There have been many stunningly beautiful, truly revolutionary, trendsetting and amazingly awful haircuts in the history of rock’n’roll. Musicians are often a step ahead of the pack and pioneer new ‘dos, but they’ve also sported plenty of not-so-hot cuts that never had a chance of catching on. There are countless memorable haircuts in rock, but Tablet’s Hair Research Laboratories came up with the ones we think are simply legendary. ...MORE

Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival promises four days of live music, food, indie films, comics, artists, writers, people watching and, most importantly, beer gardens and pot smoking. 2004’s line-up is packed full of exciting national acts, as well as probably the best line-up of local musicians and artists in recent Bumbershoot history. Hell, there are so many good bands performing that we’ve vowed to get our Tablet asses out of the beer garden twice as often, and that’s sayin’ something! Our crack team of writers are here to provide you with Tablet’s absolutely biased opinions on what you just can’t miss at this year’s ‘shoot, as well as answer the all important question: Which bands go best with booze and which go best with bonghits. ...MORE

Blending socially relevant and intelligent lyrics with a catchy and clever approach to musical content, Talib Kweli has gained respect from both the mainstream and underground. Kweli burst onto the scene in 1998 with Mos Def in the group Black Star and his own albums, “Reflection Eternal” in 2000 and “Quality” in 2003, have received both critical and street praise. The single “Get By” was in heavy rotation on BET and served as a springboard into the commercial spotlight. I caught up with Kweli on tour supporting his upcoming album, “The Beautiful Struggle.”...MORE

On stage, Brother Ali is the kind of MC who delivers what you need to know and then sends you home, but not before you absolutely lose your shit. He is a descriptive, yet concise storyteller with that brand of arrogance achieved through self-made opportunities and a lot of heart. He has you laughing about toilet paper and groupies one minute; he has you angry about struggling to pay bills the next. With clean, intense rhymes, Brother Ali's thinly veiled honesty welcomes the unfamiliar, thanks the dedicated and champions the naysayers. ...MORE

Kaskade, better known as Ryan Raddon, will be headlining one of the nights at Bumbershoot’s Electro-Deck Electronica Showcase. Since I’ve been a fan of Ryan’s music, which always draws me to the dance floor in clubs, I caught up with him before his Seattle appearance.. ...MORE

Band leader and drummer Matt Jorgensen has a dog that has been shot, has a heart condition, and is prone to seizures. It’s no wonder that when she was adopted, Matt and his wife thought of naming the resilient canine Hope. One might make the case that Seattle’s jazz scene is like Jorgensen’s pooch: hurtin’, but survivin’. It may not be thriving or jiving, but it’s staying alive, thanks in part to proficient and intense musicians like Jorgensen. ...MORE

I’m really looking forward to this year’s Bumbershoot. I’ll come clean and admit one of the main reasons—this was my second year sitting on the Bumbershoot Advisory Board recommending rock and punk bands for the fest. ...MORE

Keane, Ben Gibbard, The Libertines...MORE

Mark Lanegan, Sahara Hotnights, KMFDM, The Fiery Furnaces, Fu Manchu, Sharkey, Minus the Bear, Scissor Sisters, Tom Heinl, Landing, The Velvet Teen, Gomez, Clinic, Br. Danielson, ...MORE