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Album review: ‘Smile Kid’ solidifies We the Kings’ pop-punk image
This past December witnessed more than snow and sleighs when We the Kings re-emerged with Smile Kid.
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This past December witnessed more than snow and sleighs when We the Kings re-emerged with Smile Kid.
Iggy Pop marked his 60th birthday on Saturday just like any other respectable senior citizen would. The eerily athletic “Godfather of Punk” stripped down to a tight pair of blue jeans and dived off the stage into the arms of his adoring fans during a concert in San Francisco with his reunited band the Stooges. Towards the end of the 80-minute show, the crowd at the Warfield theater sang along as his bandmates struck up “Happy Birthday,” and Pop was surprised as balloons bearing his image dropped from the ceiling. A fan also handed him a white T-shirt inscribed “Birthday… Read more »
When Avril Lavigne released album No. 2 in 2004, the spunky teen pop star announced to the world that she was growing up. Gone were the baggy pants and skater-chick image that first earned Lavigne the media-christened nickname of “the anti-Britney.” On that year’s “Under My Skin,” punky anthems like “Sk8er Boi” were replaced largely with grammatically correct, midtempo teen-angst rockers. The album was released a few months shy of Lavigne’s 20th birthday, and the black-and-white Goth imagery made it clear that Lavigne was dealing with some intense late-teen issues. Today, Lavigne is done with all that. On April 17,… Read more »
Cartel are not the sort of guys you’d expect to catch on an episode of MTV’s “Cribs.” For one, they all live under the same ancient roof: a home guitarist Nic Hudson inherited from his grandmother last year. They don’t rock the bling, nor do they drive fancy automobiles. In fact, up until the show’s taping, the band had just a ramshackle touring van and drummer Kevin Sanders’ Volkswagen Golf to get them from point A to point B. But that didn’t stop Cartel from opening their doors to the “Cribs” cameras; the band will be featured on an upcoming… Read more »
Despite being a major label band since the get-go (not unlike The Ramones or The Sex Pistols ), Southern California ska freaks Goldfinger really do understand punk rock. Singer/guitarist John Feldmann, drummer Darrin Pfeiffer, bassist Kelly Lemieux and guitarist Brian Arthur have been around the block. And even though their latest album Disconnection Notice takes a decidedly poppier turn this time, they’re sick of being alienated from their colleagues. In fact, that’s part of the reason for the album title. They don’t want to be “disconnected” anymore, hoping that fans will find solace in the band’s understanding of feeling disenfranchised… Read more »
Good Charlotte’s Madden brothers are hard to please. Even though hits like “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “Girls and Boys” helped their last album, The Young and the Hopeless, sell more than 2.8 million copies, the Madden brothers say the tunes just weren’t good enough for them. “Me and Benji are never satisfied with the songs we write,” Joel admitted. “Truthfully, we’ve never loved anything we’ve written so far. We’re always chasing the song that one day we’ll really love.” The Maddens and their bandmates are currently pursuing pop-punk’s perfect wave in a Los Angeles studio, where they’re… Read more »
Last monthwe told you that guitarist Bill Priddle had been absent from the latest batch of Treble Charger shows, seemingly replaced by Kelly Osbourneguitarist Devin Bronson. At the time, representatives from Treble Charger’s label, BMG, told ChartAttack that Priddle was merely taking a break from his TC duties, wanting to spend time with his young daughter. The temporary break explanation turned out to be nothing but a record label spin job – Priddle has now confirmed that he left Treble Charger permanently in early September. Priddle claims that he intended to leave Treble Charger of his own free will once… Read more »
Once a punk rock outcast who was locked up in a psych ward, Iggy Pop is now a celebrity, a Reebok model who rubs shoulders with the cream of society. But his elevated status does not stop him from noticing the absurdity of the situation, as he told Reuters in a recent interview: the kid raised in a Michigan trailer park is often the center of attention at various phoney-baloney shindigs. “Occasionally I’ll go to one of these VIP affairs or parties, and I always sorta look around thinking, ‘My God, how shallow and crass these people are! Not like… Read more »
It seems like every major musical artist has found box-office success in the form of an Oscar-worthy biopic. From Timothée Chalamet starring in A Complete Unknown as Bob Dylan to Rami Malek’s portrayal of Queen‘s Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, there are many rock star movies you need to add to your watchlist. P.S. If you need a goofy “biopic,” then Weird: The Al Yankovic Story starring Daniel Radcliffe is the flick for you. In recent news, Green Day shared that they are currently developing a comedy movie inspired by their early days touring in a van called New Years… Read more »
March isn’t just the time to wear green and celebrate St. Patty’s Day, it’s also time to truly reflect on the accomplishments of women in your life and afar via Women’s History Month. Plus, this is your reminder to continue to support women artists, small businesses, and beyond. One way to celebrate ladies this month and every month is, of course, by buying their music and attending their shows. Sure, we here in the alternative sphere love Paramore, Spiritbox, Avril Lavigne, and the like. But it’s vital to keep an eye on who is on the rise, too! These nine… Read more »
