Email Author Dave Pehling

2008 Stories by Dave Pehling

• Experiment in Terror

  published December 31, 2008

  Mike Patton's schizophonic rock quartet Fantômas remains one of the most experimental of his wide-ranging projects. Featuring... More >>

• Here Comes Sickness

  published December 10, 2008

  Although the members of Mudhoney have moved well into middle age, the Seattle-based fuzz merchants still sound like a snotty bunch of... More >>

• Return of the Art Bitches

  published December 10, 2008

  Leave it to a bunch of Brazilians to bring a party vibe to the ongoing '80s music redux. A multicolored gob toward the legions of dour Cure... More >>

• Restless Spirit

  published December 3, 2008

  Meshell Ndegeocello has packed plenty of stylistic hairpin turns into a two-decade career, from her hip-hop debut to her more recent... More >>

• Gojira

  published November 19, 2008

  France may not be the international hotbed for metal, but the extreme French quartet Gojira has emerged as one of the genre's leading lights.... More >>

• Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner keeps questing.

  published November 12, 2008

  There's no shortage of rock musicians trundling right past retirement age without hanging it up. They're often content to satisfy fans with... More >>

• Swedish Skull Crush

  published October 1, 2008

  For the better part of two decades, Swedish death-metal band Opeth has been redefining its genre with audacious experiments in... More >>

• Annihilation Time

  published September 10, 2008

  The collision of '70s hard-rock riffs and '80s hardcore aggression has long been a volatile combination, successfully mined by the likes of... More >>

• Judas Priest plods through history

  published August 27, 2008

  With its fellow Birmingham brethren Black Sabbath, Judas Priest has exerted a powerful influence on modern metal. Among lead singer Rob... More >>

• The Dandy Warhols

  published August 13, 2008

  The acclaimed documentary DiG! spotlighted the late 1990s ascent of pretentious psych-lite outfit the Dandy Warhols, but by the time the... More >>

• Totimoshi

  published July 2, 2008

  With more than a decade of bashing out sludgy, Melvins-inspired heaviness, Oakland power trio Totimoshi takes a step into new territory with a... More >>

• Modey Lemon

  published July 2, 2008

  It's been three long years since experimental trio Modey Lemon released an album, but the corrosive madness of Seasons of Sweets proves... More >>

• Subatomic Scratch

  published July 2, 2008

  The public's waning interest in radical vinyl manipulation has caused many of the Bay Area's top turntable dragons to drop off the radar.... More >>

• Aging flesh for fantasy: Billy Idol

  published June 25, 2008

  Billy Idol always seemed destined for mainstream success. Armed with peroxide-blond spikes, an Elvis-inspired sneer, and a knack for... More >>

• Golden Ticket

  published June 18, 2008

  Indie-rock guitarist Ian Eagleston first became interested in the guitar-driven Kenyan dance music style of benga while visiting Nairobi more... More >>

• Iron Maiden and R.E.M. battle to transport fans back in time

  published May 28, 2008

  At first glance, the two summer tour giants — Iron Maiden and R.E.M. — hitting the Bay Area this week have fuck all in common. One... More >>

• Cloud Cult delivers cathartic, emotional climaxes and transcendent orchestrations

  published May 7, 2008

  Much like fellow indie chamber-rock groups the Arcade Fire and Polyphonic Spree, Minnesota-based Cloud Cult delivers cathartic,... More >>

• The Heavy

  published April 30, 2008

  Throwback R&B acts on both sides of the Atlantic have struck gold by mining the classic sounds of James Brown, Motown, and Aretha Franklin, but... More >>

• Hillstomp defines the down ‘n’ dirty gutbucket blues

  published April 16, 2008

  Born in the gutters of Portland, Oregon, Hillstomp defines the down 'n' dirty gutbucket blues. Guitarist Henry Christian and... More >>

• Jim White

  published March 26, 2008

  For more than a decade, songwriter Jim White has pushed the boundaries of alt-country music with his leftfield lyricism and penchant for... More >>

• Triclops!

  published March 19, 2008

  Triclops! followers expecting the local prog-punk behemoth to match the brutality quotient of its live assault won't be disappointed by the... More >>

• The Dodos' Foot-Stompin' Chemistry Detonates Staid Duos

  published February 27, 2008

  For all the permutations of acoustic roots music the experimental neo-folk movement has produced, the style's gravitation toward wispy,... More >>

• Dub Trio

  published February 13, 2008

  If Dub Trio keeps putting out albums as bludgeoning as Another Sound Is Dying, the threesome may come under Better Business Bureau... More >>

• Mexican six-string superheroes Rodrigo y Gabriela

  published February 6, 2008

  Berkeley resident Sean Smith and the U.K.'s James Blackshaw are part of the underground acoustic guitar network, descending... More >>

• The Turks embrace Amphetamine Reptile's abrasive edge

  published January 16, 2008

  One of the most eclectic guitarists to emerge in the last three decades, Bill Frisell has traversed a vast terrain of music during his... More >>