Versified Street Life Reinventing Bar Rock Hype: Interview with The Hold Steady

Versified Street Life Reinventing Bar Rock Hype: Interview with The...
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I was doing a lot of drugs when I first heard the Hold Steady’s debut release, Almost Killed Me, in January 2004, and I was enraptured. I thought, “These guys are brilliant, they live the crazy drug lifestyle and use their experiences to produce this unbelievable art that people like me can really relate to.

Localized – June 2005

Localized – June 2005
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Localized is a monthly showcase of local bands on the second Friday of every month at the Urban Lounge. This month we bring you the perilously odd combination of a death metal band playing with a Christian hardcore band and Gaza. … read more

Hardcore Realists: Death from Above 1979 Sneer at Glory

Hardcore Realists: Death from Above 1979 Sneer at Glory
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My impression of Canadian two-piece Death from Above 1979 pre-interview was that they don’t suffer a fool. That turned out to be true, but it also turned out to be true that Jesse Keeler, bassist for DFA1979, is non-fakely nice; he granted a 35-minute interview to SLUG while everyone else in the tour group was

Analogical Resurrection: An Interview with Erasure

Analogical Resurrection: An Interview with Erasure
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When Erasure set out to promote 2003’s Other People’s Songs album, they hadn’t toured in four years; neither Vince Clark nor Andy Bell were sure if the fans would still be there. Perhaps they considered wearing the “irrelevant” tag the British press had so kindly tried to pin, with a nail gun, to their chest.

Tiny Horses in a Big, Big World: An Interview with the Ponys

Tiny Horses in a Big, Big World: An Interview with...
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Every little girl wants a pony and never gets one. Every teenage boy wants to be a rock star and never becomes one. There is hope, however, in this world full of forgotten dreams and empty stables. Enter The Ponys, the Chicago four-piece responsible for making some of the most exciting music in years.  

Smoking to the Filter

Smoking to the Filter
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The Struggles, Troubles, Steadfast and Momentum of Smoke or Fire There once was a band called Jericho…actually, there were two bands called Jericho. One was an aging Christian rock group trying to groove their way into heaven; the other was a punk band in Boston. One will embark on a reunion tour of the Bible

Stepping Through the Cemetery: 12 Step Rebels

Stepping Through the Cemetery: 12 Step Rebels
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12 Step Rebels Ain’t Fluffin’ Up Their Pure Psychobilly From the deserts of Albuquerque, N.M., comes the pure psychobilly sounds of the 12 Step Rebels. The 12 Step Rebels are rocking the graveyard with their songs of creatures of the night. [12 Step Rebels]The 12 Step Rebels started in 2000, released an EP on a

Nice Ride: Shifting Gears with Z-Trip

Nice Ride: Shifting Gears with Z-Trip
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There’s a lot of “mash-up” DJs out there nowadays, but not one of them can be compared to the Z-Trip recipe. [Z-Trip]In the past year, Z has been very goal-oriented. He has a mix on the new Motown Remixed album, a cameo on the new Scratch: All The Way Live DVD, and, now signed with

Localized: Tragic Black

Localized: Tragic Black
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Localized this month falls on the auspicious day of Friday the 13th. SLUG has managed to tear the dark and macabre bands Tragic Black and Domiana away from the unspeakable activities they would otherwise be engaged in to play for us at the Urban Lounge, a private club for members only. TRAGIC BLACK Vyle: Keyboards

Localized: Domiana

Localized: Domiana
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Localized this month falls on the auspicious day of Friday the 13th. SLUG has managed to tear the dark and macabre bands Tragic Black and Domiana away from the unspeakable activities they would otherwise be engaged in to play for us at the Urban Lounge, a private club for members only. DOMIANA Dredd: Vocals and