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Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Meeting Of Important People – Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, Meeting Of Important People is a trio that leans in the indie-pop direction. In turn, it is not surprising to report that the band has shared the stage with Blonde Redhead and Secret Machines. Start with tracks five (“Dead Man”) and seven (“Mothers Pay More”) from the self-titled debut and see if you dig the vocals and songwriting of frontman Josh Verbanets as much as this columnist does. (myspace.com/meetingofimportantpeople) BOOK: Leo Babauta / The Power Of Less – Founder of…

New York electronica group Puracane has a new album out called I've Been Here The Longest. Recently the Vault's Vish Iyer had the chance to chat with frontwoman Ali Rogers about the band, herself and the new record.  (You can hear the interview in its entirety on live365 here.) Daily Vault: I want to ask you about your cover of “Summertime Rolls,” the Jane’s Addiction song. As you know, the original song is a psychedelic grandiose epic. Now I wouldn’t associate Puracane as a psychedelic dance band. And the way your version has turned out, it’s almost entirely the opposite.…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Cheap Trick / The Latest – Recently celebrating their 35th anniversary as a rock & roll super-power, Cheap Trick is still recording and touring as much as ever. Presently on the road with Def Leppard, the Rockford quartet is out there in support of their new studio album, The Latest. Track two, “When The Lights Are Out,” is a Slade cover mixed with elements of long-time fan favorite “Elo Kiddies.” Summer movie fans will also be able to catch Cheap Trick’s music in the new Transformers movie, for which…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.]The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” is a shining example of the art of the stalker song with its ambiguous lyrics that make you think twice about whether you’re listening to something sweet or sinister. The late ‘70s saw Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” and Blondie’s “One Way Or Another” prove that anything catchy and up-tempo could be instantly forgiven for having a bedrock of macabre.  The stalker track aims to leave its listener somewhere in the region of sympathy, but…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Metric / Fantasies -- Fantasies is the fourth album by Canadian band Metric, and perhaps their strongest yet. Delivering more of the same sweet, catchy, keyboard-heavy pop-rock that Metric fans have come to expect, frontwoman Emily Haines sings in a way that seems personalized yet also ready for the masses. Lead-off track “Help I’m Alive” and the Stones/Beatles-referencing “Gimme Sympathy” are great starting points for the uninitiated. (myspace.com/metric) BOOK: Evelyn McFarlane & James Saywell / If…, Volume 2 – Admittedly I’m many years late on this title, having recently…

It’s 1976, and guitar player Daniel Travers is twenty. He lives in a suburb of Sacramento, wrestling with the loss of his brother in Vietnam, an alcoholic mother, a dependence on speed and a very dysfunctional band who might be either on the brink of making it or on the brink of complete implosion. Anyone who’s been in a band can appreciate the details author Roger Trott uses to flesh out Dan’s dysfunctional family of musicians. Dan is too full of personal angst and confusion to effectively manage his role as ad-hoc band leader, and finds himself struggling between following…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – A New York City-based band long ago trumpeted by The L Magazine, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are now making waves internationally. On its self-titled Slumberland Records-releasing album, the quartet showcases a sound that many refer to as “dream pop,” “twee” or “shoegaze.” In layman’s terms, this means ethereally-poppy rock songs that carry a fair amount of reverb; and in the case of TPOBPAH, cute dual male-female vocals. Start with “Young Adult Friction” and perhaps you’ll see why this…

Perhaps, way back in 2003 when "supergroup" The Bens -- consisting of Ben Folds, Ben Kweller and Ben Lee -- were touring Australia, they got ridiculously drunk and concocted a few outlandish dares for each to achieve in their solo careers. We didn't have to wait long for Folds' WTF moment - his William Shatner collaboration, a surprising success, followed in 2004. Ben Lee's moment of craziness came this year, with a concept album of sorts about femininity that was cringe-inducingly bad. As for Kweller , his shift was less of a surprise: he embraced the country tinge that has…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Fastball / Little White Lies – Fastball first came into the public’s consciousness in the late 1990s with hit singles like “The Way,” “You’re An Ocean” and “Out Of My Head.” Having recently released their fifth full-length, Little While Lies, the Austin-based band is active as ever. As evidenced by a performance this writer was able to attend at Manhattan’s City Winery, the hooks of Miles Zuniga and Tony Scalzo remain appealing, energetic and harmony-driven as ever. (fastballtheband.com) BOOK: Tom Davis / Thirty-Nine Years Of Short-Term Memory Loss –…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:ALBUM: Guns ‘N Roses / Chinese Democracy – Released in late 2008, I am late to the game in realizing the greatness of this album. Is it 14-years-in-the-making great? That is an entirely subjective matter, but “Better” has to be one of the best singles I have heard in recent years. Fingers crossed that GNR can hit the road for a summer 2009 tour in support of the album. (gunsnroses.com) BOOK: Greg Prato / Grunge Is Dead – At the polar opposite of Chinese Democracy – in spite of participation…