Sounds can often be deceiving. Listen to The Rum Diary and try not to picture epic noise-making bands like Scotland’s Mogwai. Mogwai is resoundingly serious, larger than life, and has that certain panache for being different and artsy that is often associated with successful indie rockers. Read more...

Just as the unintelligible mumbling of archaic guitarist Keith Richards kept the audience in the dark, a sense of bewilderment followed the entire Rolling Stones show at the Staples Center last Thursday night. Read more...

On Halloween night the Shrine Auditorium hosted a different crowd than usual, as the former home of the Academy Awards housed the “Academummy Awards,” the special “Hulaween” show featuring Colorado-based jam band The String Cheese Incident. Read more...

The standards for what makes a great story can rely on many elements. For some, good writing has to succeed in drawing the audience into another world. Read more...

The theremin is best known as the instrument Brian Wilson used to make spooky noises in the wall of sound single “Good Vibrations.” On Halloween in Royce Hall it was one of many instruments ““ musical and otherwise ““ used to supplement the already intense words of Edgar Allan Poe. Read more...

Columbus, Ohio, is like many other Middle American cities, only more so. In other words, it’s predominately white and boring. I was there to attend the annual national conference of the American Musicological Society, and while the fresh air and nice waiters were a welcome change, the trip showed how desolate the place was ““ the hockey arena had nothing around it and the mall was closed, and it was only 9 p.m. Read more...

A good friend of mine will tell you that the Dismemberment Plan is the best band in the world ““ bar none. At worst, he’s not far off. Read more...