Further proof that the hip-hop world moves too goddamned fast for us rockists: just when we’d gotten the whole “is DJing a legitimate art form” debate through our thick-as-Led skulls, along came Kanye, Danger Mouse, and the Neptunes, and they went and turned it into a producer’s medium.
Now, aspiring Timbalands can even create reputable music on their own home computer – aren’t those the things Jack White hates? – with just a vast MP3 collection, a decent sampling program and a good feel for …

For a lot of girls, there is always that one best friend they can count on. The friend who you’ve had since at least high school, who knows everything about you. The friend you’ve done really stupid things with; the friend who, even in the midst of a giant storm of annoyances, you automatically called when everything was going wrong; and the one friend (who you aren’t fucking) that you can stay up all night with and not get grumpy. So imagine a day …

Last month, Detroit rock supergroup The Raconteurs released their highly anticipated debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, to widespread public acclaim and a critical response that ranged from middling to ecstatic – including a decidedly middling review from our own Megan Giddings. But for those of us in the know, the idea of a Motor City answer to Blind Faith was never quite as enticing as the hysterical reports from NME had made the Raconteurs’ gestation period sound. That’s because we’d already heard …

There are some bands that would become all the more popular if they’d simply change their zip code. Case in point is New York’s The Little Killers. While I’m sure certain dirtier corners of the Big Apple must appreciate this garage rock sludge of a bar band (and I mean that in the positive!), it’s a fact that Detroit would love them more.
Maybe the Little Killers have picked up on that mindset, because they hired trendy Detroit Producer (Ghetto Recorders), former Dirtbomb, and Jack …

The hardest thing about addressing the Raconteurs’ Broken Boy Soldiers is distancing the band from its parts. There is, of course, Little Jack Lawrence on bass. Little Jack is from both the Greenhornes and Blanche. He’s a good bassist, and he also looks a lot like he could be Jack White’s shy little brother who would never hit anyone. Then there’s Patrick Keeler, who’s also a member of the Greenhornes. And I’m just going to admit it right now, I love the Greenhornes. I …

Okay, seriously: if anybody out there ever expected to hear a sitar on a Soledad Brothers album, raise your hand. Or better yet, don’t – because if you did see that coming, you’re either lying, or you have no clue who the Soledad Brothers are in the first place. This is, in short, the last band in the world you’d expect to throw traditional Indian instrumentation into the mix. Saxophone, sure, or wailing harmonica; maybe even a horn section now and again, but let’s …

I remember vividly the first time I stumbled across Nardwuar the Human Serviette. It was the summer of 2002, and I, like many music listeners, was just embarking on what would be an ongoing love affair with the White Stripes. I’d bought three of their records — White Blood Cells, De Stijl and a bootleg of the 2001 Peel Sessions — watched their buzzmaking MTV Movie Awards performance, and even seen them in concert for the first time, at Chene Park in Detroit …

As buzz-generating first singles go, the Subways’ “Rock & Roll Queen” was pretty tepid. Sure, it got a spot on the soundtrack for The OC (what hasn’t?) and a “Single of the Month” promotion on iTunes, but its overbearing alterna-rawk production and insipid lyrics carried the suspicious whiff of industry hype rather than genuine word-of-mouth acclaim. For this listener, at least, the question was not “where did these guys come from?” but “who the hell actually listens to this?” – hardly the response, …

I believe that the Velvet Underground’s transition from “Sweet Jane” to “Rock & Roll” links one of the most inspired track pairings in history. For me those songs are forever mated; listening to “Sweet Jane” and then skipping “Rock & Roll” is like eating a meal and skipping dessert. Unless you absolutely have to, you don’t do it. My favorite Rolling Stones record is Between the Buttons. Yes, yes, we all know Exile on Main St. is a masterpiece, but it just doesn’t …

You wouldn’t think Ryan Adams and Prince would have much in common, you know? Prince is a born-again Christian who used to cavort around on a giant bed during his concerts. Ryan Adams is a former alcoholic who used to try to pick fights with Jack White. But both are icons of their respective genres, who are critically frustrating due to their prolific nature. Prince had a golden age with his Sign ‘O’ the Times, Purple Rain, and Parade, yet much like Pandora, he …