How is a “music scene” born or the name of a “geographic sound” coined? Really think about that; in some charmed moment, a few bands which are basically unrelated but happen to live in a reasonably close geographic proximity to each other all happen to put out records that, by coincidence, have a few common sonic traits and, again by coincidence, all happen to strike a chord within the record-buying public. Presto! In the eyes of the rest of the...

While the genre already boasted a large and very enthusiastic fan base at the time, there weren't many fans who wouldn't begrudgingly admit that punk rock had been played by 1998. By then, the genre was already steeped in around three decades' worth of history (give or take, depending on what a listener calls the “first” punk record) and had already undergone several stylistic overhauls and modifications; The Stooges lit the fuse before Patti Smith, The Ramones and The Clash...

There's a certain irony in the fact that, in recent years, the musical genre least toyed and tampered with, rearranged or otherwise altered and mutated has been pop. Seriously – pop has historically been the most conventionally accessible of any music but, now, the kid gloves immediately go on to ensure that pop tarts reign unchallenged at the top of the media exposure food chain. The upside to that for those who aren't huge on what is generically known as...

The psychology behind a musician's “second time around” band is always a capricious beast. When a player (or singer) who already cut his teeth or made his name in another band that enjoyed some fame strikes out on his own, he's left with a choice of how he wants to approach his music: he can hedge his bets and play off the strengths he established in the public eye before, or he can try and throw some distance between himself...

Where does the line between 'art' and 'farce' get drawn? That might sound like a cynical or priggish question, but it becomes perfectly valid when one considers the idea of side project endeavors made by the members of an established band. The question is further legitimized when the number of side project releases exceeds the number of proper full-length albums that a band has released, and even further still when members previously relegated to the position of “sidemen” follow suit...

It sounds contrary to contend this, but some musical mixtures are more easily imagined than executed and, most often, the simplest and most straightforward combinations are the most troublesome to successfully carry off. A perfect example of an idea that seems simple in theory but proves not to be so simple in practice is the mixture of rock, punk and soul. Sure – lots of bands have tried to make such a mix work, and occasionally they're able to pull...

Hey there alla youse, So I was gone for a week and I think it's showin' on ya a bit – yer lookin' like you've got that itch, junkie. How ya feelin'? Didja miss me? Ya need yer fix? 'At's what I thought – I figured if I went away, you'd start feelin' it. Don' worry, I didn't do it to make a point, I was just on vacation. When I got back from my holidays inna sun, I found...

The frustrating thing about semantics is that, as clear and straightforward as one might try to be, it may still be taken the wrong way. As an example of just how a term may be misunderstood, take the phrase 'classic rock record.' For some readers, seeing the words 'classic rock record' will call to mind images and thoughts of Led Zeppelin IV, Harvest Moon by Neil Young, “The White Album” by The Beatles, Exile On Main Street by The Rolling...

A month ago I listed the artists I thought were the most overrated in rock music. Among the many responses I got to that were a number of people who wanted to know what I thought were the most underrated artists. The problem with attempting to compile such a list is that there are just too many to choose from. Every band which I love and you have never heard of (and believe me, there are plenty) is, almost by...

A month ago I listed the artists I thought were the most overrated in rock music. Among the many responses I got to that were a number of people who wanted to know what I thought were the most underrated artists. The problem with attempting to compile such a list is that there are just too many to choose from. Every band which I love and you have never heard of (and believe me, there are plenty) is, almost by...