If you see enough “rock n’ roll” movies, eventually you begin to realize that there are always a few key points that are totally unbelievable: the best bands came from nothing (and a lot of them started by accident); their rise to greatness really begins at the moment the hardworking group sticks it to the man and starts doing things their own way, they reach a pinnacle of appeal and creative power at roughly the same time or immediately before...

It’s not even a minute into “Heartbreaker,” the first track on Aftershock , when Lemmy spits out the lyrics “You don’t see me shedding tears, no time to say goodbye.” While this lyric isn’t directly about his recent health scares this summer, fans can read between the lines easily and know that, sick or not, the man’s still on a mission and he’s gonna do it to the death. Aftershock is another great one for a...

Over the last few years, Hank Williams III has released so much music that, in order for him to promote it all live, he has to perform for four hours straight with no opening bands on the bill. And judging from the very diverse crowd which stuck around for his entire set at the Regency Ballroom recently, it was definitely not a problem. Hitting the stage just before 8pm, Hank and his band delivered a two-hour set of country-punk which...

In listening to The Creepshow's fourth album, Life After Death, it's very easy to find credence to the old adage about the third time being the charm. In this case, the charm is the singer in front of the band; Jen “Hellcat” Blackwood was The Creepshow's original vocalist and made the band's first album with them – but vacated the position when her maternity leave became permanent. Hellcat's little sister Sarah “Sin” Blackwood was the next to step into the...

There is no nice or polite way to write this, but someone has to say it: Balance And Composure is not the first band to make The Things We Think We're Missing. They might not even be the tenth band to release it. The Things We Think We're Missing has been made by bands including Finch, The Starting Line, The Early November and Hellogoodbye; in fact, it could be argued that Balance And Composure's new album (their second) has been...

Remember when you were a kid and first started really liking the idea of getting inventive, readers? It was a really cool time – we'd sit down with a pencil and paper and make some of the most outrageous ideas come to life on paper. It was an exercise in imagination; it really didn't matter if we never actually made any of those things we dreamt up (like a flying car or a turntable which read records with a beam...

There's no question that everyone – fans, critics, press, everyone – was surprised when the list of nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced. Of course, applause should deservedly go to such venerable names as Link Wray, Peter Gabriel (who was already inducted with Genesis in 2010, but now stands to receive induction for his solo work as well), Linda Ronstadt and The Zombies for their nominations, but the really exciting surprises lay a...

Welcome to our new book review column here on Ground Control called I Wanna be Literated! 
We are going to try and keep this column up with not-just-music-related and not-just-brand-new-books. Some will be topical, old, some new, some borrowed, and almost all of them blue. We are proud to start you off with a humdinger, and hope you keep coming back. After all, Punk’s Not Read. Sometimes the line between content and bonus feature gets blurred a bit. For having...

Playwright William Congreve may have been correct when he wrote that “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” but it was Tammy Wynette who proved that the voice and words of a woman scorned could come framed with gold and platinum trim when set to just the right rhythm. Wynette's signature anthem “Stand By Your Man” remains one of the most recognized and best-selling hit singles in Country music history and it sealed the singer's place as one of...

Even a cursory glance at the current crop of artists drawing the most interest in the roots, folk and Americana genres these days illustrates why it has become so difficult for new, untested artists to break through: for the first time in decades, the top artists aren't treating the music like a disposable escape from larger projects. Artists like The Lumineers, John Grant, Lydia Loveless and The High Bar Gang have all released fantastic albums over the last eighteen months...