Category: unsorted

Q&A: The Incaluable Black of Fever Ray (+ vids)

Fever Ray, the solo project of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson, really does seem otherworldly. Or perhaps “underworldly” might be more appropriate, considering the pagan themes and strange ritual that accompanies Andersson’s live show, which has grown to include a full band, “expensive high-tech lasers,” and loads of terrifying makeup. If you’re not familiar with the album, Fever Ray, refresh yourself here, then read this interview with Miss Andersson on the occasion of her debut U.S. tour.

Also, watch these videos (three more after the jump).

Continue reading →

Aside: Following up on the Lala widget how-to

Back in May, frustrated and obsessed, I slogged through a day or two’s worth of research chasing down the answer to the question: “How can I get a music player embedded on WordPress?” Well, I figured it out, and oddly enough, my step-by-step how-to has become one of the most popular entries in Funny Ha Ha‘s brief but fertile history. I’m not sure I’m willing to acknowledge what that says about the function (or lack thereof) of music criticism and journalism, but I’m happy for the hits either way. Also, I recently discovered that the blogger who’d convinced me embedding a Lala player was possible in the first place, Andrew Watson of Changing Way, typed up some words on my article, here.

Expect new additions to this site’s Lala player soon.

Roundup: WHY? + Blond Chili, Avi Buffalo Gossip, Ben Harper + Flea?, Masked Musicians

Quick bloggy bits from the L.A. underground (and up):

(via West Coast Sound, LA Weekly)

Feature: A Decade Of Dublab – Celebrating L.A.’s Most Inspiring and Intuitive Music Collective

It was a true honor to collaborate with LA Weekly Music Editor Randall Roberts on a piece honoring one of this city’s most exceptional audio organizations, Dublab. What began as an Internet radio collective 10 years ago has grown into a veritable small universe of music-making, education, and events-throwing (and then some) — Dublab is a creative engine operating at full bore with no signs of slowing its roll. Read my article on how it happened, or skip straight to Roberts’ piece on the 10 days of incredible celebration Dublab’s got planned.

Watch Lucky Dragons perform at the Dublab studios.

Wallpaper Lands Fantastic SF Weekly Cover Story By Music Editor Jennifer Maerz

1 Comment

Apologies for an excessive amount of Wallpaper coverage, but what’s a blog for if you can’t get personal from time to time? Eric Frederic, the main brain at the center of the Wallpaper duo (as well as the Facing New York project), is one of my dearest friends. I’m not positive about this, but I do believe I was at his first band’s first ever show, at a small Pinole bakery down the street from our high school. He’s been an incredible writer of music since before we met, and as often happens with true talent, success by a grand societal scale has always just eluded his work. But there’s change in the air, and hard work does yield results, and those results taste all the sweeter if they had to age a little bit along the way. Please click here to read an exceptionally spot-on piece written by SF Weekly‘s music editor, Jennifer Maerz, on the occasion of the release of Wallpaper’s debut LP, the lovingly titled Doodoo Face.

Check out previous entries on Wallpaper here.

INCHES008: New Wax from The Doors, WHY?, Wallpaper, Dâm-Funk (+ MP3s, video, chart)

Eight weeks straight of original photos, MP3s, videos, charts, reviews of L.A. music, and, most importantly, gorgeous vinyl. INCHES008 has arrived, featuring a killer box from The Doors (Rhino Records), a great new album from WHY? (Anticon), some interactive cover art from Wallpaper on the duo’s debut full-length (Eenie Meenie), and a 7-inch that captures Dâm-Funk as a youngin (Stones Throw). Dig in!

Wallpapers Doodoo Face, modeled by Andre Hyland

Wallpaper's "Doodoo Face," modeled by Andre Hyland (Blond Chili)

Sole & Skyrider Shed Light On 9-11 and the Internets, Again Advocate Eugenics

1 Comment

Sole‘s new album with the Skyrider band won’t be coming out on Anticon, but it will be brimming with all of the political ire, sarcastic self-deprecation and critic-baiting you’ve come to expect from that label’s founder. It’s good. Real good, and to celebrate Plastique‘s pending arrival on Fake Four, Sole’s spreading some knowledge. Check out the two vids below, and the first one here.

Sole And The Skyrider Band hit L.A. on October 15, at the Knitting Factory.

Continue reading →