Showing 1 - 23 of 23
Artist: The Brian Jacket Letdown
Artist: Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue with the fact that he was the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was... [+] Read More
Artist: Switchfoot
Switchfoot was formed in San Diego, CA, by singer/guitarist Jonathan Foreman and his bassist brother Tim Foreman. With the addition of drummer Chad Butler, Switchfoot recorded their debut LP, 1997's The Legend of Chin, appearing on Charlie Peacock's re:Think imprint. New Way to Be Human followed two years later; it was a huge hit, with the title... [+] Read More
Artist: Lenny Kravitz
There may have been other "retro" rock acts before him, but Lenny Kravitz was one of the first to not be pigeonholed to a single style as he's touched upon such genres as soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads over the years. Born in New York on May 26, 1964 (his mother was actress Roxie Roker, best-known for her role as... [+] Read More
Artist: James Cole
Brothers James Cole and Cal Cole are behind Fatal Influence, a speed/thrash metal quintet based out of Orlando, Florida. The Cole brothers all began instruments as small childen. James Cole's musical experiences began with piano lessons at the age of six and saxophone beginning three years later. Despite the fact that he claims to have always... [+] Read More
Artist: Derrick Freeman
Black Sabbath: Box Set (the Ozzy years)
The Apples in stereo: Fun Trick Noisemaker
The Who: Meaty, Beaty, Big and Boucy
Guided by Voices: Bee Thousand
The Beatles: Revolver
Mozart: The Magic Flute (any recording)
Jeff Buckley: Live at Sin-e
Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
Pink Floyd: The... [+] Read More
Artist: Welcome Mat
Jangly guitar pop gave way to a harder edged sound for Australian band the Welcome Mat, who released their first single, "Last of the Great Letdowns," in 1990. The six-track EP Fairydust followed in 1991 and led to a deal with Regular Records. The move proved fortuitous and their 1992 EP, Spare, topped the indie charts, leading to support gigs... [+] Read More
Artist: Beach Johnson
This artist, whose first name seems absolutely perfect for either beach music or surf- rock, has actually attracted attention as a possible influence on the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk in terms of crafting hybrid versions of reed instruments. Such status is no doubt something of a letdown to the myriads attracted solely and simply by the name... [+] Read More
Artist: Keith LeBlanc
More than just a drummer for the apocalyptic dub/funk produced by Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound productions, Keith LeBlanc is also an accomplished solo artist who uses the same collage of sound and aural layering learned from years of playing in the Sherwood-produced band Tackhead. Admittedly, LeBlanc gets a lot of help from cohorts Doug Wimbish... [+] Read More
Artist: Lilys
The geographically and stylistically nomadic indie rock band Lilys was the vehicle of singer/songwriter Kurt Heasley, the group's founder and sole constant member. A Philadelphia native, Heasley and Lilys bowed with the 1991 single "February 14," a nod to My Bloody Valentine; while based in Washington, D.C., they recorded their 1992 debut LP, In... [+] Read More
Artist: Headswim
Headswim was formed in Essex England by ex-Blinder frontman and guitarist Dan Glendining along with his brother, drummer Tom Glendining. The two put the group together by recruiting their friend Clovis Taylor to play bass and local musician Nick Watts signed on as keyboardist. The new outfit immediately began writing and recording, completing... [+] Read More
Artist: Junior's Eyes
Junior's Eyes are one of the more well-known unknowns -- if such an oxymoron can be applied -- of the late-'60s British psychedelic scene. Most people who have seen any reference to them at all are apt to know them only as an act that served as David Bowie's backup group briefly in the late '60s. Mick Wayne, Junior's Eyes' lead guitarist and... [+] Read More
Artist: Lost Tribe
Lost Tribe didn't so much start out as a band but as a collective of excellent studio musicians working on the side. Like the 1970s British group Brand X (Phil Collins' jazz fusion alter ego getaway from Genesis), Lost Tribe became a melting pot of the styles popular in the 1990s, mixing rhythmic jazz and rock with even some hip-hop elements.... [+] Read More
Artist: Phillip Walker
Despite recording somewhat sparingly since debuting as a leader in 1959 on Elko Records with the storming rocker "Hello My Darling," Louisiana-born guitarist Phillip Walker enjoys a sterling reputation as a contemporary blues guitarist with a distinctive sound honed along the Gulf Coast during the 1950s.
A teenaged Walker picked up his early... [+] Read More
Artist: Dudley Mecum
The huge financial meltdown scandal revolving around the Enron corporation in 2002 may lead to speculation concerning a standard entitled "Angry". The lyrics to this '20s tune, rescued from the limbo of public domain and restored to copyright protection by Sonny Bono himself in an act of Congress, were written by one Dudley Mecum. There was also... [+] Read More
Artist: The Serenaders
Even the most avid Motown fanatics are unaware of the Serenaders, yet the New York-based group cut their final single on Motown's VIP label. Forming in 1956, the central figures were George Kerr, Sidney Barnes, and Timothy "Andre" Wilson, and various other members serenaded in out and out over the years. They debuted on Chock Full of Hits... [+] Read More
Artist: Jimmy Carroll
It might perhaps plague him that there is a low-brow standup comic with the same name wandering the earth, but this Jimmy Carroll probably has his nose too buried in a music chart to pay any attention. Jazz fans may perhaps know him as the arranger behind the Bird with Strings sessions, although since some bebop listeners regard this as the... [+] Read More
Artist: Robert A. Martin
The term "nexus" was appropriated by politicians circa 2002 to describe an important intersection of hostile intentions. Looking back over the final half of the previous century, the nexus of musicians credited as Robert Martin, Bob Martin and Bobby Martin would have to be the period when a multi-instrumentalist named Bobby Martin worked for an... [+] Read More
Artist: The Hangmen
In the industry-ruled, fashion-conscious L.A. music scene (especially in the '80s and '90s), bands relegated to the rock & roll margins lived an oxymoronic existence. They were transient and yet immobilized; invisible in a world stuffed with cameras, microphones, and careerist contemporaries. Before a starry-eyed Midwesterner decided that it was... [+] Read More
Artist: Buddy Guy
He's Chicago's blues king today, ruling his domain just as his idol and mentor Muddy Waters did before him. Yet there was a time, and not all that long ago either, when Buddy Guy couldn't even negotiate a decent record deal. Times sure have changed for the better -- Guy's first three albums for Silvertone in the '90s all earned Grammys. Eric... [+] Read More
Artist: Barclay James Harvest
Barclay James Harvest was, for many years, one of the most hard-luck outfits in progressive rock. A quartet of solid rock musicians -- John Lees, guitar, vocals; Les Holroyd, bass, vocals; Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme, keyboards, vocals; and Mel Pritchard, drums -- with a knack for writing hook-laden songs built on pretty melodies, they... [+] Read More
Artist: The Dead Milkmen
During their heyday in the late '80s, the Dead Milkmen led a crop of college-radio jokesters that also included Mojo Nixon, King Missile, and Too Much Joy, among others. Playing a basic, happily amateurish brand of punk-pop, the Milkmen skewered popular culture, indie trend-followers, and the intellectually challenged, while frequently indulging... [+] Read More
Artist: Big Black
While punk rock was always supposed to be about pushing the envelope, few post-punk bands seemed willing to go quite so far to creatively confront their audience as Big Black. The group's guitars alternately sliced like a machete and ground like a dentist's drill, creating a groundbreaking and monolithic dissonance in the process. Their use of a... [+] Read More
