Piercing, regal, smooth, sharp - talented. Joanna Newsom is likely to be unlike anything you have ever heard. A master of the harp, Joanna Newsom’s melodies flow as smooth as silk and epitomizes what it means to have a welcoming sound.
Her vocals however, are anything but smooth and welcoming. The best way to describe listening to Joanna Newsom sing would be to imagine hearing something in between the shriek of a freshly stepped on dog and the red-haired woman who answers phones in Office Space.
The first song I heard of …

With a sea of hardcore-punk bands in the world, it is hard to stand out.  Richmond, Virginia’s Government Warning doesn’t have this problem.  While their sound is heavily influenced by 80’s hardcore bands such as Necros, Black Flag, and Minor Threat, they have revamped the style and have made it relevant for the 21st century.  All of their records are worth checking out, but their debut LP No Moderation on Feral Ward is one of the best hardcore records released in the last few years.
Here is a video of Government …

When someone finds out you are from Buffalo, there is a good chance they will make some remark about the famously cold winters and question why you live there.  While the winters in Buffalo can sometimes become unbearable, it gives us an excuse to stay inside and work on creative endeavors.  Maybe this is why Buffalo continuously produces so many talented musicians.
Two shining examples of this are Lisa and Phil, an adorable married couple who play together in Red Tag Rummage Sale.  Lisa’s  smooth cello sound meshes with Phil’s carefully …

With a young and growing blog such as Rapid Transit Radio, we are constantly trying new things out.  While weekly features and writers may change from time to time, one thing that will always remain the same is our dedication to cover new, up and coming, and talented bands.  As I’m sitting here working on my next post, I wondered to myself what the readers of Rapid Transit Radio would like to see covered on the blog.
What bands/aspects of music would you like to see covered on Rapid Transit Radio?

Typical of a Friday night in Berkeley, it was nearly impossible to find parking. I have a love hate relationship with the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. I hate getting to the Greek Theatre, but I love the Greek Theatre itself. Upon arrival though, my road rage dies down and is soon forgotten as the band takes the stage. Tonight was no different, especially considering that it was a completely sold out Sigur Ros show (capacity at the theatre is 8,000). The theatre is set on a hill and cement rows …

This is going to be a new weekly feature at Rapid Transit Radio.  Every week, one of our writers is going to do a rundown of a few bands they have been listening to lately with links to where you can check them out.  Without further adieu, here is my mix for this week:
1. Last Days of April- For the longest time, I only had (and listened to constantly) their album Angel Youth.  That album is so perfect that I never desired to seek out anything else by them until …

It’s been a long time since I have seen or heard a new metal band that has kept my attention for longer than a few minutes.  The last place I expected to see a good metal band is opening up for Fucked Up.  When Bison B.C. first hit the stage at Mohawk Place, the only thing on my mind was that I hoped their set was short because I was really anxious to see Fucked Up.  To my pleasant surprise, they were really good and heavy as fuck.  They definitely …

On October 14th 2008, Fucked Up played a soon to be legendary 12 hour free show in New York City.  Throughout the day they were joined by friends of theirs from the Cro-Mags, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls, Les Savy Fav, and many more.  Rhapsody, one of the sponsors of the show, have released a teaser with some of the footage captured throughout the day.  Judging by this short video, it looks like this show will be talked about for years to come.

One of the greatest crimes Hollywood has ever committed is how they constantly put fake or bad bands into movies, such as The Lone Rangers in Airheads, the rooftop band in Empire Records, or the wannabe Rage Against the Machine band in Hackers.  Luckily for music fans, every once in a while there will be an actual band with talent in a movie.  While this has happened many times, here is a few of the most notable incidents:
1. The Donnas in Drive Me Crazy and Jawbreaker- Two great teen movies, …

If you are like me and heard Duster back in 1998 when Up Records released Stratosphere you probably have the same estrangement. The disorganized names underneath the pictures, the commercial jets, the architecture, and never knowing if they were from Seattle or California.