Email Author Tom Murphy

2007 Stories by Tom Murphy

• Magik Markers

  published October 4, 2007

  Magik Markers, originally from Hartford, Connecticut, caught the ear of Thurston Moore, who invited the three-piece to join Sonic Youth on its... More >>

• Amphibious Jones

  published September 27, 2007

  Readers of Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle will never forget the final image of Bokonon thumbing his nose at God while the terminal freeze... More >>

• Pink Hawks

  published September 27, 2007

  With a name like Pink Hawks, you'd be forgiven for thinking the band was some kind of acoustic-punk duo. But Pee Pee's sax man, Yuzo... More >>

• Kissing Party

  published September 20, 2007

  With haunting synths that recall the first three New Order records and a charming collection of songs that otherwise echo the Smiths' twee... More >>

• Milton Melvin Croissant III

  published September 20, 2007

  Fronting the now-defunct Ultra Boyz, Milton Melvin Croissant III was a frenetically intense, commanding performer. He brought a dark and... More >>

• Abracastabya

  published September 13, 2007

  Those old enough to remember Pee-wee's Big Adventure surely recall being haunted by Danny Elfman's spooky soundtrack, the demented carnival... More >>

• St. Vincent

  published September 13, 2007

  The adventurousness of Kate Bush's quirky and consistently innovative music didn't just inspire Tori Amos's intense, introspective songwriting.... More >>

• New Ancient Astronauts

  published September 13, 2007

  The opening salvo of Astronautilus, New Ancient Astronauts' second long-player, is the bombastic and campy "Catasteroid." Who else but... More >>

• Widowers

  published September 6, 2007

  With a keen sense of pacing and melody, the music of Widowers has drawn easy comparisons to psychedelic-tinged pop from the '60s. But... More >>

• Hawks and Doves

  published September 6, 2007

  James Yardley may be best known for the brutally intense hardcore he doled out in V-tech Orchid or the dark and moody psychedelic rock he dealt in... More >>

• A Shoreline Dream

  published August 30, 2007

  A Shoreline Dream's debut full-length, Avoiding the Consequences, showcased a band exploring the breadth of dream pop with an immediately... More >>

• Breathe Carolina

  published August 23, 2007

  Breathe Carolina plays a particular brand of synth pop that has worn so thin, it's practically transparent. Yet in the hands of the group's... More >>

• All Teeth and Knuckles

  published August 23, 2007

  With a bevy of ex-punk rockers and faux bohemians exploring electro-pop and hip-hop these days, the field is getting a bit crowded. All Teeth and... More >>

• Tudaloos

  published August 23, 2007

  If Jad Fair had access to all the electronic gadgets and gizmos the Tudaloos have at their disposal today, the music he wrote back in the early... More >>

• The Construct

  published August 16, 2007

  The Constuct (formerly known as Orwellian Math Project) nimbly pushes the boundaries of what punk and indie rock can be as it mates... More >>

• Red Pony Clock

  published August 16, 2007

  It's probably just as well that emo, and not indie pop, has become the soundtrack to so many suburban teenage lives. It could've gone either way,... More >>

• Married in Berdichev

  published August 16, 2007

  On Friends and Lovers, Married in Berdichev's last release, Brittany Gould crafted delicate, hauntingly beautiful pop songs that featured... More >>

• Stung By Bees

  published August 9, 2007

  As the backing guitarist for Sara Thurston's Clotheshorse, David Lack displayed an impressive knack for crafting moods and turning rhythm parts... More >>

• The Ladybug Transistor

  published August 9, 2007

  Nearly a decade before the current wave of nostalgia-tinged music, the Elephant 6 collective almost single-handedly reinterpreted the genius of... More >>

• Goodbye Time Bomb

  published August 2, 2007

  No one burns bridges with as much unwitting determination as Goodbye Time Bomb's David McGhee — except for maybe Roky Erickson and... More >>

• Epileptinomicon

  published August 2, 2007

  Epileptinomicon's latest is kindred to the more cutting-edge releases on the Kranky label or even Denver's own Pteranodon: It's not music so much... More >>

• The Nicotine Fits

  published July 26, 2007

  The musical and cultural time warp of this modern era has cultivated a flood of retro-leaning bands doing third-rate versions of the vital,... More >>

• Raleigh

  published July 26, 2007

  Raleigh's Training Wheels EP is like an indie-rock artichoke: If you peel back the layers of influences, you'll find quite a delectable... More >>

• Littles Paia

  published July 19, 2007

  When Adam Littles was in the Navy Girls, his signature guitar style helped establish that band's unique sound. He carved out a niche with angular... More >>

• American Relay

  published July 12, 2007

  American Relay's stripped-down, two-man approach to the blues isn't particularly innovative. Nonetheless, the way the duo injects grit and earthy... More >>