The Rise of the House of Usher
by B. Love

The first time I met Usher Raymond was back in 1993 at the Jack the Rapper convention. The 14-year-old R&B prodigy had recently been signed to a recording contract by LaFace Records co-founder L.A. Reid and was there to promote his debut single, “Think Of You”; I was an entry-level marketing rep for BMG Distribution and was there to serve as the go-between between the artists and their adoring fans. Though there was no clear indication at the time of the multi-platinum mega-star he would eventually become, the barely pubescent singer was as slick and polished as a 4-star general’s shoes, greeting other artists and autograph seekers alike with a suave sense of charm that belied his tender age. [ more ... ]

We Want the Punk
Kill Conrad Are Rockers Through and Through
By Thom Plasse

Kill Conrad is a punk band. In music, “punk band” is a loaded phrase if there ever was one. Punk has been one of the most divisive scenes in cotemporary music, throughout all of its dozens of incarnations, from old-school hardcore to psychobilly and pop punk to melodic hardcore. Some will inevitably scoff at the notion of punk in the present tense. To many, punk is a dead scene. I don’t think it’s my place to pass judgment one way or the other, but the fact of the matter is that despite all the condescension leveled at punk from the halls of music criticism and its devotees, there are still more punk bands active than one could ever even begin to think about shaking a stick at. Kill Conrad is an exceptionally good one. Their music is melodic, but not soft. Fast, but controlled. It’s a synthesis of all the best bits of everything that falls under the wide umbrella of punk from the past thirty or so years. [ more ... ]