Get to know Light Asylum’s Shannon Funchess, an artist and performer so good at what she does that she’s racked up comparisons to both Grace Jones (the hair doesn’t hurt) and Ian Curtis. She’s a total badass. Take note. Read via SPIN, or in the May issue of our iPad app SPIN Play.
Review: White Rabbits Go Wild With ‘Milk Famous’
The Best Rock Clubs in Los Angeles
The SPIN Interview: Two Hours with Shirley Manson
It was a true honor to interview Shirley Manson for SPIN. The Q&A originally appeared as the cover story of the April iPad issue, and exclusive content from our two-hour face-off wound up in the print mag too (Words of Wisdom, LOUD issue). Here’s an excerpt from the chat, which covered everything from the overdue Garbage reunion to Shirley’s status as a recovering cutter:
“It’s unbelievable what’s happened to Lana Del Rey! It’s shocking misogyny. I look at her and say, “What more do you want?” Here’s a beautiful young girl who tried her hand at being a working musician under her own name and it didn’t stick. She had the fortitude to go back to the drawing board and create something new, a perfectly executed re-entry into the world of music, and she’s getting destroyed for the very same thing that Jack White is so brilliant at. Granted, they’re very different artists, but why are we attacking a young girl who’s ballsy and creative? All I can say is they did the same thing to me when I came out. I was constantly being called a phony, and I’m thinking, ‘I was in a band that failed miserably for ten years. What’s fake about that?'”
140 or Less: Slugabed and Guantanamo Baywatch Reviewed! (via SPIN, Twitter)
We’ve joined SPIN’s Twitter reviews team. Watch us completely dismiss or irresponsibly champion an album in 140 characters or less! This week:
10 Must-See Acts at Alabama’s Hangout Festival
While we won’t be attending the big Hang in ‘Bama, we do have family in that neck of the woods. Jealous of those who’ll get to see Skrillex, Yelawolf, Mavis, the Lips, Big Freedia, Jack White, the Shakes and more from the comfort of a beach blanket. Check out our top ten picks over at SPIN.
Review: AU Deliver Homemade, Hyperactive Chamber Pop + Beirut Folk on ‘Both Lights’
Review: La Sera ‘Sees the Light’
SPIN Visits the Hidden Bunker Where Liars Recorded Their New Album, ‘WIXIW’
WIXIW is a shoo-in for our top five albums of 2012, so it was a particular pleasure to visit the strange space where it was created — well, at least in part. There are a few tiers to this story, and a decent amount of subterfuge, but the stuff that keeps us guessing is the stuff that keeps us coming back. Furthermore, WIXIW happens to be the most accessible work in their catalog to date, so find out what osmosis and singing underwater has to do with it. Read at SPIN.
Aural Standards Picks Music for Hudson Jeans
We’ve been working with our director pal Matthew Desotell, handpicking music for the webs shorts he’s been making for Venice Beach-based denim demigods Hudson Jeans. More to come, but first up is a trio spots featuring the music of Superhumanoids and Sumsun (x2!), two of our favorite unsung artists.
13 Principles, with “A Crowded Hour” by Superhumanoids









