You have to love and respect the bravery some bands obviously possess when they call themselves a metal band. The trend of feminizing metal – the most hyper-masculine musical genre in popular song – has been going on for at least three decades now and, in that time, it practice has proven to be the comic gift that keeps on giving; the Eighties begat hair metal and other novelty bands like Jackyl and Stryper, and portions of the “metal” community...

The truth about Glen Matlock's continued existence and any music he might make is as simple as it is unfortunate; no matter what he might do in his life, he'll always be the guy who was bounced out of the Sex Pistols (for liking The Beatles – as the story was at the time), was replaced by Sid Vicious and was then asked to rejoin the band when it reformed first for the Filthy Lucre Live tour in 1996, and...

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Without question, the most difficult reviews to write are those about “guilty pleasure” albums. Why? For the writer, it's impossible to trash a guilty pleasure album because it wouldn't be doing the band justice. The writer knows he shouldn't like something but, for whatever reason, cannot pan it in good conscience. For the reader, it's easy to get confused or lost in the resulting prose because the average guilty pleasure review often reads in a very conflicted way; again, because...

The Marked Men are a lost cause. Here we had one of the most catchy and true bands, reaching their stride, and no one noticed. Their last album Ghosts came and went, and not only did it go unnoticed in the musical mainstream, but it didn’t even make a dent in the punk rock audience (save for a few passionate mentions in Razorcake). It’s a real shame too, because Ghosts had some of the most brilliant, honest, toe-tapping, buzz-pop songs...

Is it irony or a manifestation of Murphy's Law when a well regarded independent band makes a great album after having left a well-regarded label? It's not an uncommon occurence to see or heara band step up and get a wider notice only to dry up in the spotlight (a good but wildly debatable example would be Sleater-Kinney) but how is it possible that a band can flourish best when it steps back from a larger outlet? This is a...

Okay, let's tell it like it really is – shall we? The Vaselines are one of the greatest inadvertent success stories in rock history. This was a band who, at the height of its' productivity, released a couple of EPs and one LP before crumbling when main members Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee decided it wasn't fun anymore. Those EPs and album were then combined (with a few odds and ends appended) into one cheaply made compilation (rumor has it...

Of the few things that captivate people from childhood to the rule-bound world of adults, nothing may be so universal as the echo. From every last corner of the earth, young and old can find themselves amused by the sound of themselves carrying on without them. It is sound dictated by the past.  Likewise, so is Sharon Van Etten’s latest release, Epic. This second studio album sounds off with forward movement from her previous work, but listen closely and fans...

Band of Joy could be seen as a fitting follow-up to 2008's Raising Sand, in that Plant continues to experiment with roots American music. However, it is in no way Raising Sand 2. Plant continues to push forward, finding new sounds and new ways of expressing himself. It is an incredible and original expression too; it does not bear any resemblance to Led Zeppelin, even at their most acoustic. In fact, listening to this you can definitely hear why Plant...

Let’s face it – 2010 hasn’t exactly been delivering as far as music is concerned. Most of the new “hip” bands are only marginally entertaining at best and even bands we know and love have been releasing average-at-best albums this year. Luckily, we have Damon Albarn. I have to admit, I’m not much of a Blur fan (I own zero albums by them, but have liked what I’ve heard), but Albarn’s side projects deserve credit for having a unique and...