My Dry Wet Mess makes beats in Barcelona that sound like they come from L.A. and it all started with an Atari and MPC given to him by his father, a bass player in Ennio Morricone’s orchestra. He speaks now from his parents’ house after Christmas about why everything is difficult for him, his inability to get a visa, and his affinity for twisting pop songs and mashing them with noises from unidentifiable sources. This interview by Lainna Fader

[Read more →]

Hunx blew out of the desert right into the hearts of millions of teenagers everywhere, hyphenating years of admirably trashy Rip Off-style rock ‘n’ roll with his world-famous stint as one of the four heads of Gravy Train!!!! His new record on Hardly Art is all Kim Fowley-cum-Phil Spector teenage tragedy rock. He speaks now while naked on Valentine’s Day. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

[Read more →]

King Cannibal finds pleasure in dark, gritty beats that barely support a booty shake. Instead, take the lyrics to “Colder Still” off his latest, Let the Night Roar: “I believe in death. I believe in disease. In justice, torture and anger. I believe in murder.” This interview by Daiana Feuer.

[Read more →]

Coffin Joe—a.k.a. Zé do Caixão—is one of those villains that you’ve gotta know. Welcome to the strange world of Coffin Joe and José Mojica Marins, the damned Brazilian filmaker that scared the dictactorial government on the ‘70s who is being honoured this month with a program at the Cinefamily. This interview by Carol Ramos.

[Read more →]

Israel’s Monotonix are known and respected and perhaps even secretly coveted here in L.A. because of their world-wrecking live set and super-charged rock ‘n’ roll. Singer Ami Shalev speaks now while presumably fully clothed. This interview by Rena Kosnett.

[Read more →]

Vivian Girls weathered a year of touring and Internet comments and took the photo for their new album cover on the day they almost broke up three times. Cassie Ramone speaks now before tour with New York City’s Beets. This interview by Vanessa Gonzalez.

[Read more →]

North Carolina’s Weedeater are unflagging primal monstermen who convert weed and bourbon into simple energy and don’t stop touring til at least three things burst and deflate. They are working on a new album for Southern Lord and speak now from the road. This interview by Matt Dupree.

[Read more →]

Screaming Females fire right down the middle between Husker Du, Damaged Black Flag and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and occupy more psychic space as an irreducibly solid three-piece than bands several times their age and weight combined. There are many gerunds that begin with ‘S in English and they use the ten best in every set. Their newest Power Move is out now on Don Giovanni. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

[Read more →]

Named after the Alabama cemetery where the band used to practice, the Haints’ uncanny specialty is a punk rock retrofit of the “dead” traditional music of the South and West. Guitarist-vocalist-fiddler Jaime Barrier muses on a vanishing America, punky get-up-and-go and the difficulties involved in mic-ing a musical saw. This interview by Ron Garmon.

[Read more →]

Stewards of the rare and miraculously bad in movies—as well as TV, how-to, instructional and homemade video—the merry footage fetishists of Everything is Terrible! make live what critics would rather let die. The weekend after EIT’s ‘Found Footage Freakout’ at the Silent Movie Theatre late last month found these sore-eyed custodians of the Temple of Dumb waxing philosophic. This interview by Ron Garmon.

[Read more →]