Bruce Duncan Phillips, better known at Utah Phillips, passed away on May 23 2008, just eight days after his 75th birthday due to a long battle with heart problems.
Despite this interviewer's valiant (read as: half-assed) efforts, Hutch Harris refused to bare all for an indie rock cheesecake calendar. Or, in his words: "I won't be posing for any calendar unless you get me in bed with some fine ass nude ladies, thanks" and "Sorry no, no one wants to be in your damn softcore indie-porn calendar." Also, sadly, Harris no longer dances around in his underwear at shows.
In 1991, the Seattle-based band Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten. It was a time when the Seattle grunge sound was making its way from the greater northwest to the rest of the world. Ten went on to sell more than 12 million copies, cementing the quintet’s name in music history.
Formed in Houston, Texas, but now calling Austin home, the trio Ume has recently released one of the best albums of 2009. Yeah, I know it is early. But the Sunshower EP is packed with the most explosive songs you have heard in a while. The trio mixes fiery guitars from frontwoman Lauren Langner Larson and driving bass lines from her bassist husband Eric Larson, rounded out by the hard-hitting backbeat of drummer Jeff Barrarea. The Sunshower EP flows seamlessly through its perfectly orchestrated five tracks. From the opening cut “East of Hercules,” the album takes you in and demands your full attention, leaving you wanting more.