The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
When I last checked in with The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, he and the band were about to kick off a co-headlining run with shoegaze legends RIDE, performing Between 10th and 11th in full. An outlier in the UK outfit’s catalog, the 1992 record caught on over on these shores, buoyed by the hit single... Continue Reading →
It’s kind of hard to believe this summer marks 20 years since Silversun Pickups dropped their nu gaze classic Carnavas, featuring insta-earworms like “Lazy Eye” and “Well Thought Out Twinkles.” But for Brian Aubert, guitarist and singer for the Los Angeles outfit, the anniversary barely registers, as for him the timeline of the group just... Continue Reading →
Few 78-year-olds in rock and roll have as much going on as Michael Des Barres. But before running down the current résumé – and we’ll get there – it helps to understand where he comes from. And we’re not even talking about the six-century-old French title he carries as the 26th Marquis Des Barres. That’s besides... Continue Reading →
Welcome to Archive, where I’ll be periodically highlighting articles pulled from my files that have either disappeared into the ether of the internet, originally ran in print, or otherwise faded away. Each one will be connecting the past to the present day. Today, it’s a May 2015 LA Weekly interview I did with Nickolas Rossi,... Continue Reading →
Last year, at this time, Vanyaland was doing its annual Year in ReView, and my submission was 12 of the best revelations from our 617 Q&A series. This time around, we revisited the concept, but instead of combing through the interviews for revelatory nuggets, we went straight to the recommendations. If you'll recall, the 617... Continue Reading →
If you’ve followed Everclear at any point over the last three decades, you already know that beneath the sweet-sounding, radio-ready power pop of the Portland, Oregon outfit’s music, frontman Art Alexakis never sugarcoated a damn thing. He’s always been the guy who turned the ugliest parts of his life into songs, ones that just happened to be... Continue Reading →
One of the biggest acts of the initial MTV era, along with Duran Duran, Talking Heads, The Stray Cats, and Pat Benatar, was Men at Work. Led by the Scottish-born Colin Hay, the Australian exports were known for a series of video clips that aired around the clock, filled with peculiar imagery to match the equally idiosyncratic... Continue Reading →
Out of all the bands that were part of the late-’80s/early-‘90s Dischord Records roster, Shudder to Think was one of the least likely to be thrust into the mainstream. But that’s what happened come 1994 when the Washington D.C.-based post-hardcore outfit found their fifth LP, Pony Express Record, released by Epic Records. Even for a label diverse enough... Continue Reading →
Art Alexakis hasn’t had the easiest life. But you don’t need us to tell you that; it’s all in the lyrics to some of the most popular songs by his alternative rock band Everclear. Growing up with an absentee dad? “Father of Mine.” Being a child of divorce? “Wonderful.” Brother succumbing to a heroin overdose and his... Continue Reading →
Before there was The Cult, there was Death Cult, a darker, more gothic iteration of the group that would later become known for hits like “She Sells Sanctuary,” “Fire Woman,” and “Love Removal Machine.” And while a shadowy side existed to the modern version through the years, no matter what musical path they ventured down, it was... Continue Reading →
