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Soundgarden has always been one of the most distinct bands of the Seattle grunge era. Hell, they were one of the bands that started everything, being one of the first bands to appear on the “Deep Six” compilation in 1985 alongside Melvins and Green River. They always took a different path, though, dealing in everything from psychedelia, metal, pop, and almost everything in between. The band has some of the most played songs of the whole era and they are still in demand today from the guys’ own solo projects. Presented here is a ranking of everything the band has…

Alice In Chains was always one of my favorites from the Seattle era, and they still are. Though they went through unspeakable tragedy, they channeled the pain and darkness into the music and came out with some of the bleakest and dreary rock music of the ‘90s. Losing Layne Staley to an overdose in 2002 nearly crippled them for good, but Sean Kinney, Jerry Cantrell, and Mike Inez rose from the ashes, and together with William Duvall, came back not only stronger but lighter. The music still has the same intensity, but it’s not as overwhelmingly black and that’s a…

Well, here it is, the first definitive documentary of the legendary Southern alt rockers Drivin’ N’ Cryin’. The band’s whole story is told here, warts and all; it gets a bit dark after a while, but the silver lining is the recognition the band has received in the last 10 years or so as one of the definitive bands of the South. Best known to the general public, if they remember them at all, for songs like “Straight To Hell” and “Fly Me Courageous,” the band has had a very long career – over 30 years in all with frontman/guitarist/songwriter…

Phish is a live band, so why are we talking about their studio albums? The balance of attention their music receives leans so far in favor of their live performances that even many of the band’s biggest fans don’t bother with their albums. But in their prime, they actually did release some pretty great records. To date, they’ve released 13 official studio albums (though I’ve added in a few apocryphal ones bringing this list up to 18), and while there are certainly some weaker records among them, Phish is a better studio band than many people give them credit for.When…

This is the book about The Replacements we've all been waiting for. While multiple documentaries, biographies, and endless speculation exist and will probably continue to multiply as the band's legacy becomes even more prominent, Bob Mehr goes right to the source here with information from all the members, as well as managers, roadies, ex-girlfriends, family members and those handling their day to day duties since day one. It's all spelled out in a way that's easy to absorb and matter-of-fact, often presenting different versions of the past since The Replacements can’t always agree on exactly how some events unfolded. Mehr…

When I was growing up, I was big into Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, but I was late to the Nirvana party. It must have been about ’99 or so before I even bought Nevermind and the Unplugged record, but afterwards, I became a big fan – not super obsessive, but really liking the songs I’ve liked. There was always something different about the band, but it wasn’t until a couple of years later that they stuck out from the rest of the Seattle scene. There’s still something special about the music and those songs, and Cobain’s legacy…

Well, it’s been over 20 years since the Foo Fighters got started, and over that time, they have become one of the most renowned alternative rock bands in the whole musical landscape. While they’ve had some interesting times together, they’ve also managed to crank out some of the most memorable songs of the last 20 years. Let’s take a look back and review their entire catalogue. 8. Sonic Highways (2014)Their most recent work was also their worst and least essential, besides the 2006 acoustic live Skin & Bones record. This album’s scope was initially great: record songs in different cities…

Anyone who knows me knows that I love record stores. Always have and probably always will, even though all the great ones really don’t exist anymore. Director/Actor/Tom Hanks’ son Colin, whom many might remember from Orange County or season 1 of Fargo has done a great job with this loving documentary about Tower Records. Tower was the behemoth of record stores when I was growing up and its demise in the mid 2000s hurt a lot of people, including myself. The closest Tower I had was somewhere in Richmond near a hospital, and every time I went there, I was…

“The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”― Mark Twain “I would never rule it out completely. But I don’t see it happening,” said longtime Fountains Of Wayne frontman Chris Collingwood in one of several recent interviews promoting the eponymous debut album from his new creative vehicle Look Park. The question: “Could you see Fountains Of Wayne reuniting someday?” It’s not hard to detect the notes of annoyance in the interviews Collingwood has done to promote Look Park; one imagines the inevitability of questions about his old band does little to ease the sting of…

(Photo by Simon Hogg) Big Big Train and I first made our acquaintance nearly a decade ago when a copy of The Difference Machine (2007) landed in my mailbox and captured me completely. One listen and I was a fan; here was a group that put a modern spin on the best elements of classic progressive rock, while imbuing the imaginative compositions of co-founder/songwriter/guitarist Greg Spawton with rich layers of emotion. From that point the band, anchored by Spawton and co-founder Andy Poole, began a steady evolution and growth. The Underfall Yard (2009), the first BBT album to feature vocalist/flautist/songwriter…