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Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone

Fishbone's quarter-century journey
Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler's documentary details Fishbone's quarter-century journey from musically-diverse South Central middle school classmates to becoming one of the most influential Los Angeles bands of the '80s.
By SCOTT FAYNER | November 15, 2011

By | January 01, 0001

None More Black | Icons

Fat Wreck Chords (2010)
Icons demonstrates just how little None More Black have changed over 10 years.
By REYAN ALI | October 19, 2010

By | January 01, 0001

Interview: Ozzy Osbourne

The belles lettrist tells all
Long before he bit the heads off bats and doves, Ozzy Osbourne worked in a cheerless abattoir in the hardscrabble Aston section of Birmingham, England, where for 18 months he held such titles as "cow killer," "tripe hanger," "hoof puller," and "pig stunner."
By LANCE GOULD | January 29, 2010

Vegas and Jungleland

Paul Shaffer and the Big Man tell all
Paul Shaffer is a happenin’ cat. Pick an It Moment from pop culture over the past 30 years and Shaffer was there. He was an original band member on Saturday Night Live . He played hapless promo guy Artie Fufkin in This Is Spinal Tap . Disco? He co-wrote “It’s Raining Men.” And he helped David Letterman break ground as his glittery, ironic bandleader/sidekick.
By JOYCE MILLMAN | November 24, 2009

Future of the Left | Travels With Myself and Another

4D (2009)
There's a fine line between stupid and clever, as Spinal Tap once quipped, and don't these Future of the Left guys just know it.
By ZETH LUNDY | July 01, 2009

By | January 01, 0001

He's not a doctor . . .

. . . but he plays with one in LA. As hip-hop's newest secret weapon, Dawaun Parker is helping resuscitate rap's biggest stars.
Around this time four years ago, contemporary hip-hop tastemaker Dawaun Parker faced the same dilemma that most soon-to-be music-school grads negotiate: should he become a performer, a songwriter, or a barista?
By CHRIS FARAONE | May 18, 2009

Review: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

The most satisfying film ending I've seen all year
In 1984, the cocky Canadian rockers shared stages with Whitesnake and Bon Jovi, only to fade into total obscurity as other up-and-coming metal acts copped their chops and steamrolled past.
By SHAULA CLARK | April 19, 2009

Counting backwards

Throwing Muses blow minds even as they push 30
When we listen to a song, whether it's an old favorite or a new sound, we rarely consider the circuitous path that the tune has taken to reach our ears.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | March 11, 2009

Interview: Crooked X

Your New Favorite Teenage Rock N Roll High School Metal Music Machine
Before I climb onto the enormo tour bus of Oklahoma modern rockers Crooked X, I meet up with them at a Dunkin' Donuts, and witness their drummer, Boomer, ask his road manager, with a straight face, if they have Egg McMuffins here.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | January 09, 2009

Class of the Titans

MUSIC SEEN
Hypothesis: If a band perform a tribute to a parody musical act, does it create a meta-textual black hole from which no form of entertainment can escape?
By DAN CLARK | December 23, 2008

Heart and soul

Penrose and friends bring the heat
The Cranston-based quartet Penrose continues to impress, delivering a fervent set at Lupo’s last Friday. The crew has been busy since they swept two categories in this year’s Best Music Poll.
By CHRIS CONTI | August 20, 2008

Rock of ages

The Stones find satisfaction in Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light
What a difference four decades make.
By PETER KEOUGH | April 03, 2008

Scene and heard

The year ahead in DVDs
Entertainment companies are pumping out music DVD titles by the hundreds, and 2008 will see a deluge of releases across all genres.
By JEFF TAMARKIN | December 31, 2007

Tap into Berklee

Christopher Guest at Berklee Performance Center, November 30, 2007
“This,” said Christopher Guest from the Berklee Performance Center stage, “is really difficult to believe. Until an hour ago, I thought it was a practical joke.”
By JIM SULLIVAN | December 04, 2007

Cinematic blunders

Getting through The Song Remains the Same
Led Zeppelin have rarely missed a promotional opportunity, and the occasion of their current reunion is no exception
By MATT ASHARE | December 04, 2007

Boston music news, November 23, 2007

Notes on Berklee's Spinal Tap event with Christopher Guest
Sting has an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. David Bowie has one.
By JIM SULLIVAN | November 19, 2007

Stage worthies

Fall on the Boston boards
The roar of the greasepaint precedes that of the autumn wind this year.
By CAROLYN CLAY | September 12, 2007

Live Earth 2007

Where to go, who to see, what to know — even if you don't have a ticket
So you’re headed to a Live Earth gig somewhere, whether outside New York City or in a remote outpost in Antarctica.
By JEFF INGLIS | July 10, 2007

Surf's Up

Surf's Up wipes out
Is it coincidence or homage that a fat, sullen penguin in this animated dud resembles Michael Moore?
By ALICIA POTTER | June 06, 2007

Boston music news: June 1, 2007

Notes on Dinosaur Jr.'s gig at Urban Outfitters
Not only have the reunited J. Mascis/Lou Barlow Dinosaur Jr. just released a new album, they’re coming to town.
By JIM SULLIVAN | May 29, 2007

F*** The Commitments?

Glen Hansard and John Carney hold forth
Glen Hansard has a number of dedicated fans.
By BRETT MICHEL | May 23, 2007

Lords of acid rock

Earl Greyhound open the floodgates
At both shows Earl Greyhound have played in the Boston area to date — upstairs at the Middle East (to which they return this Tuesday) in early October and outdoors in Harvard Square for Oktoberfest a week later — people laughed. Earl Greyhound, "All Better Now" (mp3)
By WILL SPITZ | January 10, 2007

Punked out

The lost generation of American Hardcore
Fast and semi-coherent, like the music it documents, Paul Rachman’s American Hardcore , from the book by Steven Blush, uses an efficient equation: band members talking + flyer graphics + grainy clips from live shows. Watch the trailer for American Hardcore (QuickTime)
By A.S. HAMRAH | October 13, 2006

Different Strokes?

The Strokes and Wolfmother at the Bank of America Pavilion, September 13, 2006
I feel bad for Julian Casablancas, as strange as that may sound. Slideshow: The Strokes at Bank of America Pavillion Slideshow: The Mess Hall and Wolfmother at Bank of America Pavillion
By WILL SPITZ | September 18, 2006

Fall back

This season, Hollywood lives in the past
If you cannot remember the past, so Santayana said, you’re condemned to repeat it. Watch trailers for this fall's new releases.
By PETER KEOUGH | September 13, 2006

Flashbacks: September 1, 2006

The Boston Phoenix has been covering the trends and events that shape our times since 1966.
These selections, culled from our back files, were compiled by Ian Sands and Paul Babin.
By BOSTON PHOENIX FLASHBACKS | August 30, 2006

The Cartoon Network goes heavy metal

Brendon Small’s Metalocalypse adventure
Metal remains fertile ground for satire on all fronts, but what sets the Cartoon Network’s new animated series Metalocalypse apart is the reverence that precedes the ridicule. Brendon Small, "Dethklok Detheme" (mp3) Watch the trailer for Metalocalypse (YouTube)
By LARISSA GLASSER | August 08, 2006