We Are Scientists are an American band that's bigger in Britain than they are here. They launched their careers around the same time that the Brooklyn dance scene was exploding, and their debut With Love And Squalor took full advantage of that movement with their own take on the genre. That album sped along, delivering a kinetic blur that carried the listener along in its wake. Their follow-up, Brain Thrust Mastery, broadened the band's scope. Its songs were far more varied in color and texture. To our ears the results were less fun but a far richer and more rewarding experience. It was the sort of album that broke indie bands into the mainstream, bridging the gap between hard touring and cushy festival slots. more ›

Memorial Day weekend is nigh! That means summer is officially here and girl-watching season is in full force. We thought we’d dedicate today’s EOYW to all the ladies who make summer worthwhile. Amanda Leigh Moore has been cultivating that girl next door image her entire life. We’re not sure how Mandy has managed to avoid the pitfalls of excess that other Hollywood divas her age seem to revel in, but this movie and television star... more ›

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. Where do ist editors go when they hang up the 'editorial we'? They take on MySpace, apparently. At least Ben Brown does. Austinist reminds of the just rewards of less savory careers this week and then they witness the Arctic Monkeys and We Are... more ›

It’s no secret that dancey rock and/or roll is all the rage with the kids these days. It’s also no secret that the bands practicing this style of music are dealing with critical assaults of the knee-jerk variety. For example, the more loved a band is by the proletariat the more loathed it is by the critical establishment. View the disdain hurled upon groups like The Killers and stellastarr* and the accolades showered upon Bloc... more ›