Sometimes, without even having a clear plan in mind necessarily, a band manages to fall ass-backwards into a charmed rock n' roll rhythm which instantly connects with listeners. It's never one particular aspect of the band's songs which ends up being responsible for the instant adoration that listeners feel, it's just a complete package of good melodies, good guitar hooks and a great beat which ensures that some listeners will “get it” from the first spin, and never let the...
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ani DiFranco has announced the upcoming release of her eagerly awaited new album. Which Side Are You On? arrives via the Grammy-winning artist's own Righteous Babe Records on January 17, 2012. Which Side Are You On? marks DiFranco's first studio album in more than three years. The collection features eleven new songs alongside a radically reworked rendition of the classic title song, famously popularized by the one and only Pete Seeger nearly five decades ago, but no less relevant...
It may come as a surprise for fans to learn just how little most musicians tend to have with their back catalogue and the reissuing of it. Greatest hits packages, for example, are often one of the endeavors with the smallest amount of artist involvement; usually the stop-gap measure of choice for record labels to reinsert an artist on new release racks, greatest hits and best-of comps simply collect the songs everyone knows and occasionally tuck in a few bits...
Merry Christmas Junkie! Oh wait – i'ssnot Christmas yet, izzit? Naw, it jus' feels'at way cuz, now dat Halloween's ova, dat's where da music bizness is lookin' next. An' I already got a coupla Christmas songs'at I found'is week! Kin you believe it? Ah well, it's weird, but all'at means izza world is gonna tip a little on its axis, anna buncha extra stuff is gonna start fallin' offa trucks. Yessir, it's comin' up onna most wonderful time o' da...
At this point, Anthrax has been bringing the noise for thirty years now and, because the band has never really stopped, one would think they might begin to slow down. Running hard can take its toll over time – voices get raspy and hands may grow sore – but guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello and singer Joey Belladonna have found a new way to stay tight and rock hard every night: by touring...
Few bands embrace and convey the rock ‘n’ roll spirit like Deer Tick. They have also managed to include some introspection to round things out a bit. On their fourth album Divine Providence, the required ingredients are all still there; beer, irreverence and a bit of debauchery – check, check and check. But there’s also a bit more. With a wonderfully gravelly voice, singer John McCauley takes listeners through his days as a touring musician, with all the booze and...
In the Nineties, if you knew who Melt Banana was you were in the minority and were probably a small group of underground hardcore enthusiasts or on a Slap a Ham Records 7” mailing list. Melt Banana has managed to survive the years and gain a wider audience. Maybe because of their stylish spazz and experimentation in hardcore, the band has outlived the legion of tough-guy hardcore bands that refused to go beyond what was expected of them. Now, almost...
It’s been over forty years since the acid wave swept through music and gave birth to a genre dependant on mind-altering drugs and extended jam sessions. Unlike ska and swing, psychedelic rock hasn’t had a resurgence…but why not? With driving guitars which are, by turns, loud and melodic along with bold and haunting vocals, this is music with a fan base which could totally belong in the mainstream. Black Angels are proudly of the psychedelic genre. Epic and dark and mysterious,...
After almost forty years as one of the most influential Heavy Metal bands of all time, the mighty Judas Priest announced earlier this year that their "Epitaph" tour would be their last and, after witnessing the tour's stop at the Sleep Train Pavilion last week, I can honestly say that the band will be going out on the same level that they have been on since day one – on top. For this farewell tour, Judas Priest will be playing...
Some artists can elicit a very strong reaction from listeners, even after just a few bars. When Neil Young appears on the radio, for example, one camp of listeners embraces his non-traditional style and finds comfort in his elaborate vocal intensity while others race to turn the station as quickly as they can and by any means necessary. I imagine Jolie Holland has a very similar polarizing effect. With her fifth studio album, Pint of Blood, Holland stays true to...