Tag Archives: indie rock

Fang Island – Major
31
Jul

This album had me at hello. ”All i know I learned in Kindergarten! shouted over epic piano arpeggios and smooth sky-high guitar leads? Shit. As an elementary music teacher, nothing has ever expressed on such a animalistic level both my thoughts about the importance of early education and rock music in one four-minute chunk.

Fang Island have been compared to Andrew W.K. before, but it’s an apt comparison that deserves repeating. Where A.W.K. screams, Fang Island lets their guitars do the screaming. Continue reading →

“Professor Punk” aka “Mr. Simpson”
21
Jul

I live music, quite literally. As a guy who has played in punk, rock, classical, and marching bands through most of his time on earth, has taught elementary music, beginning band/orchestra/guitar and private lessons for going on ten years and written reviews for Punknews.org for ten years as well, I spend 90% of my time in music-related activities. Other than music, I sleep sometimes and I watch TV, movies and read, but even those media types are mostly music-related for me. I’m pretty one-dimensional.

The one dilemma I think about once in a blue moon is the conflict between punk ideals and being a teacher. I was never a dirty, smelly, dumpster-diving, molotov cocktail-throwing anarcho-punk kid, but the basic tenants of punk since its inception in the ‘70s has been to “fight the system”, “question authority”, “fuck the man”, et al.

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Certain People I Know – s/t
21
Jul

When a band that features one of my favorite songwriters and one of my favorite drummers of all time flies under my radar for three years, something has gotta be up. I never get off the computer and leave the house! How could this happen?

Certain People I Know features Bob Nanna and Damon Atkinson, both well known around these parts for their past work in Braid and Hey Mercedes. Get these two guys together in a room and I will listen. I don’t care if it’s freeform jazz.

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