Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. He was the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice for 37 years, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music; he was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world–when he talks, people listen."
The Moon & Antarctica is the third studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse, released on June 13, 2000, by Epic Records. The album's title is taken from the opening scene of the 1982 film Blade Runner, where the main character reads a newspaper headlined "Farming the Oceans, the Moon and Antarctica".
Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
More Adventurous is the third studio album by American indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Released on August 17, 2004 by Brute/Beaute Records, a self-made imprint distributed by Warner Records, it was the band's major label debut.
Mint Records is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based independent record label founded in 1991, by friends and campus radio enthusiasts Randy Iwata and Bill Baker. Mint has put out over 150 releases, several of which have won Juno Awards.
Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper The Village Voice and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year absence from the Voice, each year from 1974 onward. The polls are tabulated from the submitted year-end top 10 lists of hundreds of music critics. It was named in acknowledgement of the defunct magazine Jazz & Pop, and adopted the ratings system used in that publication's annual critics poll.
Fishbone is the recording debut of alternative group Fishbone. This six-song EP was released in 1985 and captures the band at the height of their early funk/ska era. The track "Party at Ground Zero" remains one of the band's most popular tracks.
The Ghost of Fashion is the third album by indie rock band Clem Snide. The song "Ice Cube" was released as a single in Europe, and the song "Moment in the Sun" was used as the theme song during the second season of the NBC television program Ed, later spawning an EP of the same title.
The Moldy Peaches is the debut album by American indie rock band the Moldy Peaches. It was primarily recorded in a basement in Port Townsend, Washington, and was released in 2001. The album has the dubious distinction of being released in the United States on September 11, 2001, the date of the attacks on the World Trade Center, while coincidentally featuring a song called "NYC's Like a Graveyard".
Ass Ponys was an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their sound combines rock and country into an off-kilter blend of Americana music. They have gone on national tours with bands such as Pavement, Throwing Muses, and Possum Dixon. Among other periodicals, they have been featured in Rolling Stone, CMJ, and The Cincinnati Post.
Shakill's Warrior is an album by David Murray released on the DIW/Columbia label in 1991. It features eight quartet performances by Murray with Stanley Franks, Don Pullen, and Andrew Cyrille.
Black Eye is the only full-length studio album by the English punk rock band Fluffy, released in 1996 by The Enclave. It was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London and produced by punk rock veteran Bill Price, who had recorded albums by Sex Pistols and the Clash. The album was recorded live in the studio and the music was not arranged by the producer in order to achieve a rough, live sound. The record contains loud punk songs that explore social issues such as sex and abuse.
Wussy is an American four-piece indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2001. The band consists of Chuck Cleaver (vocals/guitar), Lisa Walker (vocals/guitar), Joe Klug (drums) and Mark Messerly (bass). Former members include Dawn Burman (drums) and John Erhardt. Cleaver and Walker write most of the songs and either alternate lead vocals or sing them in harmony. Live performances feature the two vocalists having a "combative rapport". They have released seven albums, one live album, two EPs, one mini LP and a number of singles. The group has received critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Robert Christgau, Chicago, and SPIN.
Charles James Cleaver is an American songwriter, singer and guitarist, best known as a member of the Cincinnati-based bands Ass Ponys and Wussy.
Attica! is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Wussy. It was released on May 5, 2014 on Damnably in the United Kingdom, making it their first studio album to be released there, and the following day on Shake It Records in the United States.
Lohio is the sixth and final studio album by Ohio-based indie rock band Ass Ponys. It was released on June 12, 2001, on Checkered Past Records. It was produced by Brad Jones, who also produced their previous album, Some Stupid with a Flare Gun. Ass Ponys frontman Chuck Cleaver thought that the album was the Ass Ponys' best, which was one reason the band disbanded soon after it was released.
The Known Universe is the fourth studio album by Cincinnati-based indie rock band Ass Ponys, released in April 1996 on A&M Records. It was the band's second album for A&M, and was produced by the Afghan Whigs' John Curley.
Electric Rock Music is the third album, and major-label debut, by Cincinnati-based rock band Ass Ponys. It was released in 1994 on A&M Records. It was produced by John Curley of the Afghan Whigs, at whose Ultrasuede Studio the album was recorded. The band was planning to self-release the album after they recorded it, but then they landed an unexpected deal with A&M when Jeff Suhy, one of the label's representatives, called the band's frontman, Chuck Cleaver on the phone. Suhy told Cleaver that he had pitched a recording of the album to A&M executives, and that they had approved it for release.
Grim is the second studio album by Cincinnati, Ohio-based indie rock band Ass Ponys. It was originally released in 1992 on OKra Records, and was re-released by Safe House Records in 1993.
Mr. Superlove is the debut studio album by Cincinnati, Ohio-based indie rock band Ass Ponys. It was originally released in 1990 on OKra Records, and was subsequently reissued by Anyway Records with several bonus tracks. It was produced by the Afghan Whigs' bassist John Curley, and was recorded in his house. Upon its initial release, the album became a commercial flop due to distribution problems. In 2006, select remastered songs from the album and its follow-up, Grim, along with various new outtakes, covers, and live versions, were released by Shake It Records on the album The Okra Years.
