The coolest twins in rock (sorry, Nelson) turn 50 on Friday, and Kim and Kelley Deal are celebrating the milestone in style. Today, Kelley tweeted this photo of their birthday cake, with the message, “I’m the one on the left — obviously.” How odd would it be to bite into a frosting rendering of Kim Deal’s umbilical cord? [via Bennett Madison]

We recently got sent a copy of Of Montreal and Regina Spektor multi-instrumental maestro K Ishibashi’s debut solo EP Room for Dream, and were most pleasantly surprised by what we heard. It’s an assured and polished debut, and makes Ishibashi the latest heir to a long rock’n’roll tradition: the sideman/woman who stepped out of the shadows and proved themselves a fine songwriter in their own right. Here’s a selection of ten examples from the annals of contemporary music. Read More »

Many kids dream of growing up as someone else — in a royal family, on a distant planet, or as a movie star. But such aspirations don’t sound quite as fun in the long run as having amazing musicians for parents. By the time most rockers hit 40, they’ve calmed down enough to make a family and have years of experience to draw on for wisdom and guidance. And it’s not just any experience — the music industry often throws curve balls at its participants, and any parent who has had to contend with predatory label reps or getting their gear stolen on tour knows a thing or two more about overcoming obstacles than the average mom or dad does. Living in one of these seven artists’ households means a great record collection and a creative atmosphere to keep you company — even when you’re grounded.

Read More »

Jim DeRogatis, veteran Chicago Sun-Times music critic, has a beef with the Pixies’ latest tour. This time, the band that reunited in 2004 is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its classic album Doolittle by performing the record in full. The notoriously cranky DeRogatis refers to Black Francis, Kim Deal and co. as “a cynical corporation cashing in on blatant nostalgia — a hipper version of Creedence Clearwater Revisited or Journey,” and calls them out for failing to produce any new music in the five years since they’ve been back together. And as far as the show itself goes, well, according to DeRogatis, “None of it was embarrassing, but none of it was extraordinary, either.”

Although we were slightly daunted by this take-down, we showed up optimistic and excited to last night’s Pixies performance at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. And we were far from disappointed. After the jump, we give ten (admittedly Kim Deal-oriented) reasons why Jim DeRogatis is wrong about the Doolittle tour.

Read More »

Start saving your pennies, because the ultimate gift for any Pixies fan is on the way. Pre-orders begin June 15 for Minotaur, a deluxe box set containing all five of the legendary quartet’s studio albums, along with a live DVD from a 1991 London performance and a 54-page book. The whole package comes in a custom slipcase, and is offered by A+R, the same company that produced similar offerings for Nine Inch Nails, Beck, and Sigur Ros. More info and a video trailer for Minotaur after the jump.

Read More »