How many bands can say that they had a three-year period as tumultuous as Pearl Jam did between 1993 and 1995 and were still a band by the end of it? The number can't possibly be too large because the sequence of events through that period of time in Pearl Jam's chronology was truly extraordinary; in '93 Pearl Jam surpassed every expectation anyone could have had for a follow-up to Ten with Vs., only to be saddled with being the...
The wonderful thing about a record is that, after it's out, it remains there for listeners to find when they're ready to hear it. First impressions aren't ironclad either; as time passes and tastes change, a particular album may begin to sound better. Such is exactly the case with Vitalogy for me. When the record first came out in November of 1994, Pearl Jam was already treading a pretty fine line in my eyes; Ten didn't thrill me like it...
Currently skipping across the globe on their first world tour, Kopek seems like an unlikely group to hit such international stardom so early in their existence. Formed in 2002 and apparently finding their singer with a local music magazine ad, Kopek were regular contestants in local battle-of-the-bands competitions. Working their way up the battle-of-the-bands circuit (yeah, who knew those still existed, right?) all the way up to a global battle-of-the-bands where they won $100,000 and a world tour, Kopek showed...
Awright youse, We're gonna have lotsa funnis week but, first, we gotta bow're heads fer a minit. One of our own checked out'is week, an' we need ta have a moment o' silence fer Poly Styrene, who useta be da singa fer X-Ray Spex, but fell ta cancer this past Monday. She's survived by her step-father John Lydon and mother Nora Forster. Bow yer heads fer a moment o' silence.... Awright, le's get ta business – we go work ta...
We can confirm that the beautiful Poly Styrene, who has been a true fighter, won her battle on Monday evening (4/25/11) to go to higher places. Poly Styrene was born Marianne Elliot Said on June 3, 1957. She passed away due to cancer. Poly Styrene was a punk amongst punks. A groundbreaking presence that left an unrepeatable mark on the musical landscape, she made history the moment she uttered, “Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard...
Sometimes the most difficult records to review are those which see a band reaching out artistically to examine several sounds at once but do it so well that they feel as though they should be the work of more than one band – or at least the work of one band on more than one album. Such is exactly what happens on Tin Horn Prayer's new album, Get Busy Dying; depending on which side of the 12” LP a listener...
As a member of The Band, Robbie Robertson wrote dozens of classic songs, including "The Weight,” "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” He also worked regularly with Bob Dylan – playing guitar on several tracks on 1966's Blonde on Blonde and touring with the singer on his infamous 1966 "electric" tour (among others) – and recorded 1974's Planet Waves and 1975's The Basement Tapes along with both Dylan and The Band. Since breaking up...
Hey there junky, Awright, firs' an' foremost, we gotta give the man his due – Happy Birthday Iggy Pop! On'is day in 1947, missus Louella Osterberg screamed out one o' the most enduring self-proclaimed idiots inna world, named 'im after his Daddy an' turned 'im loose onna world. We owe 'er a debt o' thanks! Here's to ya Ig, hope yer gettin' some tonight. Anyway, onta business. I figure, jaw-bonin' about that's gotta be gettin' ya nervous, ain't it junky?...
Gainesville, FL – Just when you thought you heard it all with Reality TV stars vying for a chance at running the US, seemingly wholesome punk/pop/ska band Less Than Jake were on the receiving end of picket signs and protests from the Westboro Baptist Church during their show last weekend in Pensacola, FL. Asked why he thinks his band would be targeted by the controversial religious group, drummer Vinnie Fiorello replied, "I have no idea. I mean, let's face the...
No decade has produced more bands that seem to tour tirelessly than the 2000s. Since record sales began to decline, bands have had to work harder to get noticed and get paid, and there is no better way to do that than to keep a full calendar of live shows. Every time The Black Lips return to Toronto, they get bigger and more fantastic. Even though their show remains the same, the non-stop movement and complete lack of self-control always...