The Uncontrollable Nick Oliveri in His Own Words

By J.C. Macek III

The bad boy of rock and the badass of metal. This is Nick Oliveri without a filter. [7.Nov.14]

Counterbalance: The Police's 'Synchronicity'

By Jason Mendelsohn and Eric Klinger

Another suburban family morning here at Counterbalance. We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies — and the 272nd most acclaimed album of all time. Many miles away, something crawls to the surface of a dark Scottish lake. [7.Nov.14]

By the Book

The Flatlanders: Now It's Now Again

By John T. Davis

The tale of the musical journey of the Flatlanders—Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock—from a house in Lubbock, Texas to a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. [7.Nov.14]

The Iconographies

On the Edge of Hell’s Kitchen in a Cramped Hallway: New York Comic Con 2014

By Michael D. Stewart

What was it like? We return to the scene of the crime, in this case NYCC 2014, where Michael D. Stewart writes, "I have a confession. I like New York Comic Con. But I don’t love it." [7.Nov.14]

Epic - '#OPRAH' (album stream) (Premiere)

By John M. Tryneski

On his first solo release, Epic (from the Chicago hip-hop maestros BBU) obliterates the boundary between personal and political. [7.Nov.14]

Gruff Rhys: American Interior

American Interior certainly sounds like the most ambitious Rhys project since he belonged in a bigger band.

Oozing Wound: Earth Suck

Oozing Wound are bigger and badder on their sophomore effort, Earth Suck, which definitely has a spot among the best metal of 2014.

Lisa LeBlanc: Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted EP

LeBlanc's brand of music has been dubbed by publicity as being "folk-trash", and that’s a fairly apt descriptor, but her style owes quite a bit to bluegrass and just as much to the frenetic energy of punk rock.

Nicholas Payton: Numbers

A kind of concept album that places a void at the center of black American music, a void for you to fill.

Counterbalance: The Police's 'Synchronicity'

Another suburban family morning here at Counterbalance. We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies — and the 272nd most acclaimed album of all time. Many miles away, something crawls to the surface of a dark Scottish lake.

Epic - '#OPRAH' (album stream) (Premiere)

On his first solo release, Epic (from the Chicago hip-hop maestros BBU) obliterates the boundary between personal and political.

Ani DiFranco - "Careless Words" (video) (Premiere)

The latest video from "the high priestess of feminist folk" Ani DiFranco pairs a tune from her latest LP, Allergic to Water, with intriguing linear imagery.

SPC ECO - "One for the Little One" (audio) (Premiere)

You might not associate SPC ECO's synth-driven "One for the Little One" to frontman Dean Garcia's previous work in Curve at first, but the track's frenetic energy will help you make the connection.

Ruby the RabbitFoot - "Misery" (video) (Premiere)

You know a music video is gonna be good when it begins with the burning of Barbie dolls. That's but one of many reasons why Ruby the RabbitFoot's latest video, "Misery", is worth a watch.