Subject: Nine Inch Nails

• Video Savant: Portishead's “Machine Gun”

  To commemorate Portishead's world-beating performance at Coachella Saturday, this edition of Video Savant focuses on “Machine Gun,” a track off Third, which comes out today. “Machine Gun” is unlike anything in Portishead's canon, which is indicative of most of Third; all reports point to a reinvention of the group's sound, although I've yet to hear the whole album. The staccato bursts of distorted and martial drums (the titular weapon, it's safe to assume) evoke Nine Inch Nails and Tac

  April 29, 2008

• NIN to Play LA Sept. 6

  As part of their Lights In The Sky North American tour, Nine Inch Nails will play the Forum Sat. Sept. 6. Atlanta space/drone rockers Deerhunter will open (a surprisingly, bold choice by Mr. Trent Reznor). Tickets go on sale June 28 at 10 a.m. through LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com. Since Reznor and Interscope Records parted ways, NIN have been on a prolific roll; Trent seems creatively rejuvenated now that he's working for himself and not a major label. I especially enjoyed the two-disc s

  June 26, 2008

• Last Night: Nine Inch Nails @ the Forum

  Last Night: Nine Inch Nails at the Forum September 6, 2008. Better Than: destroying your musical instruments at home. Download: The whole new Nine Inch Nails album "The Slip" for free The Nine Inch Nails "Lights In The Sky" tour descended upon the Forum to a hometown crowd eager to soak up the bank of 112 lights, 3 large LCD screens and numerous strobes. It was apparent early that the show would live up to its billing. Deerhunter from Athens, GA started the evening with textural washes of g

  September 7, 2008

• Last Night: Vampire Weekend @ The Glasshouse

  Last Night: Vampire Weekend at the Glass House September 16, 2008 Better Than: taking your garlic pills. Download: "Oxford Comma" from the Vampire Weekend homepage. Buzz and critical acclaim can be a double-edged sword. Vampire Weekend wielded the sharper side last night by performing a biting set that silenced critics and delighted fans. The city of Chino was well represented in the form of Abe Vigoda. They mentioned they used to get dropped off to see shows at the Glass House and also inf

  September 17, 2008

• Last Night: LiskFest @ Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine

  Last Night: Liskfest at Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine on October 11,2008 Better Than: seeing a festival in the middle of summer. Download: "Oi, To The World!" by the Vandals from their Myspace page Hope, change, and unity were used as themes in hardcore music long before the current political candidates incorporated these ideas into their campaigns. A sense of community united the Liskfest as it was snatched from the jaws of cancellation by some last minutes investors. It was a picture per

  October 12, 2008

• Johnny Cash

  November 21, 2002

• Video Killed the Video Star

  September 15, 2005

• Daily Coachella Update: Still No Lineup, but There is a Fake One

  It's getting to the point where the idea of the Coachella lineup is actually more appealing than whatever the eventual Coachella lineup will be, even if the actual lineup is really impressive. It's like Spock said, "having is not such a pleasing thing as wanting."So yeah, still no official Coachella bill, but a relatively entertaining fake one has made the rounds, with a mix of heavily rumored names (Paul McCartney, The Killers, Fleet Foxes), reasonable estimates (The Knux, She & Him, Yeasay

  January 28, 2009

• 1989 Calling

  Nine Inch Nails and the original lineup of Jane's Addiction are touring this year. What are the odds that Bush I gets back in office and the Menendez brothers get adopted by a new family just so they can kill them too?In all seriousness, I've never quite understood the appeal of either band. I saw NIN once. It was about three years ago and my best friend from high school was playing guitar. The show was better than I thought it would be and it made me wonder why Trent Reznor relies so heavily on

  February 17, 2009

• Incoming: Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction Coming to Irvine

  OK, total late slip on this one. We should have had it on here way earlier, but Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction's upcoming tour (lovingly referred to as the NIN/Ja tour), is coming to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on May 20. Yes, this is about the 67th Jane's Addiction reunion. Deal with it. On-sale dates? Ticket prices? Well, that's still TBA, at least according to the official Nine Inch Nails Web site. Here are some good guesses: Soon. Fairly expensive. There you go.

  March 5, 2009

• Tickets for NIN/Ja (Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction) on Sale Friday

  Last week, we knew that Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction were coming to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on May 20. But we didn't know much else, like ticket prices or on-sale dates. Reasonably important things. But hey, now we know! Tickets for that show are going on sale 3 p.m. this Friday, March 20, exactly two months before the show actually happens. Hey! Synergy! (Yes, not exactly, technically, because the show's probably going to start a few hours later than 3 p.m., of cours

  March 18, 2009

• Music-Inspired April Fools' Day Jokes Meet Mixed Results

  Everyone likes to get in on the fun on April Fools' Day, but perhaps not everyone should.

  April 1, 2009

• George Michael, at Honda Center Friday, Refuses to Play the Good Pop Star

  June 26, 2008

• [CD Review] Nine Inch Nails, 'Ghosts I-IV' (The Null Corporation)

  April 10, 2008

• TONIGHT: The Offspring at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

  If hit songs and record sales are any indication (and uh...they are) the Offspring may very well be the most successful Orange County band of all time. Latest album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace spawned "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid," one of their biggest hits ever (11 weeks at #1 on the Billboard modern rock chart!) and Smash has sold 16 million units worldwide at this point. And as the "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" video showed, Dexter Holland has grown out his hair some. So that's something.The b

  June 5, 2009

• The Bitch of Living

  Not the musical, but Spring Awakening isn’t half bad

  November 1, 2007

• All Stripped Down With Everywhere to Go

  Matt & Kim Make Loving (and Playing) Fun

  September 27, 2007

• But What About the Hip-hop, Tom?

  Saul Williams
  

  March 15, 2007

• Why 'Torture Porn' Isn't

  September 6, 2007

• B(l)ack From Oblivion

  The Incarus Line: Not dead, but rather 'awesome'

  July 26, 2007

• Homme, Bittersweet Homme

  Queens of the Stone Age spearhead a network of hard-rock badassery

  July 19, 2007

• Aural Reports

  Guided Missions: Nick Bogardus works the angles for Cold War Kids, Thrice and others

  June 28, 2007

• The Sound of Godzilla Urinating

  Skinny Puppy & Otto Von Schirach speaker-fist America

  June 21, 2007

• Hits!

  SecondSpin

  May 31, 2007

• Hits!

  Borders Books Music & Cafe

  May 17, 2007

• Cherub Rock

  A toddler and her dad road-test alt-lullabies

  March 29, 2007

• Gothic Rock's Not-So-Dead

  July 6, 2006

• Get Out!

  July 6, 2006

• Library Music

  March 9, 2006

• Stinkstock!

  April 28, 2005

• Dancing With Myself

  February 19, 2004

• Stupid Tanned Hot Chicks

  July 24, 2003

• Neither Doo Nor Wop

  November 29, 2001

• Ball Busting

  May 10, 2001

• Not Another #%&@$* Year-End List!

  December 30, 1999

• Real American Graffiti

  June 10, 1999

• Last Night: Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, At Verizon Amphitheater

  Andrew Youssef / OC WeeklyLast Night: Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. May 20, 2009.Better Than: Trying to bench-press more than Trent Reznor. Dude is buff.In honor of the headliners, I'm going to vent some angst to start things off.Who the hell knew it took an hour and fifteen minutes to get from the Irvine-Costa Mesa border and into your seat at Verizon Amphitheater in IRVINE? Who the hell designed the world so that the car line to get into the Verizon parkin

  May 21, 2009

• RIP: Trent Reznor's Twitter

  Andrew YoussefTrent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, May 21, 2009.For the last few months, Trent Reznor has been interacting with Nine Inch Nails fans (historically an insanely devoted lot) via Twitter, updating them on the happenings of their tour with Jane's Addiction, running ticket giveaway contests, talking about his romance with fiancee Mariqueen Maandig of West Indian Girl and even raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid a Nevada fan needing a

  June 11, 2009

• Drummer Josh Freese Sells Himself, Famous Friends, Dinner at Sizzler to Promote His New Album

  June 25, 2009

• Incoming: Mew at Detroit Bar

  Casper Sejersen​This is a big one. Danish showgazers Mew, one of the best bands to ever share a name with a Pokemon, are coming to the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa on September 7. Tickets are on sale now for $18.Mew have been touring with Nine Inch Nails, and will be main support for their farewell tour this fall, including the way-beyond-sold out dates September 2 at the Hollywood Palladium and September 3 at the Fonda. They're also headlining the Troubadour on September 1, which is already sold

  August 5, 2009

• Release the Sounds: No More Stories... by Mew out TODAY

  ​In the world of Danish alternative rock, it doesn't get much better than Mew. Anyone with a better frame of reference regarding this genre is welcomed to dispute that, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. Anyways, as we've mentioned before on this blog, this illustrious group of inventive Danes is coming to the hollowed halls of Detroit Bar on Sep. 7. Should be a good time. Until then, it's worth mentioning that their new album No More Stories ... drops today, Aug. 25 on Sony Records in the U.S. Th

  August 25, 2009

• No September Residency at Detroit Bar This Week, Local Shows Fill Gaps

  Sarah Buss​Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa has distinguished itself for many things, but one element is definitely their monthly Monday night residency, where a Southern California act plays a weekly free show. Last month it was LA's Dawes, before that, Costa Mesa heavy metal outfit Pistolero. Well, none of that's happening this month, but there's a good reason.

  September 8, 2009

• Last Night: Nine Inch Nails at the Wiltern

  Andrew YoussefTrent Reznor, literally waving goodbye.​Last Night: Nine Inch Nails at the Wiltern, Los Angeles; September 10, 2009. Better Than: The Kiss "Farewell" tour. My calculated guess of "Last" or "The Beginning of The End" as the first song for Nine Inch Nails final show was wrong. "Home" will go down in the books as the beginning of the end.

  September 11, 2009

• The Horrors Embrace Familiar Territory With Their Sophomore Album

  September 24, 2009

• Last Night: The Horrors at Detroit Bar

  Andrew Youssef​Last Night: The Horrors, Japanese Motors at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa; September 30, 2009.Better Than: Well, I don't think Creed were ever nominated for a Mercury Music Prize...Best Free Snacks: The Popchips given away outside the venue. They were giving them away at Street Scene, too. I have never actually seen them for sale.It's been a good year for the Horrors. Their sophomore release, Primary Colours, has received nearly unanimous critical acclaim, shortlisted for the Mercur

  October 1, 2009

• Last Night: Nine Inch Nails, Health at the Fonda

  Chris VictorioDon't be fooled. This picture is from the Hollywood Pallaidum on Sept. 3!​Last Night: Nine Inch Nails, Health, at the Music Box at the Fonda, Los Angeles; September 8, 2009.Better Than: The two previous Los Angeles "Wave Goodbye" shows at the Hollywood Palladium and the Echoplex, if reports are to be believed.Amount of People Fitting the Clichéd Nine Inch Nails Fan "Look": Honestly, not very many. I saw a couple girls that overdid it with the eyeliner, but that's about it. Mostl

  September 9, 2009

• Slideshows: Orange International Street Fair, OC Roller Derby

  Chris Victorio​There's a Labor Day weekend tradition even more sacred than the Jerry Lewis telethon: the Orange International Street Fair, which this year took place September 4 through 6 in historic/beautiful/adorable/insert positive adjective here downtown Orange. If you weren't brave enough to face--and attempt to wade through--the massive crowds, we've got your back, with this slideshow by photographer Chris Victorio. (CV also shot Nine Inch Nails on Thursday at the Hollywood Palladium, th

  September 8, 2009

• Top 5 Most Disturbing Nine Inch Nails Videos! (Totally NSFW!)

  ​Fans from all around the world have flocked to Los Angeles to wave goodbye to Nine Inch Nails, playing (UPDATED with new info) three final shows this coming week: Sunday at the Echoplex, Tuesday at the Fonda and Wednesday at the Wiltern. Other than being bummed I didn't get tickets to these shows (not for lack of trying; the flood of highly organized NIN superfans pretty much caused the entire Internet to shut down once tickets went on sale--still not entirely convinced they weren't somehow b

  September 4, 2009

• Last Night: The Raveonettes at the Detroit Bar

  Andrew YoussefLive at the Detroit Bar​ Last Night: The Raveonettes at the Detroit BarBetter Than: breaking Phil Spector out of jail to produce new albums.How could the Raveonettes top their fuzzy masterpiece album Lust, Lust, Lust? More focus and a little less fuzz. In and Out of Control is aptly named, with eleven songs that span the Raveonettes' sonic spectrum. "Gone Forever" is my favorite tune from their latest album: Its ultra-sticky chorus quickly had my foot tapping.The Raveonettes pro

  November 11, 2009

• Ghostland Observatory Fuses the Best of Man and Machine

  November 19, 2009