[EXPERIMENTAL POP] Fred Thomas, the leadman and only constant member of Ann Arbor-based psych-pop band Saturday Looks Good to Me, has been called the Brian Wilson of his generation. And he’s put out several albums of sunny guy/girl vocals with lo-fi, experimental, ’60s-ish pop that back up that claim. But, with Thomas’ relocation to Portland [...]

I was just perusing the LiveWire! website, and noticed that the February 15th show was recently posted as a podcast. Interviewed for that show was Scott Garred, Super XX Man’s frontman. His group has been heavily touted ’round LocalCut way, and the LiveWire! show, with it’s pretty sweet sound and variety hour feel, is as [...]

I could tell it was going to be an awesome concert when I saw the table full of Mexican wrestlers.
They stood out in Ash Street Saloon, because the other patrons were dressed as ninjas, kung fu masters, or spacemen—the night’s theme was Aliens vs. Ninjas, after all. But the guys in luchador masks, sitting surly [...]

One of the flaws of DarkBlack’s debut, The Barbarian’s Hammer, is Tim Smith’s vocals. But his imperfections are also one if its graces. The wavering and slight misses in the first verse make it really distinct and actually cause it to get stuck in my head. I wouldn’t miss it or Smith’s voice anywhere, and [...]

That’s it! I’ve had it with American bands! Just as I was about to write those very words with an explanation of how last week’s Band Name of the Week recipient, electro-dance duo Yip-Yip, sucks for not replying to its BNotW call, Yip-Yip’s Jason Temple responded (after I sent the Yips three MySpace messages, all [...]

Introducing the wizard-loving Sanford and Son of local metal.
[TRUE METAL] When DarkBlack vocalist/bassist Tim Smith introduced a song last Friday at Kelly’s Olympian by saying, “This one is about dragons,” a considerable portion of the audience couldn’t help but laugh.
But, according to lead guitarist Ant Crocamo—who, along with Smith, relocated to Portland from Lancaster, Pa., [...]

I think that one could make an argument for the Bad Backs to win Amy McCullough’s weekly “band name of the week” contest, but here they are in Cut of the Day instead. These Portland punks play mostly standard pop-punk fare with a sensitive streak. “The Bad Backs,” according to the bands liner notes, “are [...]

A Weather got the attention, and the Builders and The Butchers stole the show. But that’s going to change, and I have mixed feelings about it.
The two bands performed Wednesday, February 20 at the Towne Lounge, along with solo artist Gregory Miles Harris. The show was part of Pop Tomorrow!, the free concert series that [...]

Lifesavas new album, Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack, doesn’t come out until April, but our friends at Quannum were kind enough to give us a peek at the artwork. It was so sweet we had to share it with you. I’ve been listening to my promo copy of Guttefly casually for almost a month, and I’m [...]