Guess what? We’re in double figures!! Welcome to Blerd Radio Episode 10. We had a wee bit of trouble with this one, hopefully you’re able to get through the slight audio glitches. In this episode, we discuss everything from our new comics column to our dinner with Mike Doughty. We mourn the 10th anniversary of 9/11, check in on the status of hurricane victims, criticize this year’s VMAs, try to understand how Lil Wayne sold almost a million copies in […]
Author Archive
Spin Cycle: Mogwai’s “Earth Division” EP
Mogwai is a giant name in the post-rock genre, and rightfully so. They’ve been putting out great music since ’97 and show no signs of stopping any time soon. Earth Division displays a quieter side to Mogwai, leaving the pounding drums and fuzz-soaked guitars (though not entirely) out, making for a much different listening experience. Though the sound isn’t necessarily what one would expect from a Mogwai album the general feeling is still there, as Earth Division still manages to […]
Uptown Talk: R&B Vocal Groups
White, black, and Puerto Rican, the men of Uptown Talk — Robert Cass, Blerd, and Cristóbal Tracy, respectively — started a-freakin’ about the Sylvers, Stylistics, and Spinners one day last month in an e-mail conversation. Then Cristóbal told Robert and Blerd about Akoto Ofori-Atta’s article for TheRoot.com on the scarcity of vocal groups in the current R&B landscape. Then all three decided to turn their e-mails into a feature for Popblerd. Cristóbal: If you pushed me to choose the Stylistics or the Sylvers, I’d have […]
The Blerd & Gonzo Cover Convo: “Tainted Love”
Blerd: you there? Gonzo: give me a munte…er…a minute. I want nothing to with a munte. B: That sounds like an exotic animal. G: Yes, you don’t want that thing to burrow into your skin. B: It was a red and black munte; the deadliest munte in the world! Next on Animal Planet! G: Black and red are the worst kind! OK, let’s get down to business. it’s been a mighty long time. B: It has! Where’ve you been? G: First, […]
The Blerd13 with… Brett Detar!
Brett Detar has been a part of the modern music scene since 1996, including a nine year run with alternative/indie band The Juliana Theory, but after a decade in the rock and metalcore scene, Brett took a hiatus, returning in 2010 with his first solo album, Bird in the Tangle. Fans of his previous work, however, were in for a surprise. Brett’s return stems from classic country and folk roots, rather than the hard rock of before. I was able […]
Spin Cycle: Brett Detar’s “Bird in the Tangle”
The amazing thing about people (and musicians are, despite the rumors, also people) is that we are rarely static entities. Time and age have a funny way of sculpting our tastes and experiences, to the point that we may not even recognize ourselves in a decade or so. Brett Detar’s debut solo album Bird in the Tangle is a sonic testament to this truth. After turns as a guitarist in metalcore pioneers Zao and as lead vocalist for the indie/alternative […]
Pass the Popcorn: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Call me old fashioned, but sometimes I think the modern day slasher formula has ruined the contemporary horror film. While some movie makers adhere to the Hitchcockian pillars of suspense and atmosphere, it seems far easier to scare by showing rather than implying. On one hand I can understand: dread, especially of the supernatural variety, can be so difficult to manufacture consistently. It’s far easier, and far more instantly gratifying, to scare the audience on the most basic of grounds: […]
Pass the Popcorn: Fright Night
Whatever happened to the Nosferatus of the world? Sometime between that 1921 masterpiece of gothic horror and today, vampires ceased to become cold blooded monsters and started to become the creepy fixation of adolescent girls (not to mention soccer moms) everywhere. The modern day vampire is brooding, sexy, and urbane, more interested in passionate affairs with young, bored women than with devouring the life blood of peasants. The gnarled, bird-like face created by F.W. Murnau has somehow transformed into the […]
bLISTerd: Happy Anniversary, MTV!: The 50 Best Videos of the ’00s (40-31)
Madonna writhes around in a leotard, Dave Grohl channels Michael Douglas in “Falling Down”, and The White Stripes do “Conan” (in other words, #50-#41) can be found here . Now, here’s the next batch of new millennium video hits! (said in douchey DJ voice) 40. Burning Beard | Clutch (2005) “Burning Beard” by Clutch had me the moment Neil Fallon opened his maw and barked “Everyday/I wake up/Drink a lot of coffee and watch the CNN” (He also actually barks later […]
The Blerd Playlist: “I Feel The Earth Move (Songs For Earthquakes)”
As most of you know, the East Coast was rocked today by a seismic, 5.8 earthquake that caused chairs to fall over, cats to become briefly startled, and a rash of hasty, terrified status updates. As most of the Blerd staff is located in the Northeast – with the exception of our Californian contributors, who regard earthquakes with the same concern as a hearty fart – we were notably shaken by this disaster. In remembrance of those who were lost […]
Spin Cycle: Jeff Bridges’ Self-Titled Album
Whether he likes it or not, Jeff Bridges’ new self-titled album falls squarely in the long shadow of his award winning portrayal of fallen country singer “Bad” Blake in 2009’s Crazy Heart. The album’s line-up of contributors certainly doesn’t help separate it from the film: producer and Americana legend T-Bone Burnett returns after his award-winning direction on the Crazy Heart soundtrack, Ryan Bingham (of “The Weary Kind” fame) jumps in on vocals for a few tracks, and three of the […]
