Example #5 - Rolling Stone

In the Rolling Stone blog Breaking Artists there's a piece on a band Howlin Rain. The link goes to a video as well. The reason I thought it was noteworthy was the number of writerly pop culture references, i.e from Raymond Carver to Michael Moorcock, in the short piece, as I've copied below:

Sounds Like: A psychedelic cocktail of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Faces, the Damned and author Raymond Carver. "Everyone dabbles in the history books to get their licks," says Miller, "We use the same roads and highways. But the weather, lights, cars and people, they're never quite the same."

Three Things You Should Know:

1. The band is approved by super-producer Rick Rubin, who will co-release Magnificent Fiend on his American Recordings label with indie label Birdman.

2. The band is heavily influenced by pulp art, especially the writings of sci-fi author Michael Moorcock.

3. Growing up in Humboldt County, California, Miller avoided the hemp culture and aligned himself with punk music. "I haven't turned my back on my lessons in punk, even in this stuff," says Miller, "We keep hitting you, but not just with bombast."

Hear It Now: Magnificent Fiend is out March 4th. Until then, check out their MySpace page for some songs, and watch the band behind-the-scenes and onstage performing "12 Galaxies" in the video above.

Now I don't have the most astute musical ear, but I'd be curious whether or not the pulp/punk/sci-fi classifications are hyperbole or are actual. Is science fiction the one film genre open to bands to identify with (think David Bowie's flirtations), and is that even more true post-Matrix?