TV on the Radio exploded brains during the first of two nights at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on July 20. It was SO good, grey matter dripped down the walls. Check the brilliant pics, review and setlist, right here, right now.

US indie heroes Grandaddy are reissuing their first three albums, including superclassic The Sophtware Slump. After I finished doing a happy dance, I chased Jason Lytle down directly to have a wee cyberchat about one of my favest albums. EVER.

Hardcore troubadour Steve Earle was back in town, with a few stories and a full band. And I went backstage. Of course. Please find herein the review, amazing photos by Brittney Kwasney, and a few memories.

What do you get when you put Fucked Up, OFF!, Henry Rollins interviewing Lou Barlow, J. Mascis and Murph on stage, and then a full set of Dinosaur Jr. playing their ‘88 album “BUG” in its entirety at Terminal 5 in NYC on June 23? You get AMAZING. Chris Gersbeck from FuckingNostalgic.com was there to shoot for both of us. Here’s Part 1.

You can be full of shit and still wonderful. Are the UK’s current most-hyped indie rock band WU LYF one or t’other? Or both? Or neither? Read this, have a listen to “Go Tell Fire to the Mountain” and let us know.

Beloved Canadian alt-rockers Wolf Parade have called it quits. Here’s a rundown of their epic, final show in Vancouver, on May 30 at the Commodore Ballroom. Includes truly rad photos by yours truly, and a stage invasion.

Stand up and be counted, YEASAYER. Or sit down. You know, whatever. We’ll just put you in a line up, make you sit on a ratty sofa and in-our-own-heads, drool over you. This is the BackstageRider backstage photoshoot with the awesome Yeasayer.

Wondertwins activate! In the form of… ROCKSTARS! The Kills brought their crunchy, dirty altrock to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on May 8th and, per usual, blew minds. Here are pics from photog Kris Krug (and my iPhone), and a few words on their awesome.

A truly GIGANTIC gig from Kim, Charles, Joey and David of the Pixies in Vancouver on May 3rd, as well as a healthy dose of the warm and fuzzies. Here’s words, video and stellar pics by Brittney Kwasney of Bright Photography.