Imagine yourself seated in a crowded theater in Berlin, circa 1927. The film you’re watching is a silent masterpiece, directed by an innovator of the still young and unformed medium. The images are enthralling, weaving together a tale of flesh versus machinery, thought versus labor. While visually stunning, the piece is undermined by the jingle-jangle […]
Zach Hanner
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Weezer
Following a five-year hiatus, it’s certain that Weezer fans are thrilled the band is back with a new album. Following their eponymous debut that scorched the airwaves with hits like “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and the MTV-friendly “Buddy Holly,” the band released a great, if misunderstood, follow-up, Pinkerton. While their sophomore disc crumbled on the […]
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R.E.M.
Somewhere along the way in their 20-year journey together, the members of R.E.M. finally figured out their place in the scheme of things. Eschewing the jangle-pop that made them the prototypical “alternative” band in the ’80s, their 12th album, Reveal, mines the atmospheric ballads that became their stock-in-trade on ’90s albums like Automatic For The […]
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Al Cashew
Al Cashew obviously had too much time on his hands. In the tradition of prank call records like Red’s Tube Bar and The Jerky Boys, Cashew peruses the want ads and proceeds to harass the poor suckers on the other end. “Dog Box” is a riotous opener in which Al phones up a woman trying […]
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Kathleen Hannan & Friends
How many of us have friends who would pony up $1,000 to help us with a personal endeavor? How many of us know dozens of people who would contribute their time, energy and talents to help bring a magical project to fruition? Obviously, these sorts of people exist in the world of Kathleen Hannan, and […]
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RUN-D.M.C.
After mediocre success with their last two releases, 1990’s Back From Hell and 1993’s Down With The King, Run-D.M.C. returns to the charts with Crown Royal. However, it seems that all is not well in Hollis, Queens. D.M.C. appears on only a couple of tracks and even then sees limited microphone time, due to his […]
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The Wolfpack Chainsaw Massacre
Ten years ago, if you happened to be scanning around the left end of your radio dial, you most likely would have run across the blistering sound of wailing heavy metal guitar in the neighborhood of 88.1 FM. Hair metal was falling out of vogue–bands like Poison and Warrant were on their way out and […]
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Brown
The liner notes for Brown’s debut EP proclaim that drummer-frontman Reed Mullin and producer-guitarist John Custer snuck into a Raleigh studio surreptitiously and recorded the entire disc on the fly. They also brag that one track was polished off in 45 minutes and was written while it was being recorded. The problem with “Satellite” is […]
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Tourist Strap
Aidan Moffat is exhausted. Sounding as though he’s been put through the wringer, the gloomy vocalist of the Scottish band Arab Strap (named for a sexual aid which prolongs erections), is talking via phone from the offices of his label in Scotland, where he’s most likely nursing an afternoon pint. Having played three shows in […]
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Dixie Diaspora
Can you believe there isn’t a single synagogue in Chapel Hill? While it’s surprising, it’s not a permanent situation, especially if some local musicians have anything to do with it. Dixie Diaspora is an enchanting compilation created by Triangle artists whose styles range from klezmer to blues to folk, and who have donated their works […]