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They say it’s better to burn out than fade away. Switchfoot continues to burn brightly after 20 years and 10 studio albums because this band has never stood still; the restless vision of frontman/lyricist Jonathan Foreman won’t allow it, and co-founders Tim Foreman (bass) and Chad Butler (drums) and longtime cohorts Jerome Fontamillas (keyboards/guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar) are enthusiastic collaborators in the ongoing experiment that is Switchfoot. A key component of that experiment is that Switchfoot—shades of Schrodinger’s cat—both is and isn’t a Christian band. Foreman’s lyrics dig deeply into questions of philosophy, morality, purpose and faith without ever…

Morphine: Journey of Dreams documents the career of Morphine, the acclaimed “low-rock” trio of saxophone, bass and drums that blew up in the indie alt-rock scene of the ’90s. The band—drummers Jerome Deupree and Billy Conway, sax man extraordinaire Dana Colley and bassist/singer/songwriter Mark Sandman—released four critically touted albums before Sandman tragically died of a heart attack on stage in Rome in the summer of 1999. The film follows the band’s journey from Boston bar band to indie rock darlings to the aftermath of picking up the pieces following Sandman’s death. The film doesn’t really offer much that wasn’t previously…

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…