Attending the launch events for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.’s SingStar (for PlayStation 3) was our primary focus this past weekend but the added bonus of a wristband to that little festival going on in Indio, California was a welcome perk we could not pass up. Our two day experience at Coachella 2008 kicked off with SebastiAn’s remix of the Justice anthem “D.A.N.C.E.” Non-stop beats invigorated an extremely hot Sahara tent as flashing lasers and lights made the 3 p.m. set seem more like a 3 a.m. one! Battles were next for us. The band’s shifting rhythms and changing tempos were well received by the swaying crowd, bottled up in the Gobi tent which was bursting at the seams. Another quality set during the afternoon was over at the Mojave tent where Black Kids furnished the festival with dance-pop accentuated by a variety of synth output. Tracks like “Hurricane Jane” and “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” were instant hits with the crowd, some just getting to know this talented Florida outfit, others apparently already big fans. more ›

It's hard to explain in 2007 what it feels like for music to be both uniting and important. Having spent nearly three years of the '90s living in London, it's with honest nostalgia and wonder that we examine Rhino's The Brit Box. The set's mission is rather broad: it attempts to examine the whole of UK indie rock from 1985-1999 and devotes a disc each to '80s indie, shoegaze, Britpop, and the late '90s. One... more ›

Photo by Daniel Perlaky The Black and White Years Wednesday, November 28Emos (603 Red River St)$5, 10 pm[info] Locals The Black and White Years have had their genre-blurring, squiggly synth rock compared to The Talking Heads so many times it should come as no surprise that Jerry Harrison of that band (not to mention a one-time member of The Modern Lovers) produced their self-titled debut album. As a producer, Harrison’s work can be seen all... more ›

Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller (ATO): Mr. ACL nosebleed's new disc is a strong rebound from 2004's sub-par On My Way. Despite Kweller's jangly, simple writing style, there is evidence of real maturity here, from the crisp Gil Norton production to the consistency of the material. There's nothing quite as catchy as "Wasted And Ready," but the album is a hook-filled, enjoyable indie-pop listen all the way through, and that's pretty rare these days.... more ›

The background - Spawned in pre-Madchester UK by bands such as Dinosaur Jr, the Cocteau Twins, and My Bloody Valentine, shoegaze rock developed into a fairly prolific genre in the late 80's and early 90's. Characterized by its subdued vocals enveloped in heavily distored guitar riffs and an underlying sense of melody, the term "shoegazing" itself refers to the tendency of these rock proprietors to stare at their feet while playing. In more recent times... more ›