Contributors

In my four-plus years at AP, I've done quite a few interviews. And while most of the time these interviews are professional and straightforward, sometimes odd, surprising or downright funny things are said into my tape recorder. I recently did an interview that had a few of my coworkers laughing out loud when I shared […]

I’m pretty sure that my all-time, No. 1, most far-fetched dream job (aside from senior Pop Tarts taste tester: S’mores Division) is being a writer for a TV show. But it’s not like 30 Rock or Breaking Bad ever post openings on Craigslist. For better or worse, I’m resigned to the fact that watching the […]

See, the problem with the '90s is that bands named themselves not ever considering the implications of Google. For example, try locating any information on Franklin. They were a quartet founded in the Philadelphia suburb of Oreland, Pennsylvania, in 1992, playing an extremely unique brand of dub-infused post-hardcore/indie rock for most of the decade, but […]

Okay, clearly, Stars have been around way too long (and I'm too into Canadian indie pop bands such as Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire) for this to be a First(ish) Listen of the band as a whole. But, this past weekend, while I was driving back to Cleveland after spending the weekend on a […]

I've got an attitude problem. Believe you me. I’m cynical, I’m jaded and I instinctively expect the worst in people. I blame it directly and indirectly on student loans, 15 years of girls systematically breaking my heart and the success of Two And A Half Men. But when I go into the comments section of […]

I talk a lot about Weezer. I know this. They're one of those life-changing bands for me. I've been a fan ever since I first heard the Blue Album, and I hold Pinkerton as my all-time favorite record (I own the dang thing on CD, cassette and vinyl, even). So when news broke this week […]

  I’m not feeling particularly surly about anything today. The new issue is done and all I want to do is sit in opaque darkness listening to sound effects records. Instead, I’m going to get nerdy. Since the fantasy sport team community seems to get bigger every year without any shame whatsoever, I figured I’d […]

I have been totally digging Sweden's own version of Bob Dylan for the past six months or so. Kristian Mattson (aka the Tallest Man On Earth) is one of those singer/songwriters that I don't listen to all the time, but whenever I come back to him, it's all I want to hear. I first discovered […]

I pay way more attention to TV commercials than I think is healthy for the average American human. Maybe that’s because I watch way more TV than the average American human. Whereas most people probably barely notice commercials or fast forward their DVR to make them nothing more than a blur of fake smiles, I […]

Disclaimer: I love Jimmy Eat World. Seriously. Whenever I make a list of all-time favorite bands, they're very close to the top, and whenever I make a list of all-time favorite albums, Clarity usually ranks No. 2, right behind Weezer's Pinkerton. However, I think the best fans are critical ones. Adulation breeds complacency. So with […]

In AP, we've told countless stories about bands who have built their careers from scratch, working hard, never giving up and eventually realizing their dreams. Merging their talents with timing, perseverance and a little bit of luck, bands who might've slipped into obscurity have gone on to sell millions of records. Well, it works in […]

There’s only one thing known to man more exhausting and demoralizing than trying to come up with an original band name: trying to come up with an original blog topic. So here we are. As I found myself faced with the latter dilemma, I decided to explore the former. Because, now that I think about […]

Sure, the Berklee College Of Music gave us the Click Five (if you're reading this a few years in the future, it's okay to ask, "Who?"), but don't hold that against it: If it weren't for the institution, we likely never would have had Boston trio Jejune, who formed in the school's halls in 1995 […]

Okay, so, in interest of full-disclosure, this particular blog entry should really be titled “46th(ish) Listen” or something more along those lines. Let’s be real here: I wasn’t this late to the Mumford & Sons party. However, I’m all about giving credit where credit is due, and I first checked out this band after Dave […]

While you were probably out for at least a portion of this summer feeling the grind of warm sand squeeze between your toes, later letting cool evening air descend upon your sunburned face and then staring at starry skies with someone who likes all the same bands as you, I’ve been pretty much in the […]

I've been obsessed with ESPN's 30 For 30 documentary series for months now. For those unfamiliar, ESPN asked 30 filmmakers to each make a documentary about essentially anything sports-related from the past 30 years. There have been some truly incredible films thus far (if you're looking for a good place to start, try The U […]

I can't believe there's only a handful of shows left. Feels like we just started, yet at the same time it seems like we've been in the Warped world for eternity. The crowds on the East Coast are always my favorite, so everyday this past week was a complete blast. There was so much energy […]

  Yow! Keith Buckley’s recent venom-dipped blog on this site is the uzi clip heard around the world—or maybe just Warped Tour Nation. All of his claims are honest in their abject disgust for pop bands, dudes enabled by both Pro Tools and flat irons, and the fans that adore them. Well, here’s the science, […]