On paper, the pairing might sound a bit puzzling: a seminal melodic hardcore-turned-pop punk band from the turn of the millennium touring with a darling indie-punk outfit born a full decade later. But it’s the yin and yang of Chris Conley and Barry Johnson – respective frontmen of Saves The Day and Joyce Manor – that make their two bands such perfect partners for a co-headlining tour.
Read MoreIn today’s oversaturated punk rock culture — one that includes subgenres and artists that have been commercialized, parodied and meme-ified – the legend of Jeromes Dream might sound like satire to an uninformed outsider: Performing with their backs to their audiences, with a singer who yelps without a microphone over frenzied guitar riffs and drum fills, the band released two albums in the span of two years, and promptly broke up with no sign of ever reforming. But any true hardcore punk fan knows that it’s the other way around: Jeromes Dream were the OGs, and all the watered-down “screamo” bands who followed just bastardized the band’s trademarked violent style….
Read MoreFor most rock fans, Woodstock ’99 is remembered within the frames of breaking MTV News updates, interrupting episodes of Daria with terrifying images of an apocalyptic hellscape in flames. But for a relative few, Woodstock’s third incarnation will forever live as a series of gnarly, grody, jarring experiences that they can feel as much as see in their memories.
I know – I was there. While Woodstock ’99 was a cautionary tale for a lot of rockers, it was three days of total madness for me. And looking back on it, what’s even more troubling than how gross it all got (the greed and lack of foresight of its promoters; the subsequent sexual misconduct, arson, and theft of its frustrated attendees), is that it was also the most fun I’d ever had in my life.
Read MoreIn Brooklyn’s industrial Bushwick neighborhood, Aphex Twin recently played New York for the first time in two decades, surely drawing one of the most diverse crowds a single artist showcase ever has. Yet, even beyond Richard D. James, electronic music has proven it’s no longer just for ravers and DJs. Hip-hop and heavy metal have both never been so mainstream; rock is much more than just guitar, bass, and drums. Thank the internet, the home recording evolution, or the endurance of the punk rock ethos: however you attribute it, music fans in 2019 — The Golden Age of Crossover — know no boundaries. Thus, it makes sense that here in Bushwick, at two-year-old venue Elsewhere, goth kids, metalheads, and indie rock fans would coalesce for a completely sold out show headlined by Los Angeles industrial noise rock outfit, HEALTH.
Read MoreJeremy Enigk is haunted by ghosts. They’re not all bad – some are quite friendly, in fact. And by talking to him backstage before his most recent performance at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge, one thing is for sure: he is at peace with all of them. The former frontman of seminal post-hardcore band Sunny Day Real Estate – often cited as inspiring an entire modern “emo” movement, a credit Jeremy has seemingly come to reluctantly accept – has parlayed a career as an enigmatic, brooding rock star into one as an accessible, demonstrative singer-songwriter. It’s a transition most hardcore, metal, or alt-rock musicians are unable to successfully make as they age, but Jeremy has done so with grace and beauty.
Read More….When I finally meet Chris and Jeremy backstage before their show at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere, I can’t keep the feels from flooding back. Though Mineral now take up far less of my attention than they once did, the mere sight of them in the flesh reflexively brings up the longing, sadness, and frustration of my late teen years. Immediately and involuntarily, I find myself promising my heroes that I won’t punish them in the interview that’s about to transpire, despite the impact their work had had on me as an impressionable high schooler….
Read MoreIn Japan, unique ingredients define many of the country’s best beers. And thanks to America’s unquenchable thirst, more and more of these beers are being exported to the United States. I’ve traveled from northern Iwate all the way down to Ishikawa in search of beers made with special ingredients native to the Pacific island nation, and rounded up the best of those that can also be found in the United States. Seek out the following five delicious, intriguing brews to enjoy a taste of Nippon from the other side of the world.
Read MoreI’ve taken Maynard James Keenan to New York’s downtown restaurant Manhatta, where two Master Sommeliers have built a musical meal around his wines. To help us all get a better understanding of Keenan’s work, Chef Jason Pfeifer and John Ragan—Wine Director for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City—have paired unique dishes with five of Caduceus Cellars’ cuvees. Meanwhile, Andy Myers—Wine Director for José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup in Washington DC, and a well-versed metalhead and musician himself—has curated a soundtrack for each course. Best of all, Keenan will have the chance to play critic for once in his over-scrutinized life, giving feedback on every pairing.
Read MoreMetallica’s new whiskey is crafted by spirits legend Dave Pickerell (former master distiller for both Makers Mark and Whistle Pig who, sadly, only very recently passed away), and blasted with “black noise” via Metallica’s music while aging in black brandy barrels. The obvious musical accompaniment to drinking such a dram is, of course, a Metallica album – but which one?
Storied spirits journalist Ethan Fixell and tipsy Metallica fanboy Chris Krovatin sat down together and created a comprehensive pairing of Blackened drinks and Metallica albums.
Read MoreFickle Nebbiolo is perfect for expressing subtle differences in terroir—especially in the Langhe subregion of Piedmont, where soils and microclimates can differ greatly within a few footsteps. In fact, as in Burgundy, a single Langhe plot might be divided up amongst multiple vineyards. Thus, growing the grape in Barbaresco or Barolo will produce very different wines—even though the two famous DOCGs are only fifteen miles apart.
These four wineries not only represent some of the best Piedmont has to offer—they also help illustrate the greatest differences between Barolo and Barbaresco, and the range of unique qualities one can find within each.
Read MoreAs it happens, some of the most noteworthy cider in the United States comes from its greatest wine regions.
“Not every plot of land in a famous wine-growing appellation is perfectly suited to grapes,” says Dustin Wilson, master sommelier and co-founder of Verve Wine. “Often, you’ll see other types of plants in areas that might not be as well-suited for quality grape growing.”
Here are five cider makers from the nation’s greatest wine regions.
Read MoreCider is seemingly everywhere these days, going well beyond its antiquated status as a tap option for the gluten-averse or people who say they don't like beer. Still, most people don’t think to order cider when out for a nice dinner, and that's a shame. Good ol’ fermented apple juice can be as complex (and expensive) as any craft beer or fine wine. The best stuff -- often “heritage cider,” made with cider-specific heirloom apple varieties and produced with traditional winemaking techniques -- is incredibly nuanced, with plenty of regional differences and unique flavors to go around.
Read MoreCan we be honest with each other? Is this a safe space? We know that you like your off-dry Yellowtail Riesling or sweet Barefoot Moscato — but what you really like is spending $8 or less for a bottle of easy-drinking white wine. Did you know that for just a few bucks more, you can upgrade your experience twentyfold? Meet Torrontés: the aromatic Argentinian grape variety capable of producing the ultimate summer sipping wine.
Read MoreMy propensity for wine snobbery is normally high. But when it comes to summer drinking, we should be looking for two things: drinkability and value. Summer wine ought to be easy. It should be refreshing, ready to drink and, most of all, affordable. Here are five of the best inexpensive yet individual wines that will deliver the most quality for the least amount of money this summer.
Read MoreConvinced he could open my eyes to a new frontier of American wine, Josh Niernberg, chef and owner of Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction, Colorado, sent me a box of vinos from his home state. And after crushing each unique bottle, I said to myself again and again, “Hot damn—this is from . . . Colorado?”
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