Kirsten Izer, who was “always making music, since I was 11 years old,” started her career at 18 as a publicist for indie artists. After a while she decided to become a journalist, and interviewed […]
Urban Heat: Could They Be Heroes?
On a refreshingly cool Saturday night in late April, Austin’s Urban Heat is just back from touring the east coast and southwest and about to begin a homecoming set at Hotel Vegas’ outside patio stage. […]
May 2023’s Best Punk: We Have Questions
Welcome to Difficult Fun! Each month, SPIN will spotlight the best punk on the planet and discuss it here, with the ambition of challenging preconceived notions of what the four-letter word actually means and, ideally, […]
The Freewheeling Ascension of Foyer Red
Nobody expected things to go this way for Foyer Red, least of all Foyer Red themselves. The band began casually, an idea hatched earlier but born from pandemic stir craziness. Unable to continue with their […]
SPIN Sessions Presents: Jimkata
As teenagers in their early days, they jammed together in their basement doing covers of Nirvana, Rancid and Rage. Today, they’re the epic force of indie electro-rock known as Jimkata. The trio of Evan Friedell […]
SPIN SETS Presents: Destructo
As one of the creators and producers of the original Electric Daisy Carnival in the early 90’s, electronic artist, producer and DJ Destructo has been a force in dance music for nearly three decades. He […]
Neggy Gemmy’s Rebirth on CBD Reiki Moonbeam Gives L.A.’s Gutter-Glitz Sparkles an Electronic Soundtrack
As she prepared to lower herself into the kiddy pool full of cornstarch, red food coloring and glitter, Lindsey French was only a little concerned. “I was like ‘You guys, what’s going to happen if […]
WHO IS ALEXA DARK
The enigmatically named Alexa Dark is a Spanish-American singer-songwriter who grew up in Europe, the Old World spirit of which she has clearly absorbed. European influence notwithstanding, she admits she can’t cook — not essential […]
Gabe ‘Nandez No Longer Rides Alone
Blue Chips is a monthly rap column that highlights exceptional rising rappers. To read previous columns, click here. Rap rewards groups, crews, and cliques. Semi-free Substacks, the back pages of semi-functioning blogs, and the few […]
April 2023’s Best Punk: It’s Brutal Out Here
Welcome to Difficult Fun! Each month, SPIN will spotlight the best punk on the planet and discuss it here, with the ambition of challenging preconceived notions of what the four-letter word actually means and, ideally, […]
Blast Rites: The Optimist’s Take on Metallica, and More of April’s Best New Metal
Ah, Metallica… Is there any metal band that’s more polarizing? Or any other that commands a fan base remotely as large while attracting a seemingly equal amount of haters? Metallica were my first favorite metal […]
Pearl Jam’s Give Way Is The Jack Irons Showcase We Always Needed
Eddie Vedder once said that drummer Jack Irons saved Pearl Jam from wilting under the pressure of grunge-era superstardom, and you could also make a strong case that the band might not have ever existed […]