Feature

The B-52's were once one of the most exciting, almost revolutionary bands of the entire New Wave era. Now they’re the type of band that one can see on retro bills alongside the rotting corpses of Blondie, A Flock Of Seagulls and numerous others. Their career started off with a bang and nowadays it’s a bit of whimper. But the trajectory in between is really something to behold. What the hell happened, you might ask? Well, read on and you’ll hear quite a story. Forming in Athens, Georgia in the mid-‘70s, the band – guitarist extraordinaire Ricky Wilson, his sister…

The career of the Rolling Stones has passed the 50-year mark; the grandchildren of their original fans are now rocking to their music. Among their 24 studio albums are some of the best and definitive releases of the rock ‘n’ roll era. They have never issued a truly terrible album, but there have been a number of stunning ones. So, here they are, from 24 to number one: “Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones.” 24. Undercover (1983)Some Rolling Stones album has to be last, and so we begin with 1983’s Undercover. It was one of the few times that Mick…

Nothing says Wednesday night like a little rock ‘n’ roll, and this tight, rollicking set by Icelandic foursome Kaleo was more than worth braving some torrential rain. Kaleo (made up of drummer Davíð Antonsson, bassist Daníel Ægir Kristjánsson, lead guitarist Rubin Pollock, and Jökull Júlíusson on vocals and guitars) has been stateside for about a year now, and I’ve been following their single releases like a trail of breadcrumbs toward rock greatness for what feels about as long. They’ve been building a quietly steady buzz for awhile now and seem poised to break through, being tapped as one of Rolling…

Ever since I was a small child, Weird Al has been one of my favorites. One of the undisputed kings of humorous music and one of the bestselling and most respected comedians of all time (take that Cosby!), Weird Al has always had his finger on the pulse of popular music. Over the course of his thirty plus year career, he has released some of the greatest comedy records of all time. With that in mind, I decided it was time to do an overview of the man’s oeuvre. 14. UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack And Other Stuff (1989)This…

One of the challenges in ranking Ronnie Montrose’s catalog is that he really has four catalogs. There is his groundbreaking work with the seminal hard rock band bearing his last name. There are the eight very diverse solo instrumental albums he kicked off in 1978 with the dynamic fusion-oriented Open Fire and continued releasing through the ’80s and ’90s. Don’t forget his stellar 1979-82 run with Gamma, a trail-blazing rock quintet with an electronic edge. And then—before and betwixt all of the above—there were his abundant appearances in a supporting role on albums by a diverse roster of notable artists…

Eric Clapton’s career is now into its sixth decade and shows no signs of slowing down. He is currently the only three-time inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for his solo work and time spent with Cream and The Yardbirds. While he has been releasing solo albums for the past half-century, he spent the first decade of his career jumping from group to group, never staying long, but carving out one of the best legacies in rock music. The following 11 albums represent his best and worst band albums, although there is no real terrible release. 11.…

AC/DC has been around for long enough now that it would be easy to forget they were once a groundbreaking act, a unique melding of bad-boy posturing, winking humor, and indelible hard rock riffs. I once called them “a big, loud, rude and crude rock and roll cartoon.” While the riffs generated by the twin-guitar attack of brothers Angus Young (lead) and Malcolm Young (rhythm) are what the band will always be remembered for—and they are legion, and often astonishingly potent—the humor that charismatic frontman Bon Scott brought to their early albums gave the songs dimension, inviting the listener to…

I’ve been a fan of the Violent Femmes since I was about 14, when I discovered Hallowed Ground on cassette from my local library. Everyone knows they are one of the most significant and important bands of the entire ’80s alternative wave. Songs like “Add It Up,” “Please Do Not Go” and the immortal “Blister In The Sun” helped many a teenager get through their awkward pubescent years. After a very long recording hiatus, the band is preparing to release a brand new full-length record in 2016. Until then, let’s take a look at the catalogue of a band that…

With this, the first ever full-length documentary detailing the life and music of the legendary Elliott Smith, the man’s musical legacy comes to the forefront. Drawing together great archival footage from both Heatmiser and Smith’s solo career as well as new interviews with family, producers and close friends, you get the clearest picture of Smith yet seen on film. He was a very complex, heartfelt man with the deepest and most honest lyrics heard in a hell of a long time and wore his emotions on his sleeve and the film covers all of that and more. Tracing his story…

Elvis Presley not only changed the course of American music but of American culture as well. He did not invent rock and roll, but he helped to bring it into the mainstream. During his lifetime, he released 24 studio albums. This may seem like a small number, but it excludes his two dozen or so soundtracks and various compilation releases. To further complicate matters, his early albums did not contain any of his hit singles. Songs such as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear” were saved for his series…