Every week, we gather some interesting stuff from our sister Village Voice Media publications' music sections. Just for kicks. Here's last week's entry.
Devendra Banhart, in Seattle Weekly: "I had one label tell me they would love to sign me...on one condition,"
he says. "That I allow them to hire a team of songwriters to help me
finish my songs." And a Q&A with Jimi Hendrix's half-bro.
SF Weekly peels back the layers of Janelle Monáe's new album.
Village Voice on Drive-By Truckers' The Big To-Do, and Alice in Chains is back!
Soviettes' Luke Redfield goes solo in City Pages.
An ode to the 30-year-old nightlife mainstay Avalon is in LA Weekly, along with Joan Jett and co. looking back at the Runaways.
Phoenix New Times catches
up with post-hardcore specialists Greeley Estates.
A nice wrap
of the NX35 fest by the Dallas Observer, plus Ludacris
tells Ben Westhoff, regarding new single "How Low": "Not to sound
cocky or anything, but I knew exactly what it was going to
do before I put it out."
DeVotchKa's got a kindred
spirit in the Lovely and Talented, according to Westword.
Also, a Quasi
Q&A.
In Houston Press, Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club's Peter Hayes wants
to move past the Verve and Jesus and Mary Chain comparisons: "I
think we've proved our point by now that we're much more. I mean, we've
got influences from Sam Cooke and Édith Piaf to Johnny Cash and Little
Walter."