Email Author J. Niimi

2007 Stories by J. Niimi

• Four-time Grammy nominee Mike Stern brings jazz guitar greatness to Yoshi's

  published December 12, 2007

  While most attention to '90s Britpoppers Pulp focuses on lead singer Jarvis Cocker, member Richard Hawley deserves adoration as well.... More >>

• John Vanderslice's Emerald City Offers Parable for Paranoiac Times

  published October 17, 2007

  Local singer-songwriter John Vanderslice has released a number of albums that refer to the Iraq War, either in individual song details or in... More >>

• Subtle: hip-hop collagists of the artiest caliber

  published August 8, 2007

  Reminiscent of Zero 7 and Portishead, Bitter:Sweet sounds like it comes from England rather than Los Angeles. And that's a compliment,... More >>

• David Vandervelde

  published July 11, 2007

  It makes sense that the stomping psych-pop of "Nothin' No," the opening track of The Moonstation House Band, bears a resemblance to... More >>

• War on Wusses

  published June 27, 2007

  Battles' new record, Mirrored, is unlike any other album you're likely to hear this year, or maybe any year. Something of an indie... More >>

• Radio Birdman: still tuned into the good shit

  published June 13, 2007

  "Keeping it real" is overrated — better to keep it really retarded. The cryptic quartet No Doctors infiltrated the Bay Area in 2004... More >>

• Summer Lovin'

  published June 6, 2007

  It's prime time to burn your party soundtracks for the long, hot summer. And in selecting those mixes, you'll want to include a track or two off... More >>

• Spoon-feeding the buzz: indie's underdogs coming out on top

  published May 23, 2007

  Though Austin's Spoon has been cranking out brainy indie rock since 1994, it wasn't until recently that it became coveted by a broader... More >>

• Jarvis Cocker

  published April 25, 2007

  Jarvis Cocker's undergone some major changes since Pulp's ostensible breakup five years ago. He got married, moved to France, had a kid, and... More >>

• Platinum Ambition

  published April 18, 2007

  Kazu Makino has a voice so shiny and cold, you can almost hear the titanium in her face. The Kyoto-born singer of Blonde Redhead — the New... More >>

• The blissful strings 'n' things of Amiina

  published April 11, 2007

  For the past eight years, Amiina has been best known as Sigur Rós' string section. Since 2005, however, the Icelandic act has also... More >>

• Graffiti tricks and electro beats face off at Mezzanine

  published April 4, 2007

  Chicago DJ duo Flosstradamus and Doug Pray's graffiti documentary Infamy share a common foundation in hip-hop... More >>

• Metal boys and their Lesbian lovers

  published March 21, 2007

  Christened with a deliberately deceptive moniker, the hirsute lads in Seattle's Lesbian marry psychedelic metal with prog rock for... More >>

• Spaz of All Trades

  published March 14, 2007

  It wouldn't be a stretch to describe Weasel Walter as a one-man scene. The local composer/multi-instrumentalist and leader of no-wave jazz-metal... More >>

• Noise Pop Tip Sheet

  published February 21, 2007

  If it seems that indie kids' wallets are slimmer than usual this week, it's because the annual Noise Pop fest is upon us. Now in its 15th year,... More >>

• Keeping the beat in New Orleans: Preservation Hall Jazz Band

  published February 21, 2007

  For two decades, the world-renowned Los Angeles Guitar Quartet has aimed to bring classical music to the masses by expanding conventional... More >>

• Seattle art rock climax

  published February 14, 2007

  Two of the Bay Area's more notable experimental rock upstarts are celebrating new releases this Friday. KIT is a quartet that wields... More >>

• Robbers on High Street steal from the NY sound

  published January 24, 2007

  On their new digital EP, The Fatalist and Friends, Robbers on High Street squeeze every last drop from the New York City... More >>

• The Twilight Sad

  published January 17, 2007

  A couple months back the Twilight Sad quietly released its self-titled debut to minor, scattered acclaim. Unless you happened to have caught one... More >>

• Misc. Reviews

  published January 10, 2007

  In Beat Kings: The History of Hip Hop, Wu-Tang Clan's Mathematics has assembled a revealing documentary from the point of view of the... More >>