Premiere: The Indecent, 'Here Comes Another'

Premiere: The Indecent, 'Here Comes Another'Aggressive family band finds a distorted new perspective $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Stop us if you've heard this one before: the Indecent is a family band. However, this is no casual gimmick: triplets Emily, Madeline and Bo Brout have played music together since early childhood, and they linked up with drummer Nicholas Burrows many years later to form the band.

With their new video for "Here Comes Another," the heavy alt-rockers sought a distorted new perspective for both the lyrics and the clip. "I wrote the lyrics to this song with Bo. We wrote it from the perspective of our dog," Emily tells Rolling Stone. "The video concept was pretty simple: turn absolutely everything upside down. Not only does this change of gravity blend nicely with the feel of the song, I also think it's visually stimulating without being too distracting."

"Here Comes Another" is on the Indecent's forthcoming EP, Control, out September 18th.

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Premiere: The Indecent, 'Here Comes Another'

Premiere: The Indecent, 'Here Comes Another'Aggressive family band finds a distorted new perspective $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Stop us if you've heard this one before: the Indecent is a family band. However, this is no casual gimmick: triplets Emily, Madeline and Bo Brout have played music together since early childhood, and they linked up with drummer Nicholas Burrows many years later to form the band.

With their new video for "Here Comes Another," the heavy alt-rockers sought a distorted new perspective for both the lyrics and the clip. "I wrote the lyrics to this song with Bo. We wrote it from the perspective of our dog," Emily tells Rolling Stone. "The video concept was pretty simple: turn absolutely everything upside down. Not only does this change of gravity blend nicely with the feel of the song, I also think it's visually stimulating without being too distracting."

"Here Comes Another" is on the Indecent's forthcoming EP, Control, out September 18th.

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DMX Comes Correct in Stage Return

DMX performs at S.O.B.'s in New York City.

Near the end of DMX's set last night at S.O.B.'s in New York, the returning rapper talked about the power of his craft. "I could fight off the Devil with the spoken word," he professed. Out of the spotlight for some time, he's had his share of demons to deal with - but throughout the night, X made it clear that his penchant for words is still his saving grace.

As fans piled into S.O.B.'s, tensions were palpable. A female DJ spun a scattered mix of bombastic rap and pop-rock between three nu-metal bands. The audience was as polite as a New York rap crowd can be, but by the second hour of shrieking and shredding, "D-M-X!" chants filled the sold-out hall.

Some ticketholders questioned whether the enigmatic rapper would show at all. Over the past decade, X has become as notorious for his bizarre, inebriated performances as he once was for his blistering lyricism and hulking movie roles. But the Dog soon found his way home, delivering a raucous, compelling, near-flawless performance that at once emphasized how much hip-hop has changed without him and how much he's grown for it.

Random Notes:  Hottest Rock Pictures

DMX wasted no time running through his back catalog of hits, opening with mid-career gems "We Right Here" and "Who We Be." The frenzied audience barked rhymes back at the rapper without missing a word, and a fever pitch ensued when longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz joined the stage to perform their signature "Ruff Ryders Anthem." Swizz hyped X through legendary club bangers "Get It on the Floor" and "Get At Me Dog," before the two joined in deep embrace.

"Ain't nothing like being on stage with people that love you, people that understand you," DMX professed as Swizz took a seat on stage. Although their professional paths clearly forked long ago – Swizz was fresh from a Korean press conference, draped in his own Basquiat-inspired Reebok apparel – their chemistry felt as potent as ever.

Much of DMX's material, always ripe with autobiography, has become more poignant with age. "Stop Being Greedy," from his 1998 debut It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, found new relevance in today's political climate. "Y'all been eating long enough now, stop being greedy/ Let's keep it real partner, give to the needy," he rhymed, nodding to Occupiers across the nation. X appeared to have crystallized from the turn of the century, and the sea of stationary camera phones flanking him seemed almost out of place.

Mainstream hip-hop today feels much like it did when DMX first arrived at the dusk of Diddy's Bad Boy era: decadence and excess are the ideology, laid over a palatable melding of dance beats and R&B progressions. It's hard to imagine that X's narratives of struggle, poverty and conflict were once fodder for platinum albums and pop stardom. The irony wasn't lost on him: "Why do rappers nowadays just talk about everything they already got?" he asked rhetorically. "You got Patron in your cup? Good for you! But if you keep putting it in my face, I'm gon' take it from you."

The comments rang heavy after an interview that morning on New York's Power 105.1, during which he dismissed Rick Ross as a one-dimensional lyricist and scoffed at Drake. When one fan instigated from the crowd, DMX smirked. "Is [Drake] here? Nah? Well, there's no use talking behind his back then."

Despite such detours, the overall atmosphere was jubilant and celebratory. He cracked jokes, flirted with female admirers (in his own special way: "Sometimes you just gotta pull your dick out like 'Yeah, yeah, what you think of this?'"), and even passed around a bottle of Hennessy to the first few rows, insisting they all "sip, then pass." He took a few swigs himself, but the fit, sharp-witted DMX on display seemed a far cry from the substance-addled man that made headlines in recent years. He appeared very sober, and very happy.

DMX seemed eager to begin a new chapter of his life and career. He tested out some new material from  Undisputed, his album tentatively due in the spring, including the Biggie-sampling thumper "Time to Get Paid" and the previously released "I Don't Dance." The response was lukewarm at best, but the crowd remained on his side as he launched into "Party Up," the biggest hit of his career and the most rambunctious moment of the night.

"There's nothing better than this, man," he sighed, before dimming the lights to perform the deeply introspective "Slippin'." For the first time in ages, New York City believed him.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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DMX Comes Correct in Stage Return

DMX performs at S.O.B.'s in New York City.

Near the end of DMX's set last night at S.O.B.'s in New York, the returning rapper talked about the power of his craft. "I could fight off the Devil with the spoken word," he professed. Out of the spotlight for some time, he's had his share of demons to deal with - but throughout the night, X made it clear that his penchant for words is still his saving grace.

As fans piled into S.O.B.'s, tensions were palpable. A female DJ spun a scattered mix of bombastic rap and pop-rock between three nu-metal bands. The audience was as polite as a New York rap crowd can be, but by the second hour of shrieking and shredding, "D-M-X!" chants filled the sold-out hall.

Some ticketholders questioned whether the enigmatic rapper would show at all. Over the past decade, X has become as notorious for his bizarre, inebriated performances as he once was for his blistering lyricism and hulking movie roles. But the Dog soon found his way home, delivering a raucous, compelling, near-flawless performance that at once emphasized how much hip-hop has changed without him and how much he's grown for it.

Random Notes:  Hottest Rock Pictures

DMX wasted no time running through his back catalog of hits, opening with mid-career gems "We Right Here" and "Who We Be." The frenzied audience barked rhymes back at the rapper without missing a word, and a fever pitch ensued when longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz joined the stage to perform their signature "Ruff Ryders Anthem." Swizz hyped X through legendary club bangers "Get It on the Floor" and "Get At Me Dog," before the two joined in deep embrace.

"Ain't nothing like being on stage with people that love you, people that understand you," DMX professed as Swizz took a seat on stage. Although their professional paths clearly forked long ago – Swizz was fresh from a Korean press conference, draped in his own Basquiat-inspired Reebok apparel – their chemistry felt as potent as ever.

Much of DMX's material, always ripe with autobiography, has become more poignant with age. "Stop Being Greedy," from his 1998 debut It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, found new relevance in today's political climate. "Y'all been eating long enough now, stop being greedy/ Let's keep it real partner, give to the needy," he rhymed, nodding to Occupiers across the nation. X appeared to have crystallized from the turn of the century, and the sea of stationary camera phones flanking him seemed almost out of place.

Mainstream hip-hop today feels much like it did when DMX first arrived at the dusk of Diddy's Bad Boy era: decadence and excess are the ideology, laid over a palatable melding of dance beats and R&B progressions. It's hard to imagine that X's narratives of struggle, poverty and conflict were once fodder for platinum albums and pop stardom. The irony wasn't lost on him: "Why do rappers nowadays just talk about everything they already got?" he asked rhetorically. "You got Patron in your cup? Good for you! But if you keep putting it in my face, I'm gon' take it from you."

The comments rang heavy after an interview that morning on New York's Power 105.1, during which he dismissed Rick Ross as a one-dimensional lyricist and scoffed at Drake. When one fan instigated from the crowd, DMX smirked. "Is [Drake] here? Nah? Well, there's no use talking behind his back then."

Despite such detours, the overall atmosphere was jubilant and celebratory. He cracked jokes, flirted with female admirers (in his own special way: "Sometimes you just gotta pull your dick out like 'Yeah, yeah, what you think of this?'"), and even passed around a bottle of Hennessy to the first few rows, insisting they all "sip, then pass." He took a few swigs himself, but the fit, sharp-witted DMX on display seemed a far cry from the substance-addled man that made headlines in recent years. He appeared very sober, and very happy.

DMX seemed eager to begin a new chapter of his life and career. He tested out some new material from  Undisputed, his album tentatively due in the spring, including the Biggie-sampling thumper "Time to Get Paid" and the previously released "I Don't Dance." The response was lukewarm at best, but the crowd remained on his side as he launched into "Party Up," the biggest hit of his career and the most rambunctious moment of the night.

"There's nothing better than this, man," he sighed, before dimming the lights to perform the deeply introspective "Slippin'." For the first time in ages, New York City believed him.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon MP3 Download Center

Read more »

'American Idol' Recap: Portland Comes Alive

Portland contestant Britnee Kellogg(left) performs in front of the judges on 'American Idol.'

Welcome back the eleventh season of American Idol and the eleventy billionth round of auditions. I am slightly (completely) irrationally excited that Idol is visiting my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I am even more excited that Seacrest has bothered to learn how to properly pronounce the state. (It's "Or-y-gun," if you feel like passing for a Portlandia extra.)

After the establishing shots of bridges, grey skies and cute girls in black-rimmed glasses and straw hats, we meet Brittany Zika. Having never met one before, I couldn't recognize the species right away, but apparently she is a Sara Bareilles fan. Once, she even begged Bareilles via a cardboard sign to let her duet on "Gravity." This gave Brittany the drive to follow her dreams. It's the best thing that cardboard's done since holding up my pizza. Now nothing is going to stop Brittany – except the stage when she trips on it. Brittany sings (not a Sara Bareilles song) and Jennifer Lopez declares that she has one of the prettiest voices they've heard. The girl looks sincerely stunned by this and, you know, it is nice to see sincere sincerity on a reality show.

Brittany was good, so a gag contestant had to be next in order to balance the scales of reality show justice. Meet poor, disgusting Ben, who has a cold and no shortage of burping, nose-blowing and on-camera booger-wiping to fill a montage. (Missed product placement opportunity: Tissues not sponsored by Kleenex.) You know he is going to be awful, and he is. He blames the head cold, I blame a lack of strong parental guidance to tell him he can't sing.  

Next is a guy named …oh jeez, you know that scene in Meatballs where Bill Murray gives his most inspirational speech ever and reminds every little camper across the land that "It just doesn't matter! It just doesn’t matter!"? That's how I feel about this guy's name. Seriously, it just doesn't matter, he's lamentable and boring and Steven Tyler hits a button and the guy drops through the floor straight back to his day job.

Jermaine Jones has Andre the Giant's proportions, loves his mom and the Carpenters and delivers a soulful version of their song "Superstar." While he has a natural gift for singing, he has no natural antiperspirant. If "The River" were a song, it would be this guy. The judges love him but recommend investing in some maximum strength deodorant. Are you listening, Old Spice?

The next day, to prove that we are still in Portland, they play "Float On" by Modest Mouse, who is (now) a Portland band. Then J. Lo comes in all atwitter because she has no black tights. No black tights? How can she judge people's singing talent with bare legs? It's impossible! Eventually, they order an intern to give J. Lo her tights and the judges finally get around to, you know, judging.

First contestant on Day Two is single mom Britnee Kellogg. One of her two kids grabs the mic and says, "My mommy is the next American Idol," which seals his position as favorite child. Britnee tells the judges her tale of love gone wrong and a man gone wronger, and J.Lo looks heartbroken. Britnee's song choice of "You're No Good," cracks everyone up, except probably her ex. After she is through to Hollywood, Britnee does something very canny and asks J. Lo for celebrity parenting advice. J. Lo makes sure America knows that her children and her mother are all outside. Noted!

Sam Gershman of Clarksville, Maryland, strikes Randy Jackson's anti-Broadway nerve and Steven's anti-perky nerve. After her bubbly performance of a song straight off the Great White Way, Steven announces, "You're going to make a good Easter Bunny," to which she replies, "Well, I'm Jewish." Which is possibly the funniest thing ever said on Idol. Next up is David Weed, who thinks that singing Rush on a show built on the songs of Katy Perry and Stevie Wonder is a good choice. The only thing his version of Geddy Lee will win him is a lifetime of never getting laid. As the judges fluff between contestants, Ryan walks by with a ficus and a camera crew, making the judges laugh. Outside, Ryan giggles that he had to do something to turn the day around. Tree abuse? I don't understand celebrities.

Romeo Diahn has a life story so good, it would make a reality show producer punch an intern. He is from Liberia but fled to a refugee camp in Ghana during the brutal civil war. He was lucky and able to come to the U.S. and follow his dreams of singing Bob Marley on television. Romeo gets a ticket to Hollywood, so if anyone is looking for a (really awful) path to a mercy vote on American Idol, just live in a refugee camp for 10 or 12 years.

Naomi Gillies boldly sings one of Steven's songs, which is neither "Walk This Way" nor "Love in an Elevator." The judges love it, even Steven. Then, in the eternal seesaw of reality TV, after this decent performance we get Ben Harrison, who keeps talking about his self-diagnosed baby face. Ben is adorable, if he does say so himself. And he does. He is terrible in many ways, but mostly in the wild falsetto and the kiss he sent to J.Lo. As he exits, he sees the silver lining: "I didn't puke or pee my pants or any of the stuff I was scared about!" He merely made an ass of himself on national television. NBD.

Ugh, so far Portland is The Worst. Luckily, there is always a ringer at the end to remind us why we spent an hour watching this show. Jessica Phillips steps timidly into the judges' room and tells them about her boyfriend, who had a massive stroke. She is now his caretaker, but it's okay. As tears roll down her cheeks, she claims there is hope and that with prayer she can continue. Fingers crossed she's good, right? Because if she's not, Idol is just a giant bag of assholes. Jessica does an admirable job with Faith Evans' "Again." When she finishes she clenches her fists, takes a deep breath, and braces for the worst the universe can offer.  But she's through to Hollywood. Her boyfriend waits for her outside and hugs her close, which does not make me tear up at all. Nothing to see here, move along. Stop reading now.

Come back tomorrow because it looks like my crazy ex-roommate is auditioning in St. Louis!

Last episode: Highway to the Danger Zone

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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