Category Archives: Check Out This Cool Thing

Well, There’s Something You Don’t See Every Day

Posted on June 1, 2012 by

Underwater DJ at Hatch Gallery during tonight’s Art Murmur in Oakland. Don’t ask me what spinning your records in a puddle does for you–other than attract a crowd. UPDATE 06.02.12: I don’t know who the ladies who were operating the … Continue reading →

Posted in Check Out This Cool Thing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

From the “I Meant to Blog About This Months Ago” Department: “East Bay Dillinger” will steal your heart with humorous spoken-word antics, Oakland pride

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

When it comes to music videos, the three most important things are location, location, location. Wait, that’s real estate, isn’t it? Talent is probably more important when it comes to music videos. Still, I’ll watch just about anything if it … Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Area Music, Check Out This Cool Thing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

East Bay punk band Emily’s Army officially deemed “next big thing” by winning mtvU’s Freshman 5 contest

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Congratulations are in order for Oakland teenage pop-punk band Emily’s Army, which managed to get its fan base to out-vote the fan bases of four other up-and-coming groups featured in mtvU’s Freshman 5 showcase. Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Area Music, Check Out This Cool Thing, Local Bands | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ubisoft’s new “Rocksmith” video game replaces plastic controllers with real guitars, teaches me how to play Radiohead (plus a track list of songs announced to date)

Posted on September 25, 2011 by

Having played “Rocksmith” the other day, I think it has real potential to not only revive the demand for music games but to actually teach people how to play guitar. (Take if from me, someone who hasn’t spent significant time playing a video game since “Super Smash Brothers”!) Continue reading →

Posted in Check Out This Cool Thing, Tech Junk | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wilco offering preview of new album, ‘The Whole Love,’ for 24 hours, so quit wasting time and start streaming

Posted on September 3, 2011 by

I’m about 10 minutes into listening to The Whole Love, Wilco’s eighth studio album, and I’m already ready to declare it the best thing the Chicago band has done since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Jeff Tweedy & Co. seem to have recaptured … Continue reading →

Posted in Check Out This Cool Thing, Linkage | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fun With Charts: The true cause of America’s fiscal problems REVEALED, and it involves the ’60s folk revival, obviously

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

As you can see, America’s debt didn’t start skyrocketing until those no-account Bay Area troublemakers in the Kingston Trio charted with “Greenback Dollar” in 1962. Continue reading →

Posted in Check Out This Cool Thing, Overanalyzing Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

For anyone who has wondered how grindcore connects to crossover thrash, The Map of Metal is your ultimate extreme reference guide

Posted on February 16, 2011 by

Having covered music in smallish Michigan towns has given me a considerably deeper understanding of the various subgenres of heavy metal than I might have otherwise. I’ve done my share of profiles of bands that identify themselves as metalcore, folk … Continue reading →

Posted in Check Out This Cool Thing, Overanalyzing Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment