J rockers want free Tibet, wherever that is
"Tibet . . . hmm . . . it's a foreign country, I know that," mused one young man. "In the mountains," said another hopefully. Everyone, of course, knew the Beastie Boys, the show's primary sponsor. But the youngsters who flocked to the Tibetan Freedom Concert ...
When did originality go out of focus?
Hiromix, the person credited with the current popularity of "girl" photographers, has thus far lived a charmed life: After stints as a "serious" artist, a band leader and, most recently, a mayonnaise spokeswoman, she has restyled herself as a singer-songwriter with the release of ...
A rebel yell from the Northwest
Whether it's the rainy weather or beautiful scenery, there is something about Washington state that has made it one of the most fertile places for independent music. Though Seattle may have a higher profile, indie labels are as numerous as nose piercings (and that ...
U.F.O. travels the globe in style
With their natty suits and sleek musical grooves that fuse jazzy samples with dance beats, U.F.O. has epitomized a certain perception of Tokyo as fashionable and cosmopolitan, ever since "I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Jazz)" catapulted across the world's dance floors in ...
Buffalo Daughter reinvents new rock again
After more than a year of touring, remixing, producing and more touring, Buffalo Daughter has returned home to the more mundane matters of daily life. Bassist and Moog player extraordinaire Yumiko Ohno recently tied the knot with longtime paramour Zak (producer of the Fishmans ...
Trends are a no-show at U.S. music fest
If there was any next big thing at this year's annual South by Southwest music confab of the musically hip and happening, it was that there is no next big thing. In a festival that featured everything from soca to singer-songwriters, it was individual ...
Sonic adventures in mixed media
Samm Bennett's ideal record store would be organized alphabetically, each floor dedicated to a segment of the alphabet rather than a particular musical genre. This would be perhaps the only way of finding all of his work in the same place. Hunting for Samm Bennett ...
Journey to the center of Cornelius
Some trips involve buses and airplanes, others need chemical assistance. Some trips, however, require only a stereo. Keigo Oyamada, a k a Cornelius, is an expert choreographer of the latter form of travel. His last record, "Fantasma," catapulted listeners through an orange-colored psychedelic wonderland ...
Zeni Geva's earthly angst gives way to cosmic vibes
Somewhere between the metal aggression of Black Sabbath and the guitar grind of the Swans, Zeni Geva was the rock equivalent of opera, a full-throttle exploration of the emotional spectrum's dark side. Long hair flying and vocals growling, guitarist and vocalist Kazuyuki Ishino, a ...
