Holiday shopping season is rapidly nearing, and you know what that means: prime time for fossilized rock stars to release self-prostituting "best-of" compilations that collect and reorganize all the songs you already have.
Jay-Z may have left the Brooklyn underworld more than a decade ago to establish himself as one of the most successful figures in the music industry, but that didn't stop him from revisiting his dark past on "American Gangster," his 10th studio album in 12 years. Inspired by the Ridley Scott film of the same name, Jay-Z weaves tales of a young drug dealer over 70s soul beats to mixed, but mostly positive, results.
Talking to Bob Wootton is almost like communicating with a ghost.
Recording and releasing albums is no longer just for bigwigs in the music industry. Gainesville bands are also heading to the studios in order to give fans souvenirs, to get their songs heard and of course, to make some extra money.
If it seems as though there are a lot more bearded, PBR-chugging 20-somethings in tight jeans roaming Gainesville today than usual, it's not your imagination.
Little Brother - GetBack
Nowadays, it seems too many bands have fights and power struggles, too many albums are seen as status symbols and too many shows are treated as recitals.
After more than 10 years as a band, the world of Nada Surf has remained constant.
What is the monetary value of music? How much are you willing to pay?
In promotion of a new album, Alaskan indie-rock band Portugal. The Man played at Common Grounds Friday night.
With a major local fan base and big shows such as Warped Tour and Gator Growl under its belt, the only thing Gainesville-based band Ten 13 Concept hadn't done yet was make a music video.
Dan Snaith is a Northerner through and through.
On Feb. 5, 2006, The Rolling Stones broke all sorts of attendance records playing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On, Oct. 5, the Lakeland band Joon played its first show in Gainesville, breaking a personal record in low attendance: eight people. If you count the bartender and the band members' girlfriends, the number rises to a staggering 11.
Alaska, the last frontier.
Kenna - "Make Sure They See My Face"
Dashboard Confessional - "The Shade of Poison Trees"
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
When asked to describe what genre of music the band Binary Forest Faux Pas fits into, the members paused for a second before jokingly naming the genres "science rock" and "space rock."
With record sales way down and a general lack of memorable rap releases so far this year (sans U.G.K., Common and Talib Kweli), Kanye West hopes to make it his year with his third album, "Graduation," set for release Tuesday.
Solutions by The State News
