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Dub Narcotic survive car crash, dance

Calvin Johnson is not an easy man to talk to. 

Underground hip-hop: A year in review

Throughout this past year, the direction of indie hip-hop has been all over the spectrum. As the genre continues to diversify, more originality and creativity are seen in projects that create their own path in music. Often, these paths criss-cross in the form of interesting collaborative projects, such as the Jaylib album or The Four Horsemen EP, which puts together the haphazard combination of Killah Priest, Ras Kass, Canibus and Kurupt.  

From The Shins to The Strokes, the rest of the Top 15

#2 

Top 15 from bottom of barrel

And so it has come to this. Every week, between 100 and 300 albums are released in the rock genre alone. Every month, a deluge of magazines review them, ranging from the supermarket-shelved Rolling Stone to the Law of Inertia Magazine, which street team members struggle to give away for free in the subways of Boston. And every year, critics use God-like authority to decree top 10, 15 and 25 lists. 

Soul's 'Stories' exceeds expectations

Pretty Girls Make Graves and some 'Romance'

Pretty Girls Make Graves have been touring relentlessly since they formed in late 2001 and the results are clearly evident in their second album, The New Romance. Their sophomore album emerges a lot stronger than 2002's Good Health and shows how far Pretty Girls have come as a band.  

Gardens offer blooming attractions

Madison is a multi-faceted city with something for everyone, even during the quieter summer months when most of the students are gone. Huge lakes attract anglers, water skiers and sunbathers. Winding trails and paths throughout the city provide routes for bikers, runners and those looking for a bit of solitude. Summer attractions often overlooked by students milling around campus are the city gardens, currently in full bloom. They present a fragrant and refreshing alternative to those looking for ways to spend a sunny afternoon. 

Boomkat should stop making music

Calvin Johnson a treasure of the indie rock scene

I know very few people who would die for rock 'n' roll. In fact, I know very few people who would volunteer to even be mildly inconvenienced in the name of rock 'n' roll. It's an unlikely comfort, then, that one of my personal heroes, Calvin Johnson, was willing to sacrifice a finger for the music that's been such a large part of his life for the last two decades. 

Political rock: the Reagan era

While the 1980s were the ultimate hangover of a decade musicwise, a few musicians managed to crawl out of the deep shadows of those 10 years and produce music worth reacting to. The politics had a different temperament. The conflicts were not as divisive. Having Grenada instead of Iraq and the war on drugs instead of the war on terror, the need to make the public aware through music persisted, as it always had. Between Reagan, his trickle-down economics, apartheid and the savings and loan scandal, there were plenty of issues to tackle and tear apart. Shining a light on an otherwise dim time, Cardinal Arts brings you political 80s music. 

'Handbook' a lesson for those less than hip

Hipsters are everywhere. At the coffee shop, wearing large headphones and reading Martin Amis. At a dive bar, drinking ironically, cradling their cans of Pabst.  

'Make Up' feeling the Hot Hot Heat

The Music's too big

It may not be punk, but 'Something's in the air

Released last May, marked the mainstream debut of southern California's Something Corporate. The collection of five guys fresh out of high school coming together to put forth a rock sound with obvious pop, punk and emo influences. 

BOYSETSFIRE, but only singes

'Yeah,' say it twice more

Paul Barman rambles esoterically, like Pericles

First gaining attention with the Prince Paul-produced It's Very Stimulating EP, MC Paul Barman succeeds in turning most hip-hop conventions on their head. An Ivy League-educated rapper born in New Jersey, his frantic wordplay and rapidly esoteric lyrics capture the listener's ear like few others.  

Expect high levels of (Smog) this Friday

Besides Pavement, no band from the early '90s was more essential than (Smog) in ushering in the lo-fi sound that dominated the era. Essentially comprised of lead singer/guitarist Bill Callahan and a rotating group of backing musicians, (Smog) recorded their first three albums'including the classic Julius Caesar'in the confines of their own home. As the '90s grew older, Callahan grew up, collaborated with producer Jim O'Rourke and expanded his sound to a more lush and full experience.  

McNally seeks new direction

Shannon McNally's not-unique-but-still-charming mix of country and adult contemporary pop first burst onto the scene last spring with the release of her debut album Jukebox Sparrows. After spending the summer opening for John Mellencamp, she has released a new EP, Ran On Pure Lightning, with her guitar player Neal Casal. Long on intimate atmosphere, the result is more bluegrassy than her first effort. Her tour in support of the album starts Friday in Madison at Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave, and she took a break from her rehearsals to chat with the Cardinal. 

Hit the Pavement or catch a Jet to get these albums