 28 Thursday 08
"Iron Oar" by Houseguest
To paraphrase a quote from the very much underrated Rocky and Bullwinkle movie, "Two wrongs don't make a right, but two rights make a u-turn, and two u-turns make a circle, and two circles make a figure eight, and two figure eights make a butterfly." Listening to the …
AugustAug 26 Tuesday 08
"Darlin'" by XX Teens
How do you breathe new life into the often backwards looking world of guitar rock? If you're the band XX Teens, then the answer is to include as many genres as possible in one four minute song. Punk, garage, electro, disco, calypso -- it's almost too much for one …
Moving Pictures: "Night of the Crickets" by mr Gnome
mr Gnome's new video for "Night of the Crickets" falls somewhere between Donnie Darko, the Sci-Fi Channel's Saturday night movie, and a creepy Burger King commercial with the King. I don't get it, and most likely, you won't get it either, but that's besides the point. …
Moving Pictures: "Take Refuge" by Grails
With imagery drawing heavily from Greek history, Eastern mysticism, and other ancient artifacts, Grails' video montage for "Take Refuge" may do little to stop the "Music for Tomb Raiders" quips, but when the proverbial shoe fits, what are you to do, but wear it? …
C'mon Get Heavy with Young Widows
I've been listening to so much Southern Lord style metal of late that when the opening chords of the Young Widow's "Old Skin" hit with such soul shaking force, I fully expect a nine, ten, twenty minute drone of evil to follow. Instead, that hearty rumble is a precursor …
AugustAug 22 Friday 08
The Rockometer: Simple Machinery by Bears
Bears
Simple Machinery
We all know Cleveland Rocks, but Cleveland Pops? When Craig Ramsey and Charlie McArthur left Rock 'N' Roll behind for the slight, soft indie pop sounds of Bears, it had the feeling of a short lived side project meant to release their inner twee. …
AugustAug 21 Thursday 08
"Sugar Man" by Rodriquez
Once upon a time (1969 to be exact) this cat named Rodriquez (Sixto Diaz Rodriguez) from Detroit laid down the tracks for a killer album of psychedelic folk called Cold Facts, and is the case with many a record, it went unnoticed. Dude was ready to move on with living, …
"The New West" by Spindrift
With ex-members of The Warlocks and Brian Jonestown Massacre filling the ranks of LA's Spindrift, you can pretty much narrow down their sound without even hearing a note. It may be druggy, droney, bluesy, or blissful, but whatever the vibe, it'll be psychedelic rock. …
Jigsaw Entertainment to Invest $$$ in The Cleveland Agora
From today's Plain Dealer comes word that Jigsaw Entertainment is poised to invest some big money in the Cleveland Agora. Included in its plans are a major renovations to the theater and adjacent club. For those of you scoring at home, the Agora would be the fourth …
AugustAug 20 Wednesday 08
From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Oasis, The Verve, Bloc Party and TV on the Radio All Debut New Material on The Internets
From the I Rock Cleveland World Headquarters Newsdesk: A series of high profile artists have hit the Internets hard.
First, there's Oasis, who just released a video for "Shock of the Lightning," the first single from their forthcoming disc, Dig Out Your Soul, and it …
AugustAug 19 Tuesday 08
"Hologram Buffalo" by Brightblack Morning Light
Slow and woozy, like a pleasant dream from which you can't wake, or a steady haze you just can't shake, "Hologram Buffalo," by Brightblack Morning Light, operates in that undefined space somewhere between the conscious and the ethereal. Bright tones, breathy vocals, …
"Dreaming of Dreaming" by Secret Machines
On "Dreaming of Dreaming," the non-album b-side from the Secret Machines' forthcoming, self titled release, the band have moved away from whatever it was they were doing on their sophomore release, Ten Silver Drops (something akin to unispired noodling and drugged up …
AugustAug 18 Monday 08
Cleveland Concert Update
Your semi-regular sampling of noteworthy shows happening in Northeast, Ohio.
Wednesday, August 20th: Pterodactyl, National Suicide Day @ Beachland Tavern.
Thursday, August 21st: The Dreadful Yawns, Hot Cha Cha, and Lazy Susan @ The Zephyr in Kent.
Friday, August 22nd: Nine …
Double Shot of Rock From Bands Who Aren't The Dreadful Yawns: Good Touch Bad Touch and Big Buildings
Checked out The Dreadful Yawns cd release party Saturday night at The Beachland, and The Yawns' set was, let's say, a little on the meandering side. As I expected, they played more songs not on the album, than those on Take Shape, the album they had just released, and …
AugustAug 16 Saturday 08
From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Grab The Saturday Knights' New CD, Mingle, For Free
Straight from the inbox comes news that the Saturday Knights debut album, Mingle, can now be had for the price of an email address from Light in the Attic Records. A great summer time mix of party rock and old style hip-hop, this Seattle band's disc includes numerous …
AugustAug 15 Friday 08
The Rockometer: Take Shape by The Dreadful Yawns
The Dreadful Yawns
Take Shape
Exit Stencil
Take Shape, the latest album from Cleveland's Dreadful Yawns, first took shake shortly after the release of their previous album, Rest. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Many bands start writing their next album during the …
AugustAug 13 Wednesday 08
From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Dreadful Yawns and Expecting Rain Do Cleveland Sessions Plus Updates on TNV, State Bird, Cobra Verde, and Prisonshake
*The Dreadful Yawns and Expecting Rain will be playing tonight's edition of Cleveland Sessions, the free concert series at The Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. The show starts at 7. In other Yawns news, the band will be celebrating the release of their latest album, Take …
"Transformer" by Marnie Stern
Do you wanna know what's great about Marnie Stern? The shredding.
You know what else is great about Marnie Stern? The shredding.
And get this, you wanna know the absolutely, positively, best thing about Marnie Stern? It's the shredding.
Seriously, this gal can shred.
MP3:
Moving Pictures: "BatCat" by Mogwai and "Wucan" by Black Mountain
Be forewarned, Mogwai's video for "BatCat" gets a bit creepy. First there's the creepy kid, and the creepy couple in the creepy Stanley Kubrick Eyes Wide Shut masks chasing the creepy kid. And at this point, you might have a slight case of the heebie jeebies. Then, …
AugustAug 12 Tuesday 08
The Rockometer feat. F*cked Up, Oneida, Dr. Dog, Sic Alps, Julie Ocean, Oxford Collapse, and David Vandervelde
Fucked Up
Year of the Pig (2008 Matador EP)
Matador Records
Over the course of a year, Fucked Up's more epic than epic, 18 minute, political, progressive punk statement, "Year of the Pig" has gone from a give 'em credit for their ambition type of song to one of the …