Fusing low-res electronic noise and pop hooks so effortlessly that it can seem accidental, Crystal Castles began as producer/multi-instrumentalist Ethan Kath‘s solo project in late 2003. Kath got the moniker from the name of She-Ra’s dwelling in the He-Man and Masters of the Universe cartoon series; it’s also the name of a 1983 Atari video game, which
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Cody Chesnutt was beginning to live the life every struggling musician dreams about. His band The Crosswalk was signed to Hollywood Records and had completed a debut album “Venus Loves A Melody” when problems arose. Victims of label politics, The Crosswalk was sent packing and Chesnutt’s band broke apart. Cody retreated to the comfort of
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Originally finding success as the frontman of Seattle’s Soundgarden, rock vocalist Chris Cornell forged a successful career after the band’s 1997 demise, both with the supergroup Audioslave and as a diverse solo artist. Born in Seattle on July 20, 1964, his music career didn’t take shape until he was a teenager, when he began playing drums in
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Named for Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French, the L.A. via Boston duo Chester French — consisting of vocalist/songwriterD.A. Wallach and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Maxwell Drummey– mix classic songcraft and power pop hooks with arrangements and beats that nod to synth pop and rap. Originally from Boston, Drummey began music lessons when he was three, moving from classical piano
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The act with the first arena-sized sound in the electronica movement, the Chemical Brothers united such varying influences asPublic Enemy, Cabaret Voltaire, and My Bloody Valentine to create a dance-rock-rap fusion which rivaled the best old-school DJs on their own terms — keeping a crowd of people on the floor by working through any number of groove-oriented
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Hailing from Brooklyn, NY (by way of Boulder, CO, where the trio originally came together in 2006), the avant-pop outfit Chairlift formed for the unusual purpose of crafting music for haunted houses. After finding that their work transcended its original purpose, bandmates Aaron Pfenning, Caroline Polachek, and Patrick Wimberlypulled up stakes and headed east, eventually settling in that
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Multi-talented and flamboyant, Cee-Lo initially made a name for himself and his trademark crooning as part of pioneering Dirty South rappers Goodie Mob before he broke away in the early 2000s for a colorful solo route. Along with fellow Atlanta rappers OutKast, Goodie Mob laid out the blueprint for the Dirty South style during the mid-’90s, making serious
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One of the most pleasing pop groups of the ’90s, the Cardigans specialized in sugary confections that would grow annoying very quickly if they weren’t backed by solid musicianship and clever arrangements. The band’s 1995 breakout album, Life, reflected the Cardigans at their most saccharine — the sunny disposition of vocalist Nina Persson being the major argument
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Brandon Flowers was the most popular frontman of the new wave revival, which swept through America and England during the early 2000s. As frontman of the Killers, he helped popularize a genre that hadn’t been fashionable for nearly two decades, drawing influence from a number of ’80s synth pop bands — including New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen,
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Initially, Blur were one of the multitude of British bands that appeared in the wake of the Stone Roses, mining the same swirling, pseudo-psychedelic guitar pop, only with louder guitars. Following an image makeover in the mid-’90s, the group emerged as the most popular band in the U.K., establishing itself as heir to the English guitar
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Multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin and doe-eyed vocalist Inara George draw upon a fondness for jazz standards and ’60s tropicalia to deliver the stylish tones of the Bird and the Bee. The two musicians were introduced in 2004 by mutual friend Mike Andrews, whom George had enlisted to produce her solo debut, All Rise. Needing someone to contribute piano to several tracks, Andrewscalled
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Assembling in the late ’90s, in the town of Kilmarnock, near Glasgow, in Scotland, Biffy Clyro comprises a three-piece lineup, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Simon Neil along with James Johnston (bass) and drummer Ben Johnston. Playing loud combinations of pop/rock, inspired by the music of bands like Weezer, Biffy Clyro first started by playing their aggressive pop tunes
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07th Aug 2010
