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Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents – Previously known for fronting The Downbeat 5 and The Dents, Jenny Dee is a Boston indie icon. Ditching her punk past for a “girl group” soul direction, her debut EP has already made waves in Spain, where her and band has already toured. Produced by Matt Beaudoin and Q Division’s Ed Valauskas, the recordings are sonically-fitting to tracks like “Let Me Go” and “Keeping Time,” which are presently posted for streaming on MySpace. (myspace.com/jennydeemusic) BOOK: Jerry Heller / Ruthless – Jerry Heller first…

As an official documentary, not authorized by Depeche Mode or their record company, The Dark Progression is stripped-down and dry – no band interviews, no fancy information booklet (in fact no booklet at all), no extra music. This documentary analyzes the progression of the band through the string of four key records – Some Great Reward, Black Celebration, Violator, Songs Of Faith And Devotion – that shaped their career and made them the greatest electronic band of all time. In the absence of band interviews (barring snippets from archived interviews of Martin Gore and Alan Wilder), the story is told…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.]Flicking through my iPod the other day, the landslide of tracks titled with a name caught my attention. Trying to piece these together for a mixtape, however, left me obstacled with an obvious gender imbalance. Save for a handful of tracks, the majority of songs were about some girl or other, and were sung by a male artist. So what causes the gaping divide? It’s really hard to put into words without sounding tyrannically feminist or, oddly enough in my case, misogynistic. Even looking…

As I walked towards 1st Avenue Live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the venue that hosted Trapt, Framing Hanley, Since October, and Inept on Friday, July 17, I was greeted by Since October's road manager. "Are you Paul?" He had caught me geeking out, carrying a Since October CD and a small notebook, and brought us inside to greet Since October's drummer, Audie Grantham. Grantham is an intimidating guy. He's 6'4, around 280 pounds with tattoos up and down his arms and neck. Beyond that, he’s a humble, thoughtful, talented musician who is a member of a band that is on…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Reel Big Fish – Few bands survive having a hit major label album, let alone lasting more than another decade beyond that. Reel Big Fish can not only be heralded for survivors in the music field, but for also remaining consistent as a good times party band. In fact, when seeing them live, even a casual music listener may actually realize they know a lot of songs that Aaron Barrett crew are performing. Presently on the road with the also-legendary Dave Wakeling-fronted The English Beat, Reel Big Fish is…

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…