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A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Popular Problems LP by Leonard Cohen. Prior to hearing Popular Problems, I was of the well-founded assumption that Charles Dickens was the man best able to straddle the line between affection and alienation which often...

As contrary to the basic mindset of music journalism as it might seem (most critics like to see themselves as taste-makers with an ear for a hit, a finger on the public’s cultural pulse and a keen eye which recognizes emerging future trends), sometimes...

Remember the first time you heard Jane's Addiction, Dinosaur Jr. or Pavement, reader? Back when those bands started, they were capable of doing some pretty awesome things; early in Jane's career, they were able to make the smallest acts seem totally profound...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...