Music
Music Monday: Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat – “Vital” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally Published on indie shuffle
Many artists, spurred by critical acclaim for an album, feel compelled to subvert listeners’ expectations with a radical departure from their sound, whether because they are emboldened by lavish praise or because they are determined to avoid being pigeonholed.
Music Monday: My Bloody Valentine – MBV – “Only Tomorrow” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indie shuffle
Twenty-two years after the release of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, cited by critics as one of the finest albums of the 1990s, the band’s new LP, humbly titled MBV, has finally arrived. Those expecting the band’s songwriter, Kevin Shields, to single-handedly change the direction of music like he did in 1991 will be surprised to find that the album picks up pretty much where its predecessor left off. That’s not to say it’s by any means disappointing.
The Joy Formidable: Wolf’s Law “This Ladder is Ours” Review
January 31, 2013 | Eric Shapiro“This Ladder is Ours” Review Originally Published on indie shuffle
Alternative rock seems to be making a comeback. With releases like Cloud Nothings’ Wasted Days and the Menzingers’ On The Impossible Past (both released to much acclaim in 2012), a genre that discredited itself with endless sub-par Nirvana and Pearl Jam ripoffs is sailing onto the indie rock radar with the winds of 1990s nostalgia at its back. Read More
Rap Retrospective: The Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 2012
January 23, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Brandon Sanders
10. No Lie (Feat. Drake) – 2 Chainz: Many thought 2 Chainz leadoff single would be a smash and once this hit the airwaves, they were proven right. With Drake on the … Read More
Flatiron Hot! Review: “Stoned and Starving” off Parquet Courts Light up Gold
January 17, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indie shuffle
Brooklynites by way of Texas (hence their self-proclaimed label of “Americana Punk”), Parquet Courts fit right in among their noise rock neighbors. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the track “Stoned & Starving.” The subject matter is exactly what it sounds like, but somehow the music is exhilarating where it should be mundane.
Best Tracks of 2012: Bob Mould’s “Star Machine”
January 14, 2013 | Eric ShapiroAfter reading Husker Du frontman Bob Mould’s tell-all tome, See a Little Light: the Trail of Rage and Melody, I got the impression of a man who had, at long last, cast aside the baggage of his early life and reached a basic level of contentment. The title of his latest album, Silver Age, does indeed seem to indicate that the notoriously angst-ridden songwriter has entered a new phase of his life and career. However, anyone looking for a mellower Mould to emerge on his new LP is in for a surprise.
Young Visionary Hatches Reading at Strand Bookstore feat. Ben Gibbard & Ron Currie, Jr.
January 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThe Strand Bookstore may be home to many old, musty works of literature, but walk inside and you’ll notice that it employs a whole lot of young people. Some of them are aspiring writers, while others simply relish the opportunity to work in one of New York City’s most eminent bookstores. Often, young people mean fresh ideas. Andrew Boye, currently a manager on the main floor, has worked at the Strand for three years. Recently, Andrew hatched the idea to host events combining book readings (a mainstay at the Strand for years) with other artistic mediums.
Boye’s idea came to fruition with last night’s event, featuring Ron Currie, Jr, the author of such acclaimed novels as God is Dead and Everything Matters and musician Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. Flatiron Hot! News had a chance to talk to Andrew a few minutes before the event began. He and his colleague, Emily Simpson, along with event coordinator and author Jessica Strand, hope Wednesday’s pioneering artistic venture will be the first in a series of events showcasing the ties between authors and their creative kin in other mediums.
Q&A Pt. 1: Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie & Ron Currie, Jr. at the Strand Bookstore
January 10, 2013 | Eric ShapiroMusician Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service) and Ron Currie, Jr, the author of such acclaimed novels as God is Dead and Everything Matters, took the stage at the Strand Bookstore on January 10th to showcase their work and highlight thematic similarities that transcend their respective mediums.