DAVID BOFFA

Red Sparowes

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:13:09 GMT

Aphorisms | Sargent House
The brainchild of Isis guitarists Jeff Caxide and Bryant Clifford Meyer, this post-rock outfit is inspired by Mao Zedong’s attempted eradication of farm-pestering sparrows in the late 1950s.

Hip-Hop The Hard Way

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:26:49 GMT

The Press Project at Bill's Bar, August 29, 2008
A smidge of DIY-punk ethos was probably the last thing anybody expected Friday at Bill’s Bar: no roadies were spotted as the Press Project's rhythm section set up their own equipment.

Conor Oberst

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:55:59 GMT

Conor Oberst | Merge
It’s just an Omaha boy playing some good old country pop — for once.

Noise in the hood

DAVID BOFFA — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:29:25 GMT

Big Digits and Chinese Stars at Middle East Upstairs, July 5, 2008
A knowing sense of humor emerged between songs, legitimizing the chicanery as mere friendly artistic expression.

Mark Lind and the Unloved

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:48:14 GMT

The Truth Can Be Brutal | Sailor’s Grave
It may all be very familiar, but it’s reassuring and refreshing to know that some people never change.

Monsters unleashed

DAVID BOFFA — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:33:52 GMT

7L + Esoteric at the Middle East Downstairs, June 13, 2008
The best moments came when Eso ran down his action-figure collection — from Silver Surfer to Storm Shadow — while wearing an X-Wing commander helmet.

The Morning Benders

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:12:58 GMT

Talking Through Tin Cans | + 1
It’s an ageless template that works well here.

The Replacements: Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out the Trash;

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:14:05 GMT

Plus, Stink; Hootenanny; Let It Be (Deluxe Editions) | Rhino/Rykodisc
The Replacements have a well-chronicled history of sabotaging their own rock stardom.

Hot Water Music

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:23:32 GMT

Til the Wheels Fall Off | No Idea
If nothing else, it’s a reminder that two guitars playing the same power chords isn’t always a bad thing.

Zox

DAVID BOFFA — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:22:38 GMT

Line in the Sand | SideOneDummy
They may do a fine job of staying in pop-rock mode here, but that’s not one of their strengths.

Chiodos

DAVID BOFFA — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:32:16 GMT

Bone Palace Ballet | Equal Vision
This post-hardcore sextet get their name from three Italian filmmaker brothers best known for an ultra-campy 1988 horror flick about extraterrestrial clowns taking over Earth.

The Heartless Bastards

DAVID BOFFA — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:04:58 GMT

All This Time | Fat Possum
The Heartless Bastards are a Dayton trio fronted by Erika Wennerstrom, an extremely shy woman with the voice of a blues crooner.

Logically speaking

DAVID BOFFA — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 15:50:26 GMT

DJ Logic talks about his Zen moment
The turntablist who taught jam bands to scratch speaks on his new album, the roots of jazz rap, and his New Orleans tribute with Charlie Hunter.

DJ Logic

From Digable Planets to the Roots, jazzing up rap has become a totem of sophistication to hip-hop heads and jam fans alike. DJ Logic has carved out his niche by doing the opposite: rapping up jazz. Emerging on Medeski, Martin and Wood's Combustication, Logic's avant-turntablism instantly breathed some hip-hop swagger into the relatively straight-laced fusion scene. On subsequent solo albums Project Logic and The Anomaly, contributions from jazz and jam artists became a crucial part of Logic's craft — almost every track involved a collabo with one guest artist or another. Zen of Logic, Logic’s latest, is due out Tuesday, and sees some old friends return (Charlie Hunter, John Medeski), some new faces appear (Antibalas), and even features a few true solo works. ThePhoenix.com got a chance to talk with Logic about Zen while he was taking a break from finishing it up.

How were you introduced to DJing and how were you introduced to jazz? Did you discover both at the same time?
I was introduced to DJing first. Growing up in the Bronx, I listened to a lot of hip-hop like “Rapper's Delight.” I would also go to house parties or community centers throughout the city to see my favorite DJs, like Afrika Bambaattaa, spin. I was also into break dancing then, and I thought all the beats they were throwing down were cool. The interaction with the crowd and everybody dancing made me want to be a part of the whole DJ thing. That Christmas, I actually had my parents buy me some equipment, I didn't want anything else besides turntables — no games, no nothing. (Laughs.) I was 15 or 16, going home and putting a mixtape together was my after school activity. I would bring those tapes down the block and let my friends listen, and I'd also exchange mixes with other DJs to keep up my game. That was a good way for me to learn, it made me completely comfortable in what I was doing and made me do it right. I'd also try to find those certain records I heard at parties, like James Brown, Bob James or whatever else they were spinning. Those were the records that made hip hop what it was, and I was proud to discover that.

Goth vs. skronk

DAVID BOFFA — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 15:02:57 GMT

AFI and Dillinger Escape Plan at Avalon
The variation in sonic textures seemed not to matter much -- most likely, it was the point -- and an enthusiastic crowd packed the floor, surfing and slamming to both bands as best they could. AFI, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Nightmare Of You at Avalon, June 20, 2006

The Church

DAVID BOFFA — Wed, 31 May 2006 15:27:07 GMT

Uninvited Like the Clouds | Cooking Vinyl
To say this Aussie foursome’s career path resembles a roller coaster ride is an understatement.

Ghost world

DAVID BOFFA — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 03:41:20 GMT

Fishscale or no Fishscale , Ghostface gets a lot of pussy
“For those who don't know me, I’m known for using soul music,” Ghostface proclaimed. “I get a lot of pussy for it too.”

Anti-Flag

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:34:09 GMT

For Blood and Empire | RCA
Any time a punk band — especially one with Anti-Flag’s legacy — moves to a major label, a backlash from the hardcore DIY faction is bound to ensue.

Dilated Peoples

DAVID BOFFA — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:53:53 GMT

20/20 | Capitol
Since signing with Capitol in 2000, this LA rap trio have been praised and criticized as a powerful underground phenomenon that mainstream hip-hop fans largely ignore.

NOFX

DAVID BOFFA — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:52:41 GMT

Slam and eggs
Sticking to punk convictions is tricky business — something NOFX know all too well.

Flirting with death metal

DAVID BOFFA — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:17:17 GMT

Every Time I Die back on the road
If you inform the guys in Every Time I Die that you can only die once, they'll say you’re full of shit and then tell you a story.