Jarret Keene
Contributing Editor, Music
Contact: Email
For 27 years, nothing happened to him. Finally, he earned a Ph.D. in English from Florida State University and, bored of Chaucer, moved to Las Vegas to chronicle the city’s underground music scene. He has written for every kind of media (Spin, BBC Radio, Godzilla fanzines) and has written and edited every kind of book (A Boy’s Guide to Arson, Las Vegas Noir). His primitive nuclear doom metal band Dead Neon terrorizes local dive bars.
Recent Articles
CD Reviews
Ashes & Fire, Biophilia and Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
October 20th, 2011
Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire (Pax-Am/Capitol); Björk, Biophilia (Nonesuch); M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
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Mojave Heart
Famous abroad, electronic artist Gonjasufi harnesses the desert stillness to make new music
October 20th, 2011
When Sumach Ecks enters a room, especially the chillingly suburban Yard House in Red Rock Resort, he stands out. Intensely dreadlocked hair. Compact physique. Athletic gait. Air Mozambique T-shirt. The Las Vegas musician’s distinctive physical presence mirrors his aggressively spiritual, stunningly gorgeous music, which he records under the name Gonjasufi.
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Cadavers, Vibrators, Sheep (oh my!)
October 20th, 2011
Like many Mac and iTunes users, I’ve been saddened by the death of Steve Jobs. But the loss of the music man responsible for technologizing my enjoyment of music in the last decade is something I’ll get over.
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Resin alt-rock, Miami metalcore, Skid Row Sinners
October 13th, 2011
Does the name Steve Albini ring a bell? It should. He’s responsible for recording so many classic Gen X-era alt-rock albums: The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, Nirvana’s In Utero.
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Born (Yet) Again
After a successful relaunch, the multifaceted rock festival Las Vegas Shakedown returns
October 13th, 2011
Downtown Las Vegas is on a serious roll with its growing line of established music parties: Neon Reverb, Punk Rock Bowling and Warped Tour. Now the urban core will rock harder with another promising festival. But unlike other fests, this fresh event runs the gamut of genres.
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Carpenters, whales, cocaine busters
October 6th, 2011
I ran this week’s Soundscraper selections by a friend living in a much cooler city, and he had to admit it—Las Vegas is a great live-music town with lots of cool, diverse and underground choices. It’s what this column is all about! Check it:
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Guitar Town
October 6th, 2011
Despite the Internet’s shredding of brick-and-mortar retailers, Las Vegas can still throw its devil horns high thanks to some rockin’ six-string shops. Stuffed with axes, amps and awesome gear, these stores are waiting for you to get your real “guitar hero” on.
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CD Reviews
Veronica Falls, The Whole Love and Night of Hunters
October 6th, 2011
Veronica Falls, Veronica Falls (Slumberland); Wilco, The Whole Love (dBpm); Tori Amos, Night of Hunters (Deutsche Grammophon)
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Sweet explosions, Saxon sounds and British metalcore
September 29th, 2011
Your friendly neighborhood Soundscraper is keeping it loud and proud, and a bit Union Jacked this week. So grab some earplugs, down a pint of Newcastle and get ready for a rowdy British Invasion.
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Prog rock, worship pop, porno punk
September 22nd, 2011
Funny how heavy rock albums from my childhood don’t sound heavy 20 years later. There was a time when the hair on my neck would stand up at the mere idea of placing a vinyl record of, say, Kilroy Was Here on my crappy Sears turntable.
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