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 sounded or read like someone saying (to update the language a bit), “I love you, but you such.” Granted, many poets, authors and songwriters have framed their work in a similar manner to Dickens or used...

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 there’s just no way to explain how or why a band succeeds or fails to break through and become a cultural icon. It could be argued that it just boils down to dumb luck; sometimes a...

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 with the help of some classic rock histrionics (see “Standing In The Shower, Thinking” – for example) while Dinosaur Jr. balanced incredibly high decibel levels against shockingly articulated composition and Pavement made noise and texture an integral part...

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...