Steve Austin (not the WWE wrestler) has been a prominent force in the metal and hardcore scene for well over 15 years now. He's lent his knowledge, talent and unique musical vision to numerous up-and-coming bands, producing albums for acts as diverse as Lamb of God, Converge, Bane and The Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra.
It was the first time I had sat in the press section of a movie preview. I arrived early enough to get a good seat. It was a section reserved especially for people reviewing the movie, and I was one of them. I was now officially a film critic. One of my favorite parts of going to the movies is sitting back and enjoying a film while ruining my appetite with soda and popcorn -- but I was too nervous to get any of it that night.
When: Tuesday, March 18, 6 p.m. Where: In The Venue (219 S. 600 West) According to just about every magazine on the stands, Manchester Orchestra is the seemingly unanimous choice for the "next big thing." Rolling Stone, Spin, Paste and AP Magazine have all dropped the band's name in the past few months, setting the hype machine at full force for the band's upcoming tour opening for Say Anything.
Landing an interview with a band as huge as progressive-indie gods Coheed and Cambria can be a tricky thing to pull off. Countless publications fight to get a little one-on-one time with the band, so interviews are divided up among each member to secure as much press space as possible.
Will Ferrell was able to mine comedy gold from the 1970s by playing self-absorbed newscaster Ron Burgundy in "Anchorman." That movie worked so well that Ferrell must have thought it was the era itself that equaled hilarity, because for "Semi-Pro," Ferrell is back in the disco era. As is usually the case, it's hard to get lightning to strike the same spot twice.
Two years ago, This Will Destroy You was just another instrumental band making its way around the Texas scene, with plans to self-release a demo and sell it at local shows. Now, thanks to a few wonderful coincidences, the band is the new "Artist to Watch" and is being featured in everything from Rolling Stone to a Pentagon review of Hurricane Katrina.
Ever since the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies hit box office gold, the search for "the next big thing" in children's books has been underway.
I've said it before and I'll say it again -- computers killed the mix tape. It's true, and it's a shame. I remember those nights sitting at home, timing the cassette player just right so that I could fit more songs on a tape. I spent hours searching through my CD collection, wondering if the object of my desire was going to read too much -- or almost worse, not enough -- into what the songs were about.
San Diego's Weatherbox has embraced the crowd-pleasing, indie-pop formula that so many bands have tried in recent years. Only this time it works because the band has found itself on the brink of becoming the mainstream's next big thing. Weatherbox's quirky hooks and willingness to experiment with variety has taken the band to the next level -- one just above the rest of the run-of-the-mill indie bands that seem to crop up just in time for Warped Tour.
What happens when you mix art school, German New Wave music, experimental sounds, and early '70s punk-influenced rock? You get the beautifully controlled chaos that is Liars. This Los Angeles-based three-piece continues to impress the masses by going against everything that traditional rock is supposed to encompass, and never fails to live up to, or leave behind, whatever expectations fall before it.
