David Simutis

It's not hard in these short-attention span, disposable-pop times to be freaks, but the two guys with Afros from El Paso's At the Drive-In are the lords of freakdom. They smoke copious amounts of pot, watch foreign films, read books with words you can't pronounce and write indecipherably titled (e.g.,...

Despite the best efforts of Loverboy, Rush and Our Lady Peace, Canada just doesn't rock the same way we do. Canuck bands come close, but just as often miss the mark. Not so with Moneen. It hasn't reinvented the emo/pop-punk wheel, but the Toronto-based foursome is certainly trying to. Wrapping...

Ah, the music industry, where a former white-hot mama indie rock icon turns to designated hit-makers the Matrix, the Scandinavian songwriting team responsible for Avril Lavigne's success, and a teenage upstart relies on her own songs. As can be seen by the outrage over Liz Phair -- a New York...

Kingsbury Manx's self-titled debut is one of those quiet little discs that sneaks up on you with how good it is. Built around a trio of singers, mellow chord progressions and understated drumming, the album radiates simple beauty, which is what makes this North Carolina band so solid. The group...

eels Daisies of the Galaxy Dreamworks If ever a person could sing, "Goddamn right it's a beautiful day" and make it sound great, it's E, the singer-songwriter behind Los Angeles's eels. Despite bouts of sarcasm, the eels take happiness, propelled by throbbing bass beats, and ride it for all they...