All music discussion goes here, kiddos.
Artist Spotlight courtesy of LongIslandMediumIcedTea Everyone has long days. Heavy, tired days punctuated by trying and often failing to fall asleep. It was on a day like this that I made a chance discovery. It was hiding under the covers, fiddling … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Cristina
The Canadian alternative rock scene of the early ’90s was surprisingly varied. Our Lady Peace and Big Wreck drew inspiration from their Seattle contemporaries to forge a sort of mystical post-grunge sound. I Mother Earth had a funky, jam-band vibe. … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Matthew Good
That’s where Dengue Fever fits in: playing music that sounds like something you’d hear while buzzing through Siem Reap on the back of a motorbike, dog-eared Lonely Planet guide poking out of your knapsack. Continue reading Dengue Fever, America’s Best Cambodian Rock Band
Good Evening and welcome to another in the occasional series “Artist spotlights on Female Spanish language rappers who’ve recorded versions of ‘Eres Para Mi’ with Julieta Venegas. (I feel this could run and run) Raised in Seville, she became involved … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mala Rodriguez
It is said that young Shiina Yumiko’s cheeks would turn red as apples whenever she blushed. Thus, she got the nickname Ringo, or Apple. So when the singer, song writer, pianist, guitarist, and producer burst on the scene in 1998, … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Shiina Ringo and Tokyo Jihen
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Uncanny Valet In 2011 I went to the Newport Folk Festival with a few friends. I was really excited about The Decemberists, Teegan and Sara, Gogol Bordello, and a few other bands. One of the friends … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: River City Extension
Björk Guðmundsdóttir has been a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, arranger, and producer since she was young. Her first album, Björk, was released in 1977, when she was barely twelve-years-old. During her teens and early twenties, Björk was part of several music … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Björk
Artist Spotlight courtesy of former dictator glorious leader Joseph Stalin The Kinks were great band led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, along with Mick Avory and Peter Quaife in the original line-up. But really, this is story of two brothers, … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Kinks
Hell and welcome to a spotlight on Ana Tijoux, an artist you may remember from such TV montages as Born in France to Chilean parents in exile from the regime of Augusto Pinochet , it’s no surprise that her music … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Ana Tijoux
I would be the first to admit that my life wasn’t very hard, comparatively speaking. My mother was an English professor, and she made sure that I was never left wanting, or left empty-handed with any essential. She encouraged me … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Kanye West
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Bearded Garrett Dillahunt I’ ve seen State Radio live in concert 14 times. If I were to include the other iterations of Chad Urmstrom’s work that I’ve witnessed (solo work, Dispatch) the number might be nearly … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: State Radio
“Hang on. We’re not some poor man’s Go-Go’s.” – Vicki Peterson, The Bangles Everyone thinks they know the Bangles and yet I never seem to meet anyone who really does. Three songs more or less define their pop music legacy … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Bangles
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Diabetes Man It was bit of a blur the week my grandpa died and he had his funeral. Husband and a father to 9 kids he had lived through the death of his parents at the … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Massive Attack
The history of Ween, long story short, is that two junior high school buddies started dicking around with a DAT, named themselves – in a fit of junior high school inspiration – after a combination of “wuss” and “penis,” and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Ween
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Pucky I’ll keep the bio short and sweet to get to the meat of this article. They Might Be Giants are an alternative/experimental pop/rock duo formed in the early Eighties in Brooklyn, NY. Comprised of two … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: They Might Be Giants
Austin rock stalwarts Spoon have been so consistent, and consistently good, that review aggregator Metacritic named them artist of the decade, 2000-2009 . If you’ve somehow missed out on the band, now’s as good a time as any to catch … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Spoon
Hello, everyone, and welcome to my first ever Artist Spotlight! For every rockstar, there are countless other musicians who never got their dues. Singer-songwriters who never hit the big time, despite pouring their heart and soul into their work. Until … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Rodriguez
The only solid information available on the legendary Rosalino “Chalino” Sánchez is engraved into his tombstone: August 30, 1960 – May 16, 1992. However, given what little we know about the late singer’s life, someone may have to travel down … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Chalino Sánchez
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Tyrone Judy Budnitz: Trying to describe Joanna Newsom to people is difficult. It’s a bit like the parable of the blind men trying to describe an elephant. You could start by saying she’s a harpist and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Joanna Newsom
April 19th Ankai’s thought process: Hmmm…since practically no one responded to my previous two Artist Spotlights, maybe I should stop trying use the format to introduce musical acts to the Avocado and instead pick an act that members already have opinions on that … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Radiohead
Artist Spotlight courtesy of Tanagra Growing up, I liked my music like I like my coffee—dark, bitter, and steeped with angst. (Starbucks always seems to screw up the last part of my order.) I wanted my songwriters brooding. Uncombed hair … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Matthieu Chedid
