 | |
Type of site | Music news |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Editor | Matt Sebastian |
| URL | slicingupeyeballs |
| Launched | 2009 |
| Current status | Active |
Slicing Up Eyeballs is an American website dedicated to rock music, in particular 1980s college rock. Founded in 2009 by journalist and music critic Matt Sebastian, the site publishes content including news, interviews, and polls. It has been identified as one of the Internet's most reliable resources for 1980s rock music.
Slicing Up Eyeballs was founded in 2009 by Denver-based writer Matt Sebastian. [1] [2] A graduate of the University of Colorado, Sebastian had a 20-year career at the Daily Camera , where he worked as a music critic and entertainment editor. He also wrote for various newspapers in Utah and the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 2018 joined The Denver Post as an editor. [3] Sebastian has alternately served as a radio presenter, hosting a Sunday night dark wave show for Sirius XM, as well as a Tuesday night show on Strangeways Radio. [2] He penned a guest column for USA Today in 2012, stating, "Slicing Up Eyeballs... is devoted to the genre that first turned me into a lifelong music geek: '80s college rock, aka modern rock, aka alternative rock, aka indie rock." [2] The site takes its name from a lyric in the 1989 Pixies song "Debaser". [1]
The site provides music news, [4] user polls, [5] and interviews with musicians; [6] [7] Erasure singer Andy Bell's official site, in sharing his 2010 interview with Slicing Up Eyeballs, described the page as "brilliantly named". [8] Exclaim! referred to the site as "one of the internet's most dependable resources for '80s rock", [1] while Westword said it "has established itself as one of the best sources around, maybe in the world, for news about '80s college, modern and indie rock". [4] Slicing Up Eyeballs articles have formed the basis of, or have been used as a reference in, pieces by mainstream outlets including the Irish Independent , [9] Clash , [10] Uncut , [11] Spin , [12] Pitchfork , [13] Rolling Stone , [14] NME , [15] Billboard , [16] and BBC America, who noted that a 2012 Slicing Up Eyeballs report about a potential new Kate Bush track caused a "hot fuss". [17] Artists such as Peter Hook, the Alarm and Deathline International have announced or premiered new material through the site, [6] [18] [19] while Martini Ranch's Andrew Rosenthal publicly addressed the death of bandmate Bill Paxton via the page. [20]
In May 2015, Sebastian announced that he would no longer be updating the site, but would maintain the Slicing Up Eyeballs presence on social media. [1] Its retirement was lamented by Newsweek , who featured Slicing Up Eyeballs in an article on "good pop culture sites" that ceased operations in 2015. [21] Sebastian revived the site in February 2017. [22]
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the lineup of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists of Gahan and Gore.
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in 1986 by Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal and David Lovering (drums). The pop sound influenced acts such as Nirvana, Radiohead, the Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of founding duo and principal songwriters Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format to British popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion.
Vincent John Martin, known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously the main songwriter for several groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and the Assembly. In Erasure, he is known for his deadpan and low-key onstage demeanour, often remaining motionless over his keyboard, in sharp contrast to lead vocalist Andy Bell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics.
Daniel Gaston Ash is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He became prominent in the late 1970s as the guitarist for the iconic goth rock band Bauhaus, which spawned two related bands led by Ash: Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets. Recently, he reunited with bandmate Kevin Haskins to form Poptone, a retrospective of their respective careers, featuring Kevin's daughter Diva Dompe on bass. He has also recorded several solo albums. Several guitarists have listed Ash as an influence, including Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction, Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Hide of X Japan and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Martin Lee Gore is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasionally provides lead vocals. Gore possesses a tenor singing voice which contrasts with lead vocalist Dave Gahan's dramatic baritone. He is also known for his flamboyant and (sometimes) androgynous stage persona. Gore has also released several solo albums and collaborated with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke as part of VCMG.
KQKS is a Rhythmic Top 40 radio station, licensed to Lakewood, Colorado. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and serves the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area. KQKS features a musical mix of R&B, hip hop and rhythmic pop hits.
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut studio album, How to Save a Life (2005) was released by Epic Records and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as platinum certification in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Its release was supported by their first hit single, "Over My Head ", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The band saw their furthest success with its follow-up, "How to Save a Life", which peaked at number three on the chart and was also a hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Both songs received Grammy Award nominations: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, respectively.
The Fluid was an American rock band from Denver which formed in 1985, disbanded in 1993, but reconvened in 2008. The group cited the Rolling Stones and MC5 as inspirations for their sound, and was the first group based outside the Pacific Northwest to sign with influential Seattle label Sub Pop.
While Denver may not be as recognized for historical musical prominence like such cities as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago or New York City, it still manages to have a very active popular, jazz, and classical music scene, which has nurtured many artists and genres to regional, national, and even international attention. Though nearby Boulder, Colorado has its own very distinct music scene, they are intertwined and often artists based there also play in Denver.
Organisation is the second studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 24 October 1980 by Dindisc. On Organisation the group worked with a producer for the first time, enlisting former Gong bass player Mike Howlett, while session musician Malcolm Holmes became the band's full-time drummer. The record is noted for its dark, melancholic tone in comparison to other OMD releases.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the debut studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 22 February 1980 by Dindisc. Recorded at the group's Liverpool studio, it showcased their minimal synth-pop style and peaked at number 27 on the UK Albums Chart. "Electricity" and "Red Frame/White Light" were released as singles; a re-recorded version of "Messages" provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13.
"If You Leave" is a 1986 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). It was recorded for the soundtrack to the film Pretty in Pink (1986), in which it is played prominently during the final scene. Along with 1980's "Enola Gay", the track has been described as OMD's signature song.
"Enola Gay" is an anti-war song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and the only single taken from their second studio album Organisation (1980). Written by lead vocalist and bassist Andy McCluskey, it addresses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the aircraft Enola Gay on 6 August 1945, toward the conclusion of World War II. As is typical of early OMD singles, the song features a melodic synthesizer break instead of a sung chorus.
"Tesla Girls" is a song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the third single from their fifth studio album, Junk Culture (1984). It peaked at No. 21 in the UK and Ireland, and No. 8 on the Dutch Top 40. Although only moderately successful on the charts, it became one of the group's biggest club hits.
"(Forever) Live and Die" is a 1986 song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single from their seventh studio album, The Pacific Age. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. The single peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It was a top 10 hit in Canada and several European territories, and a top 20 hit in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
"Dreaming" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark initially released in January 1988 as a single from their compilation album The Best of OMD.
Maris the Great is a promotional performance artist based in Denver, Colorado, and "undead" frontman for the punk rock band, Maris the Great and the Faggots of Death. He promotes bands through interviews on his website, MarisTheGreat.com. The interviews end with the fictional murder of the featured band and graphic photos of their demise. Notable bands he has interviewed include Kittie, Comeback Kid, and Throwdown. Maris refers to himself as "Headbanger and Zombie Fag Extraordinaire," for his musical preferences and outspoken homosexuality. He is known for his refusal to break character or appear without makeup in public.
Robert "Bob Rob" Medina is an American artist, author, musician and educator.
Deathline International are an American industrial rock group based in Oakland, California, known for experimenting with multiple electronic music styles. The original nucleus of the band comprised composers Shawn Brice and Christian Petke. The band released five studio albums on COP International: Reality Check (1993), Zarathoustra (1995), Arashi Syndrom (1997), Cybrid (2001), Pax Americana (2022).