Catching Up With Ceremony
Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Ceremony (formerly known as Violent World) released their own concoction of musical mayhem in the form an EP, titled Ruined, in 2005. Six years and three full-length albums later, the hardcore punk five-piece found themselves in strange waters under their new label, Matador Records. Ceremony released their fourth album, Zoo, in February 2012. The record’s 12 tracks unveiled a new sound filled with clean textures and more old-school punk rock song structures. Paste caught up with Ceremony’s frontman, Ross Farrar, on his way to the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta, Ga. The band was... read more
Catching Up With Craig Wedren
Former Shudder to Think frontman and Baby ringleader Craig Wedren never left the music industry. Post Shudder to Think’s breakup in 1998, Wedren launched a solo career, followed by his creation of the pop-mash group Baby in 2004. Most recently, Baby track “Get Your Body” made an appearance in the 2012 comedy Wanderlust.... read more
The Melvins: No Regrets
Inside Atlanta’s The Loft—a barely lit, industrial concrete rectangle of a rock club—the Melvins strut onstage to dramatic fanfare. A wash of horn blasts gives way to the Blazing Saddles theme. read more
Marissa Nadler
Side two of Marissa Nadler’s new album, The Sister, opens with the song “Constantine,” which is about neither the 2005 Keanu Reeves vehicle nor the American Idol non-winner turned Broadway star. read more
Rodney Crowell: Tall Tales Driven by Audacity
About 10 years ago, when Rodney Crowell started the memoir that would be published last year as Chinaberry Sidewalks, he was talking about the challenges of writing prose with his pal Mickey Raphael, Willie Nelson's longtime harmonica player. read more
The Melvins' Buzz Osborne Talks Record-Breaking Tour Attempt
Seminal grunge rockers The Melvins have been playing music for 29 years, and founding member and frontman Buzz Osborne is pushing 50. That isn’t stopping them from embarking on one of the most ambitious tours one can imagine. In fact, when they hit the road this fall, they’ll be going after the world record for the most ambitious tour ever, at least in the United States. Beginning with a Sept. 5 show in Anchorage, Alaska, the Melvins will attempt to play 51 shows in 51 days, with each show taking place in a different state and one in Washington D.C.... read more
Brandi Carlile
Bear Creek Studios is a turn-of-the-century wood-plank barn sitting on 10-acre horse farm outside Seattle. For Brandi Carlile and her band, it was the perfect place to hole up for a month and record Bear Creek. read more
Codeine: A Commemoration 20 Years in the Making
“It’s hard getting back on a slow bicycle,” says Stephen Immerwahr, singer and bass player for the newly reactivated band Codeine. “I told a couple of friends that the group was getting back together, and they said it was good that we played so slow because it wouldn’t be as hard to learn the songs again. We wouldn’t have to learn to shred all over again.” read more
Ryan Monroe
"They always say it takes your whole life to make your first record and three months to write your second. I’m glad I got this one out of the way." read more
Catching Up With Bear In Heaven
Bear In Heaven’s third LP _I Love You, It’s Cool_ is identifiably subtly and welcoming. Reflective of a career not particularly restricted to fads and phases, Bear In Heaven welcomes _I Love You, It's Cool_ in the congruent manner of the albums title itself - caring, musing and collective. We sat down with guitarist Adam Willis in his hometown of Atlanta, Ga. before Bear In Heaven's show at The Earl. read more
Catching Up With Sixpence None the Richer's Leigh Nash
The last time most of the world heard from Sixpence None the Richer, they were topping pop charts with covers of “There She Goes” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” in the early 2000s. Following the band’s break up in 2004, founding members Matt Slocum and Leigh Nash split ways and started families.... read more
Sigur Rós: Deconstructing The Band
Sigur Rós’ sixth studio album, Valtari, closes with eight minutes of crawling, pointillistic ambience called “Fjögur píanó” (translated in English to “Four Pianos”), a track built almost entirely on four gorgeous piano lines that trickle like waterfalls—one part played by each member of the band. read more
Catching Up With Admiral Fallow’s Louis Abbott
Having just released its sophomore album, Tree Bursts in Snow earlier this week, Admiral Fallow is in the middle of touring across the United Kingdom. Singer Louis Abbott, the leader of this merry band of Scottish folksters, chatted with Paste from Glasgow about the band’s new release, favorite bar, local scene and Twitter jokes.... read more
El-P: Attempts at Optimism
As David Letterman thanked him in the closing moments of the show, Jaime Meline goofed off behind the host, making faces and embracing his spotlight to the fullest. Things seem to be going well for El-P these days. read more
Adron: The Best of What's Next
“[Organismo is] mostly it’s about God,” McCann says, “but in a very personal kind of way, not in a, obviously not in an organized religion kind of way, but in like a very personal questing kind of way.” read more
Joey Ramone
It’s January 1985 and you’re flipping through the latest issue of Sounds magazine at a newsstand somewhere in New York City, shivering in the winter cold. A picture catches your eye: There’s Joey Ramone with his gaunt and expressionless face, the implacable king of cool even a decade now after the Ramones released their legendary debut. read more
The Temper Trap
It's an early Friday morning in London, and the members of The Temper Trap are in the midst of preparing for a European tour in support of their self-titled sophomore album. "I'm excited to start playing again," says vocalist Dougy Mandagi. read more
Ladyhawke
Anxiety is the fizzy new Modular sophomore set from Ladyhawke, the nom de plume of one quirky New Zealand keyboardist/guitarist named Pip Brown. read more
Catching Up With Echo and the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant
Art rock has a long and storied history perpetuated by bands like Jethro Tull, King Crimson and the Velvet Underground. And then, of course, there are so many performers who have become artists as well, ranging from Brian Eno to Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres, with too many modern acts to name. Now, one more talented musician can be added to this list of cross-media artists, as Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant opens his first major American gallery exhibition tomorrow.... read more
Catching Up With Carina Round
Carina Round’s fourth full-length album, Tigermending, comes after a five-year hiatus that began when she left Interscope following her last LP, Slow-Motion Addict. In the meantime, Round kept plenty busy. Her primary gig was touring and recording with Puscifer, the side project of Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, but she also wrote songs for film and TV, while still making time to release an EP, Things You Should Know, in 2009. With Tigermending, Round has shorn herself of the influence of a major label and is doing things her way. We were able to catch up with her in the midst... read more
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Instant
The 25 Best Movies of 2012 (So…
The 50 Best Movies of 2011
The 30 Best TV Shows on Netflix…
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
