Showing 1 - 18 of 18
Artist: Octet
The French electronic pop duo Octet is comprised of François Goujon and Benjamin Morando. Goujon, a Rennes native and former drummer with a band called Lighthouse, and Morando, a Parisian and a member of the D*I*R*T*Y sound system, originally conceived Octet as a strictly electronic outfit, but soon found that they preferred to integrate... [+] Read More
Artist: Peter Warlock
Born Phillip Heseltine, Warlock was an English composer known mostly for his songs. He had no formal music education, but an interest in music became apparent at his preparatory school at Broadstairs and was cultivated at Eton by Colin Taylor. His introduction to Delius, a minor English composer, by his painter uncle, caused Warlock's interest... [+] Read More
Artist: Afraid of Mice
Drawing equal inspiration from the theatricality of progressive rock and the impassioned energy of punk, Afraid of Mice formed in Liverpool, England in 1979. Frontman Philip Franz Jones had previously tenured in the Next, a group inspired by the sound and image of early Genesis and Jethro Tull; while Afraid of Mice -- known in early incarnations... [+] Read More
Artist: Neil Diamond
In a career that began in the 1960s, Neil Diamond became a major recording artist, an internationally successful touring act, and a songwriter whose compositions produced hits for himself and others. His earliest recognition, in fact, came as a songwriter associated with the Brill Building era of Tin Pan Alley in the early '60s. But he soon... [+] Read More
Artist: Alice in Chains
In many ways, Alice in Chains was the definitive heavy metal band of the early '90s. Drawing equally from the heavy riffing of post-Van Halen metal and the gloomy strains of post-punk, the band developed a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers. They were hard enough for metal fans, yet... [+] Read More
Artist: Hunters & Collectors
Ending up with the intensity and passion of a U2, Hunters And Collectors carved a unique path and place for themselves in Australian rock culture. The group was originally formed in post-punk 1981 in Melbourne as a collective rather than a band, an excursion into funk-rock rhythms and industrial Krautrock. They named themselves after a song by... [+] Read More
Artist: Les Projectionnistes
Montréal trombonist, composer, and bandleader Claude St-Jean was mainly known as the leader of rollicking alternative brass band L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus when he formed Les Projectionnistes in 1996. A harder-edged ensemble that retained L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus' propulsive momentum and memorable charts, Les Projectionnistes added a dose of... [+] Read More
Artist: Bisc1
You can hear things differently from the left side of the train tracks at 4 a.m. on a morning in Queens, New York. Your thoughts mix with the sounds of a city waking up, systems recharging, bread trucks and milk trucks and garbage trucks, tai chi in the china town projects; everything seems clearer at the break of day. Bisc1 finds that sound,... [+] Read More
Artist: Sweet
In some ways, the Sweet epitomized all the tacky hubris and garish silliness of the early '70s. Fusing bubblegum melodies with crunching, fuzzy guitars, the band looked a heavy metal band, but were as tame as any pop group. It was a dichotomy that served them well, as they racked up a number of hits in both the U.K. and the U.S. Most of those... [+] Read More
Artist: New Musik
New Musik's near-total lack of commercial acceptance is one of the great mysteries of early-'80s pop. Their music, rooted in classic pop songwriting but with a forward-looking interest in shiny electronics, is both instantly accessible and coolly forbidding. This dichotomy is most clearly expressed in the split between group leader Tony... [+] Read More
Artist: Kenny Wayne
Kenny Wayne grew up in the midst of a sharp musical dichotomy, thanks to parents whose tastes were wildly divergent. His preacher father told him to stay on the straight and narrow path, and at all times to avoid "the Devil's music," a classification that included boogie-woogie. His mom, however, was thoroughly taken with everything about... [+] Read More
Artist: Rev. Emmett Dickinson
Between 1929 and 1931, the Rev. Emmett Dickinson recorded over 20 sermons, primarily for the Paramount label, and though little else is known of his life, these recordings offer a remarkable glance at one of the most intriguing and elusive figures of early race recording history. Dickinson's sermons are less significant for their delivery or... [+] Read More
Artist: The Smothers Brothers
Ironically enough for an act built around the tensions of sibiling rivalry, the Smothers Brothers were the longest-lived comedy team in history; originally a folk duo, the brothers tempered their childlike, irreverent musical humor with enough sly satire and subtle political commentary to earn both an ardent following from the counterculture and... [+] Read More
Artist: The Flatlanders
The 1990 Rounder CD collecting the Flatlanders' entire recorded history wasn't called More a Legend Than a Band for nothing; although this Lubbock, TX, group had the worst business luck this side of Badfinger and never did manage a full-fledged release of their unique and challenging take on traditional country music during their early-'70s... [+] Read More
Artist: Obituary
Upon switching their name from Xecutioner to Obituary, the career of one of the most successful and influential Death Metal bands began. Hailing from Florida and featuring John Tardy (vocals), brother Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (guitar), Allen West (guitar), and Daniel Tucker (bass), the band signed to Roadracer Records, a now defunct... [+] Read More
Artist: The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family was the '70s successor to the Monkees. Both were totally fictional rock/pop "bands" produced by Screen Gems, the television branch of Columbia Pictures. While the Monkees (TV series and band concept) were styled as mid-'60s counter-culture zaniness à la the Beatles' film Hard Days Night, the Partridge Family was strictly... [+] Read More
Artist: Mark Farner
Mark Farner is the heart and soul of the band Grand Funk Railroad, having written and/or sung their most famous songs from the majority of their '70s hits: "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)," "Bad Time," "Footstompin' Music," "Rock & Roll Soul," the number one remake of the Little Eva classic "The Loco-Motion" ( which is everything creatively... [+] Read More
Artist: Cosmic Psychos
One of the most notorious Australian pub rock bands, the Cosmic Psychos officially began their journey together in 1985. Living by the rule of thumb that you should drink before you play a show because your friends might drink all of the beer, the Psychos gained a reputation for not caring about money so much as the free alcohol, laughs, and... [+] Read More
