By Robin Ianson
Like a boot to the head, Hatebreed’s latest album, Supremacy, is impossible to ignore. It’s loud, heavy and very, very angry. Arguably the most successful hardcore band to ever emerge from the underground, Hatebreed have had to endure the ‘sell-out’ label ever since frontman Jamey Jasta began hosting MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball in 2003. Even if… Continue reading Spun: Hatebreed
The recipe for a country band always contains a few similar ingredients. The mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, banjo and bass all seem to be staples of the genre. Five guys from the Southern U.S. knew this and banded together to form the country quintet Cadillac Sky. Despite incorporating bluegrass elements into their musical array, with… Continue reading Spun: Cadillac Sky
When Natalie Portman placed headphones onto Zach Braff’s head in Garden State and whispered “this song will change your life” she didn’t know how prophetic her words were. The song, of course, was The Shins’ “New Slang” from their 2001 debut Oh, Inverted World. Though the thought of a particularly simple song from a great,… Continue reading Spun: The Shins
By Lewis Park
Frontman Craig Peeling describes the music of Peeler as “music to change your life.” Their debut album The Evils Of the Modern Pleasure Dance, has the ability to do just that. That is, if you’ve never had the opportunity to listen to Default, Nickleback, Staind or Audioslave. Otherwise, Pleasure Dance is another riff-rock, throaty angst-fest… Continue reading Spun: Peeler
By Darren Young
Suppose aliens descended upon the planet and started an indie rock band. Not only would their take on the music be markedly different from our human perspective, their sounds would contain sonic effects more complicated than any sounds ever heard by modern man. Though the members of Mute Math may not be aliens, they sure… Continue reading Spun: Mute Math
By Jeff Clemens
Last year was a turbulent one for artists on the Shady label. Eminem got remarried to Kim (his on again, off again wife) and promptly filed for divorce a few months later. Two members were shot–one fatally. Originally intended to be an underground mixtape, The Re-Up was transformed into a showcase of the new Shady… Continue reading Spun: Eminem presents the Re-Up
Being in a band known for making euphorically happy music poses unique problems. For example, how do you respond musically to a divorce? This is exactly what recently befell Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes. His answer to the conundrum was to make an album with even more delightful sounding music than usual to juxtapose dark,… Continue reading Spun: Of Montreal
It might seem like it’s about cradle robbers and catheters, but Venus is being touted as another chance for actor Peter O’Toole to finally win an Oscar. The film follows elderly semi-famous actors Maurice (O’Toole) and Ian (Leslie Phillips), whose lives of dreary routine get turned upside down by Ian’s teenaged great-niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker).… Continue reading Venus almost captures hearts
By Ryan Pike
The world of film has long been subject to finding popular trends, hopping on them and running them into the ground. The latest hot ticket in Hollywood is the comic book movie: they have a built-in audience, and you’re almost guaranteed to make money on the first movie. With the only roadblock in the way… Continue reading Like a boy out of hell
Finally, a popular book published about art history that won’t have art historians tearing their hair out and screaming uncontrollably (Read: Da Vinci Code). The Lost Painting is a non-fiction account that never reads like a textbook, yet retains the wonderment reserved for true stories. Harris describes the research process, the trials and tribulations of… Continue reading Dan Brown gets served