Released on Memphis-based Goner Records, Too Thirsty 4 Love is the latest from New Orleans mad scientist, underground icon, and organ aficionado Quintron. One look at the cover gives the would-be listener some indication of what they’re in for: Quintron, dressed like a thrift-store game show host, relaxing in bed with a remarkable lady, both wearing plastic fangs, entwined in an enormous snake and enjoying a novelty ice cream drink. Read the rest of this entry »

When Joel Grind started Toxic Holocaust in Baltimore in 1999, he hadn’t counted on becoming an anomaly: a one-man speed-metal band. Jamie Ludwig catches up with Grind after the release of his third album, An Overdose of Death, by Relapse Records on September 2.

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Until recently, Detroit songsmith Rodriguez has been relatively unknown in his hometown but, in some parts of the world he is a legend. In South Africa, he’s bigger than Elvis. On Saturday, September 20, Rodriguez (whose incredible story will be featured in ALARM #33) performed to a sold out crowd at The Park Bar, marking his first Detroit performance in 35 years. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pop Montreal festivities continue into Friday night with the help of Paper Bag Records’ artists who are guaranteed to set the dance floor in motion. The party kicks off with dance punks You Say Party! We Say Die! (YSP! WSD!), who recently released Remik’s Cube, a remix of their 2007 release Lose All Time.

The YSP! WSD! spectacle will be followed by DJ CFCF, who is known for remixing the likes of Spank Rock and Crystal Castles. Facial hair enthusiasts Winter Gloves close out the night with their highly concentrated synth melodies. The Blue Dog Motel will host the party and festival wristbands are required for entry. Read the rest of this entry »

Jazz/jam trio Medeski, Martin & Wood (shown left) leads our picks of the week, but its new disc is followed closely by dreamy hip-hop fusionist Koushik, organic hip-hop group Look Daggers, and more.

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A subtle ambiance flows through the songs on Decline of the West, which, combined with the lyrical theme of societal collapse, leave the listener with a feeling of paranoia that is hard to shake. Emil Amos, drummer for Grails and one half of Om, is Holy Sons and this is his fifth and most complete album. Originally released by Italian label Awful Bliss in 2006, the album had limited distribution in the U.S. until Partisan Records reissued the album with four new songs and a reorganized track list. Read the rest of this entry »

Performing at the Heavens in Seattle. Photo by Chris Blakeley.

I found a video of me performing my International Lover number at the Zipper Theater in Shelly Watson’s Interarts Variety show. It’s the same number I performed in Margaret Cho’s Sensuous Woman show. Although I’ve performed it in a few cities, I haven’t yet done it at festivals because it’s seven minutes long, and most festivals have a 4 or 5 minute rule. Read the rest of this entry »

Jeff Koons is the ex-Wall Street broker come wildly successful kitsch artist that critics around the world hate to love.

Previously married to Ilona “Cicciolina” Staller, a Hungarian pornstar who became a member of Italian parliament (true story), Koons is likely best known for his Statuary, Kiepenkerl series in which he cast several different inflatable toys in immaculate stainless steel. Pieces from this series are included in a current survey of his work at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago—his first solo US exhibition in 16 years. Read the rest of this entry »

After a few years of delays, political/humorist punk group Dillinger Four will finally release CIVILWAR, its fourth full-length album and first in six years, on October 14. Its label, Fat Wreck Chords, calls the band “the Redd Foxx - mixed with Chalmers Johnson - of punk rock,” and taking one look at its track listings makes that obvious. To mark the occasion, here are the group’s ten best song titles and their themes.
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Led by Tsugaru-shamisen master Kevin Kmetz, Santa Cruz’s God of Shamisen creates cultural collisions in the form of shredding, Japanese-infused progressive metal. Scott Morrow catches up with Kmetz and bassist/producer Mark Thornton on the heels of the group’s full-length debut release.

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