POSTED // Mar 11,2009 - Have you ever tried to convince someone to listen to a song but were shot down on the basis of the band’s weird/awkward/offensive name? For months, I’ve championed the work of Portland’s Starfucker, a group of electroweirdos who produce the most marvelous dance music these ears have heard in some time. But that name, man. That damned name gets people every time.

POSTED // Oct 1,2008 - Salt Lake City metallurgists Iota are having a pretty good year. They played South by Southwest in March, put out the heavy, intoxicating Tales on Small Stone Records, and managed to pull off a drama-free heist of drummer Andy Patterson from four other...

POSTED // Sep 17,2008 - Ten years ago, Mike Sartain was in his early 20s, acting like he was just 13—smashing bottles, breaking instruments and recording fragments of song on a four-track in the old Camelot apartments. If it sounds regal, it wasn’t. But the digs...

POSTED // Aug 13,2008 - Navigator Songs for Mei and Satsuki At first listen one might think that Elephant 6 was back in business and dropping albums from Farmington, Utah. This punk-indielicious sounding album might be Navigator’s seminal release—10 tracks of sweet...

POSTED // Jul 30,2008 - Tesla Comin Atcha Live! 2008 Tesla is still alive and rocking after 25 years and a dozen albums. Now, you’re probably wondering, “Are they still ready to kick ass onstage?” Well, they have 80 percent of the original members and 75 percent...