To celebrate our 30th issue and fourth year (!!!) in publication, we've put together a 'Best of AvoidPeril' issue! In the following pages, you'll find our favorite reviews, interviews, and features from issues 1 – 30 of AvoidPeril.

Expect more great reviews, articles, and features in AvoidPeril Issue #31 and beyond! And remember…we might look at a little different, but we still hate Nickelback.

The Darkness Interview The Darkness released a new album, One Way Ticket to Hell…And Back, at the end of 2005, to rave reviews and a stellar fan response…both of which were expected. The band has updated their schtick, and sound more polished and assured. Thankfully, The Darkness have not lost any of the silly lyrics or fantastic premises that make them such an amazing aural experience .... full story >>

MUSE @ The Bank of America Pavilion Let me get this out of the way. I have been a Muse fan since 2001. I bought Origin of Symmetry when it cost $24.99 on import. I lamented the fact that I could never see Muse in concert, because they never toured the U.S. I was an Original Fan. When Absolution made its splash on this side of the pond, and Muse finally finally finally played a Boston date, it was as awesome as I expected ... full story >>

Carina Round Interview There is such a thing as love at first sight – I fell in love with Carina Round after the first song I saw her play live. She made her inaugural trip to the States a few months ago, opening up for Snow Patrol. Prior to the show, a friend told me that she was a cross between Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, who are both musicians that I love I walked into the Paradise that evening just as Carina Round ... full story >>

Matthew Caws of Nada Surf Interview I don’t know what I expected my conversation with Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws to be like, but I do know that I expected to be an awful lot more nervous than I actually was during our conversation. Caws is an affable kind of man, very laid-back and willing to chat about pretty much anything – as our conversation unfolded, we moved from the expected “What do you think of the new album?”... full story >>

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Team Sleep @ The Paradise
Deftones frontman Chino Moreno must have the most bizarre taste in music, or he may simply just enjoy thoroughly puzzling his fans. While the heavily excited sold-out crowd waited for Team Sleep to take the Paradise stage, fans were treated to a wide selection of music that encompassed such hits as “Candy Girl” (yes, that song by New Edition) ... full story >>

Liz Phair @ The Paradise
I was not necessarily full of trepidation at the thought of seeing Liz Phair in an acoustic setting, but I must say that I was a little apprehensive. Even though the release of her self-titled fourth album and the subsequent tour dispelled the myth of her “crippling stage fright” (to that, I must snort and say that she sure looked like she was enjoying herself ... full story >>

Figured You Out
Any band that derives its name from a lack of ability to enunciate properly shouldn’t be allowed to succeed. So why is Nickelback so popular these days? Moreover, how exactly does Nickelback’s puerile frat-boy whining pass as actual music? Lead singer Chad Kroeger is little more than a poodle-haired, under-informed misogynist with a rhyming dictionary ... full story >>

Gnarls Barkley @ The Avalon
Yes, everyone loves Gnarls Barkley. Your parents, your little cousins, your annoying co-workers – EVERYONE. Some people might wonder if the dynamic duo of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo are headed straight for the pop culture time capsule once Baby New Year 2007 soils its first diaper. Well, based on their live act, I can only hope the boys stay together ... full story >>

Concert Etiquette
The sorority girl in front of me is belligerently whirling in circles, like a dervish with a drinking problem. My personal drinking problem is that her long, curly hair is dangerously close to dipping in my glass of beer. It is taking some severe concentration on my part to try and pay attention to the Liz Phair show unfolding in front of me and at the same time ... full story >>

Embrace Interview
This year, Embrace have followed the expressive, anthemic format of their music and exploded in a big way in the U.S. music scene. Stars in their native Britain, Embrace released their latest disc, Out of Nothing, to much U.S. critical acclaim this past June. Though the band is busy preparing for a U.S. tour, bassist Steven Firth took some time out ... full story >>

James Blunt Interview
For a few more minutes in the Land of The Free, music fans will be able to impress their friends and co-workers by name-dropping James Blunt’s Back to Bedlam “before it was cool.” However, the window of opportunity for such show-offery is quickly descending towards the sill - last week I heard NBC News Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory ... full story >>

Jason Mraz Interview
Jason Mraz is an interesting dude who is having a big year. He’s currently on a U.S. tour promoting his new, critically-acclaimed album, Mr. A-Z, with fellow up-and-coming U.K. singer/songwriter James Blunt. I had a chance to sit down with Mr. Mraz himself, to talk about his favorite cities to play in, and how he finds inspiration for his songs ... full story >>