Music

Slonk Donkerson, Galvanize, Vertical Twin, and Gut Bucket

Four by four
Looking for new music?

By: CHRIS CONTI | February 08, 2012

Cram it all in!

From Sean Price to Panther Moderns!
For underground hip-hop heads, it gets no bigger than SEAN PRICE (of Boot Camp Clik and Heltah Skeltah legend) hitting up Fête on THURSDAY (the 9th); only $12 at the door, call 401.383.1112 for ticket availability (don't sleep!).

By: PROVIDENCE PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | February 08, 2012

J the S | The Last Days

Same Plate/Greater Good
J the S has been promising The Last Days since he went by Jake the Snake.

By: CHRIS FARAONE | February 07, 2012

The Punch Brothers | Who's Feeling Young Now?

Nonesuch (2012)
For a group full of virtuosos, the Punch Brothers refuse to dole out prodigious string-murdering sessions.

By: ZETH LUNDY | February 07, 2012

Ital | Hive Mind

Planet Mu
If there was a broken-record knock against electronic music in the last decade, it's that it all sounded the same.

By: MICHAEL C. WALSH | February 07, 2012

Tennis | Young & Old

Fat Possum (2012)
Denver's Tennis, the husband/wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, are back with another slab of dreamy, feather-light pop.

By: RYAN REED | February 07, 2012

Die Antwoord | Ten$ion

Zef Recordz
Moreso than any "controversially-lipped" chanteuse (to borrow from one of Lana Del Rey's many observers), South African rap/rave/meme/satire/knuckleheads Die Antwoord beg the question:"Is that all there is?"

By: DAN WEISS | February 07, 2012

Van Halen | A Different Kind of Truth

Interscope
Who would've thought Eddie Van Halen would still be innovative in his late 50s?

By: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | February 08, 2012

Juan Deuce and Falside get down to work as The Mechanics

Impossible to ignore
The stars have aligned and the Rap Gods must be smiling down at Juan Deuce and Falside.

By: CHRIS CONTI | January 31, 2012

Bowled over

From Ear-pummeling to winter bashing
Last call for Downcity action THURSDAY (the 2nd) with ERIC BLOOM performing at Sidebar Bistro (401.421.7200), while DJ DOX ELLIS spins upstairs at the Salon (pickle back shots! 401.865.6330).

By: PROVIDENCE PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | January 31, 2012

Air | Le Voyage Dans La Lune

Astralwerks (2012)
It was inevitable that Air would one day be asked to soundtrack a colorized version of an iconic 1902 silent French film about moon exploration, right? There's the French thing, the moon thing, the kitsch-cool factor.

By: ZETH LUNDY | January 31, 2012

Schoolboy Q | Habits & Contradictions

Top Dawg Entertainment (2012)
Without much that can be considered "structure" in terms of the verse-chorus-verse standard, Q confidently wobbles through an album's worth of jaded bangers.

By: MICHAEL C. WALSH | January 31, 2012

Mark Lanegan Band | Blues Funeral

4AD (2012)
Unlike a few of his early '90s Seattle contemporaries who made tons of money, erstwhile Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan has not died, put out shitty records, or made a self-deprecating cameo on Portlandia.

By: BARRY THOMPSON | January 31, 2012

Grimes | Visions

Arbutus (2012)
The debut record from Grimes, an alias of the Montreal-based Boucher, kicks off the peculiarity parade by presenting song titles steeped in cutesy affectation.

By: REYAN ALI | January 31, 2012

Dr. Dog | Be the Void

Anti- (2012)
With Be the Void , their sonically raw sixth album, these Philly psych-pop oddballs have pulled a fussy, self-conscious about-face, indulging in their weirdest ideas in years.

By: RYAN REED | January 31, 2012

Off the record: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour | Out of Frequency

BMG Rights (2012)
Getting a boost with songs from their 2009 debut, Fruit , featured in iPod and Heineken ads, and getting handpicked as concert openers by a then-still-functioning Amy Winehouse in their native Copenhagen, the Asteroids Galaxy Tour rode a lucky streak out of the gate.

By: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | January 31, 2012

Fête and Dusk are stepping it up

Class acts
While Providence clubs and live venues seem to come and go "in this economy" (RIP Club Hell and the 201), two band- and fan-friendly venues are stepping up as viable outlets focused on delivering a wide array of artists and musical styles, from heavy metal to sultry singer/songwriters.

By: CHRIS CONTI | January 26, 2012