There’s a case to be made that the most important decade for punk rock was the ‘80s. Yes, the ‘70s gave birth to the style and in the ‘90s it took on the mainstream, but the 10 years between were an artistic incubator. The ‘80s gave rise to indie labels SST and Sub Pop while […]
At 11:59pm on August 31, 2017, Providence’s media landscape will change forever: 95.5 WBRU, Brown University’s radio station that was for over 40 years a haven for alternative rock and local music, sold their FM signal to the Educational Media Foundation’s Christian music radio service K-Love. When the news of the impending sale got out […]
Bands that ride a sonic wave always provide a blissful listening experience. Sometimes they sound atmospheric and perhaps even a bit spaced out. Other times they create stellar progressions while basing off classic rock riffs. Philadelphia act The War on Drugs does a little bit of both with their fourth album A Deeper Understanding that […]
The art of the one-man band is captivating. Seeing a musician perform numerous instruments at once is a unique experience. The music is inventive and a tad different than what you’d hear with a full band. Scott H. Biram of Austin, TX, has been performing this way since the ‘90s and he’s developed a dedicated […]
Josh Homme has been feeling the urge to dance. The prime member of Queens of the Stone Age turned up the rhythms and changed things up a bit to give that sensation. Their seventh album Villains, due to be released Aug 25 by Matador Records, is a testament to the band’s sonic progression and fearless […]
[See later Dec 2017 interview: motifri.com/hr-bad-brains-pop] Documentary subject Paul “H.R.” Hudson, the frontman for Washington, DC, punk legends Bad Brains, and director James Lathos were both in attendance for a screening of Finding Joseph I at the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI, on Aug 18. Following the screening, recent Rhode Island transplant Ted Leo […]
It doesn’t happen as often as it should, but it’s enjoyable to see a band constantly progressing and adding to their sound with each album. Their discography becomes a time trip with each release giving a different vibe. Gyspy punks Gogol Bordello change things up with brilliant consistency. Original elements are preserved as new elements […]
The past few days have been a blur, and it isn’t even alcohol-related this time. There is uneasiness in the air as questions have poured in from all over. Questions about the news of Aurora closing at the end of October, whether I even write for the Motif anymore (I do), and the biggest bombshell – the […]
Okee dokee folks… Warning, I am going to rant again. The other night I read a Facebook post about a venue owner who basically told musicians mid-set to stop playing and go home. Not only that, but they were not paid. From what I understand, the owner did not care for the music, but there was […]
The jazz world descended upon Newport to see some of the music’s legends as well as many of its rising stars. As is always the case with such events, the hardest part of the weekend was catching a significant portion of each great set before running full speed to another stage to try […]