Oliver Ackermann is a man of many talents. Not only is he the primary singer/songwriter of one of the loudest and visually mind bending bands in recent history, a Place to Bury Strangers, but he is also the founder of Death by Audio, a company that has provided one of a kind effect pedals to everyone from Jeff Tweedy and The Edge, but also Trent Reznor and Kevin Shields. I had the chance to sit down with him and find out what makes this sleep deprived work-a-holic tick.
So first off, …
The Knife
In Collaboration with Mt. Sims and PlanningToRock
Tomorrow In a Year
9/10
First and foremost, let me dedicate these next few lines to warning you that this album is unlike any other Knife album, and therefore is most definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. Initially upon hearing the concept behind the music, even I, an avid Knife devotee, was a tad bit skeptical as to how such a project would result. Obviously, the first words on my lips were: PRETENTIOUS, ELITIST, and FARFETCHED. Needless to say, my suspicions were confirmed, but I …
As the 2009 holidays came to a close, I had a little chat with Justin Tranter of glam-garage band Semi Precious Weapons to discuss touring with Gaga, tits, and what it means to be glamorous. (I think you and I can both agree after reading this that he secretly wants me)
Racket Rick: Alrighty, so awhile back we saw the YouTube videos of you being evicted from your apartment. Have you found anywhere else to live since then?
SPW Justin: (Laughing) Oh, well I did find somewhere else to live! But actually, …
Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)
What it Takes to Move Forward
Count Your Lucky Stars Records
7/10
Initially, when I review a band, I like to see who they list as influences, mainly because either a), it gives great insight as to what a band will sound like prior to actually listening to them, or b), it’ll show what pretentious pricks they are for listing The Jesus and Mary Chain and the Beatles as their primary influences. However, in this case Empire! Empire! neither appear pretentious nor ill- informed, but instead marries …
Crocodiles have been the act that’s been on the lips of almost every blogger for this past year. I sat down for a brief interview with Brandon and Charles to discuss their inclusion of a full band, kissing boys, and tour buddies.
RacketRick: So how are you guys doing?
Crocodiles: Uhhh…good.
RR: So I guess the big news right now is that you guys have a full backing band now. How’d that come about?
CrocCharles: Well, they’re just friends of ours who happened to help us out on prior tours and it just …
The Downer Party
Ego Driven Lust Creatures
Popsmear records
6/10
Given the brevity of The Downer Party’s EP “Ego Driven Lust Creatures”, I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever in abandoning all hopes of presenting you, the reader, with a lengthy, verbose, eloquent detailing of what is quite frankly, a slightly above average group of songs.
First, the positives! Yes, it isn’t anything groundbreaking. It isn’t anything hugely inventive or subversive. But what we DO have is a collection of catchy, sugary, punk songs styled in the vein of bands such as The Grates, Be …
An Evening with Peaches
At what would otherwise be an age where most musical artists would consider winding down their raucous stage antics, going on hiatus, or perhaps foraying into the world of jazz, the now forty two year-old electro-clash queen Peaches is still on a seemingly never-ending quest to “Whip this party in to shape,” as the dictatorial party anthem “More” would imply. From her entrance to the end of her 2nd encore, Madame Peaches was hell bent on ensuring us that slowing down was indeed not even the last …
