They've finally returned.All dates below:Sep 5 - BostonThe Paradise Rock ClubSep 7 - TorontoVirgin FestivalSep 8 - PhiladelphiaWorld Cafe LiveSep 9 - New York CityWebster HallSep 11 - WashingtonThe 9:30 ClubSep 12 - PittsburghMr Small's TheatreSep 13 - ChicagoMetroSep 16 - Los AngelesHenry Fonda TheatreSep 17 - San FranciscoGreat American Music HallSep 19 - PortlandWonder BallroomSep 20 - VancouverCommodore BallroomSep 21 - SeattleShowbox MarketVisit Stereophonics on MySpace.MP3: Stereophonics - Summer... - Source

KASABIAN are easily one of our favorite bands of the past year. Any record that makes our 2004 poll as one of the year's best has to be good... the fact that Kasabian managed to do it without a US release is even more impressive. Finally, that situation is rectified. The record's out in the States on March 8 (at a reduced price!), and the band is embarking on their first US tour opening for The Music. We were EXTREMELY excited to have our Shane sit down with Kasabian bassist Chris Edwards for a chat just prior to the tour's East Coast kickstart. Just expand this article by clicking "READ MORE" to check out the interview.

"Exciting, Thrilling, Confusing"
Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell spills about how their first American tour is going.
Interview by Amanda Van West, photos by Nancy Elser

"Hey girl, get on the dancefloor/And rip it up, yeah/That's what it's there for!" commanded Johnny Borrell, the frontman for new U.K. sensation Razorlight, as they launched into "Rip It Up" from their recently released album "Up All Night". The crowd happily obliged. Razorlight tore through an exhilarating hour-long set, and lived up to the hype that they have received in the U.K. Guitarist Bjorn Agren and bass player Carl Dalemo jumped around all over stage, throwing in some scissor kicks for good measure. Drummer Andy Burrows, who joined the band when original drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo left due to health problems, banged and beat his drums with high, youthful energy. But it was Borrell who stole the show that night. Borrell spat out his lyrics with a feverish intensity, sometimes even throwing his guitar and knocking over his mic stand. He climbed up various amplifiers, eventually climbing up the tallest one and grabbing onto the ceiling rafters, all the while still singing perfectly, not missing one word. Borrell jumped off the amplifier and back onto the stage in one fluid motion, like some kind of wild jungle cat. At one point he grabbed a chair and stood on top of it proclaiming, "There! Now I feel like I'm on a real stage [the Popscene stage is only about a foot high]! Can everybody see me?" He was met with rabid cheering from the crowd, and received even more cheering (mostly from the women in the crowd) when he stripped off his shirt and ran around on stage like Iggy Pop.

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How I Hung Out With My Idol and Didn't Come Across Like an Ass (Hopefully)

In my world, having Mark Gardener tour the States and play acoustic gigs in intimate settings is a bit like having Jesus round for a spot of tea. Finding out on 3 hours notice that you've got an interview with Mark Gardener is a bit like finding out that you, in fact, ARE Jesus. No pressure there.

And despite my fears, it went swimmingly. So swimmingly, in fact, that I'm not even sure where the interview stops and hanging out with a new friend starts. Liz and I got a chance to sit around for a few hours(!) with the former Ride frontman before his recent acoustic gig at Chicago's Abbey Pub. Turns out the voice of my favorite band of all time is actually a pretty down-to-Earth guy with some fantastic insight on Ride, Creation, shoegazing, and his brilliant return to form this year.

Want to hear how Ride "fucking rocked the house"? Want to learn what it's like to have an indie rock icon for a landlord? How Mark considers this his "Neil Young phase"? Then click more to read on!

I was fortunate enough to get a short Q&A session with Bobby Wratten of the Trembling Blue Stars (formerly The Field Mice and Northern Picture Library). Bobby and Beth can be seen performing acoustically in a city near you soon.

A big thank you to Beth Arzy-Dean and Subpop.

By Lisa Y. Garibay and Ajay Sharma
(June 1999)

FINALLY we are pleased to present the definitive interview with Nick McCabe, former guitarist for Verve, exclusive to Excellent Online!

Welcome to Part 2. Here's Part 1 if you somehow missed it.

The greatest thing about being a part of Excellent Online is the ability to push my favorite artists on all of you guys, and here's another one to be filed under Things You Need To Hear.

Paula Kelley released her first solo full-length, "Nothing/Everything," on Boston's Stop, Pop, and Roll Records last year - and it quickly became one of the biggest surprises to make my 2001 Best-Of lists. Inside this little pop-tastic package was a whirlwind of emotion - innocently taunting, musically charming yet lyrically intense... a combination you don't come across too often.

Paula's is a name you might be familiar with and might not even know it. Starting as a member of US proto-shoegazers The Drop Nineteens, Paula left the band just as they'd begun to make waves with the US and UK critics. Over the next few years came a couple new projects - first the one-off Hotrod, which showcased Kelley's burgeoning songwriting abilities, and then Boy Wonder, which found Kelley further immersed into the East Coast powerpop scene.

One of our Excellent members, Lisa Y. Garibay, interviewed James Walsh from Starsailor for her site, Then It Must Be True. Go read it because it's a fantastic interview and you won't see a 'Where did the name Starsailor come from?' question.

There's an interview over at the unofficial Sigur Ros website that's pretty interesting. It's a fairly current interview with Georg Holm and Orri Páll Dýrason. They mainly talk about recording the new album, touring the US, plus the "secrets" of ágætis byrjun.