Soundscraper
Soundscraper
Punk-rock flower power
February 2nd, 2012
It’s February and love is in the air, so let me tell you about a punk-rock fairy tale. I mean, is there anything more punk than a free wedding? I don’t think so. Read more »
Soundscraper
Romeos, Sunbears and Tragedy
January 26th, 2012
Look for two amazing new Las Vegas bands—China, who sound like an angular Nirvana and project an astonishing early-’90s vibe, and Coiled Snakes, a heavy post-rock trio featuring members of Poison the Well and legendary locals Curl Up and Die. Read more »
Soundscraper
Coachella nights, Artifice DJs, Goan pop
January 19th, 2012
People were amped about this year’s Coachella (April 13-15 and April 20-22 in Indio, Calif.) lineup, for good reason given all the legendary ’90s alt-rock acts reuniting (Mazzy Star, Firehose, Refused, At the Drive-In) or coming out of relative seclusion (Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum). I was eager to see my favorite contemporary bands—Bon Iver, M83, Yuck, Beirut and Wild Flag. Sadly, tickets went on sale Jan. 13 … and sold out in just three hours! Expanding the event to two weekends was supposed to alleviate this problem, but clearly demand (or maybe scalpers?) outweighed supply. Someone needs to bring back Vegoose, since so many people here want an A-list rock festival and won’t be getting it. Me included. I guess there’s always Craigslist. Read more »
Soundscraper
Gloom, Cabs, Tattoos
January 12th, 2012
The biggest local release of 2012? It looks to be the Killers’ tentatively titled Battle Born. Frontman Brandon Flowers confirmed during a recent BBC Radio 1 interview that a new album will be out the latter half of the year, the first full-length since 2008’s Day & Age. Flowers says the material, which the band has been assembling at Battle Born Studios here in town, is louder than his solo album, 2010’s Flamingo. And since that record is way louder than Day & Age, it can only mean that the Killers are finally going to rock in the proper sense of the term. About time, guys! Read more »
Soundscraper
Time travel, Sleaze Rock, Acoustical Jams
January 5th, 2012
Yayo Taco has a slew of incredible shows this week in addition to Time Crashers. Be sure to check out California's post-metal doom upstarts Bloom, 8 p.m. Jan. 6, with Demon Lung, Alaurabyrd and Past and Language. There's also Thou, a Louisiana sludge/drone outfit Louisiana, with God's America: Seeds of Rape (formerly just Seeds of Rape), 6 p.m. Jan. 8. Read more »
Soundscraper
Trashy Xmas, Deadhand duds, Gunn flick
December 22nd, 2011
Santa-centric jingles continue to assault my brain, but I’ll be OK. I’ve found a few Vegas events and tunes involving cool bands that should restore my sanity. Read more »
Soundscraper
Nerd rock, holiday albums, Spanish guitars
December 15th, 2011
Instead of Santa and reindeer, I’m thinking about orcs and goblins after accidentally discovering local nerd-rockers 3d6 (geek lingo for rolling a six-sided die three times to inflict damage points on an imaginary adversary) at last month’s Neoncon, the annual role-playing gamers convention held at Tropicana. This three-piece performs feisty punk numbers about Dungeons & Dragons, comic books, video games and, um, poop jokes. Read more »
Soundscraper
Graves, Dukes and Amoré
December 8th, 2011
If you’ve checked Vegas Seven’s blog recently, you heard the news: Synth-rockers Imagine Dragons signed with Interscope. (The band relocated to L.A. to work on its debut album with Nicki Minaj’s producer, but the band members own houses in Vegas, so I claim these musicians as Sin Citizens.) Now if other major and indie labels will get off their asses to ink deals with other incredible bands here. My recommendations: Halloween Town, Most Thieves, Demon Lung, Candy Warpop and Minor Suns. Read more »
Soundscraper
Frisco soul, fruit and freaks
November 24th, 2011
Because my job entails scraping past the bullshit to unearth unusual, diverse areas of Vegas sound, I often take perverse pleasure in piling up wildly different genres into a single column. This week I may have outdone myself. Start baking me a cookie now, please. Read more »
Soundscraper
Shredding, Spellcasting and Shandaleer-ing
November 17th, 2011
Guitar wizard Raj Rathor has been kicking around town since ’95, playing in bluegrass combo The Pickadillos, in the jazz-powered Raj Rathor Quartet, in a torch-song duo with his beautiful and gorgeously voiced wife Diana Smith, and in flamenco outfit Los Hombres. Now Rathor strips everything away with a delicate-yet-shredding solo-instrumental album, Tales of Time and Eternity. The fleet-fingered ax-man throws a CD-release show 6 p.m. Nov. 18, at Garfield’s (2620 Regatta Drive, Suite 118), a cool nautical-themed restaurant in Summerlin. Read more »
