George Swartz

The pitch-bender is Benny Benassi's friend. The thirty-something Italian spinster has perfected -- in collaboration with his cousin Alle, of Larry Pignagnoli's internationally successful Off Limits production company -- an irresistible electro-house-music fusion that would not be the same without pitch-bending technology. "Satisfaction," the stratosphere-worthy single from Benassi's major breakout...

News flash: Henry Rollins is one of the most hilarious comedians on the entire planet. Although the former Black Flag frontman's self-described "talking shows" are usually billed as spoken-word performances, implying some kind of slam poetry is involved, "storytelling" is probably a more accurate description of Rollins's actual on-stage activities...

"Super Bon Bon," the stand-up bass-driven single from Soul Coughing's Irresistible Bliss, was an anomaly on the modern-rock airwaves -- even on playlists chock-full of one-hit-wonder anomalies. Bandleader Mike Doughty's hardly melodic, spoken-sung, baritone-squatting-squarely-on-top-of-the-mix vocals resembles no other voice in recorded history. Ditching a project as original as the one...

Rock stars take drugs: Like most stereotypes, this one exists because it's often true. And ever since DJs became the new rock stars at the peak of the rave scene, many of them have fallen into similar behavior patterns. There's an exception to every rule, though, and Minnesota's DJ ESP,...

DJ Hipp-E may sound like an oxymoron to some, but anyone involved significantly with either culture should recognize the inherent ideological similarities -- namely, community transcendence through music, mind-altering substance experimentation and indiscriminate brotherly love. Granted, these similarities aren't always apparent in all cases, but Hipp-E is obviously down with...