What the hell is a Mannheim Steamroller? We’ll get to this band’s punny denotative meaning, but I can tell you right now what it connotes. It’s a faceless synthesizer juggernaut that turns Christmas carols into ’80s New Age ear-blasters, and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mannheim Steamroller

Artist Spotlight courtesy of Pauli Like many things prefixed by “post-,” “post-rock” is a confusing and infuriating label. Defining it is a similarly confusing exercise, though when pressed for examples, most people will include some subset of the bands Explosions … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mogwai

Vince Guaraldi was a jazz pianist and composer whom you probably never would have heard of were it not for the Coca-Cola company. Thanks to them, Guaraldi wrote music you’ll never forget and helped create the smooth jazz subgenre. But … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Vince Guaraldi

Band Aid was a trendsetting charity supergroup, which created the idea of getting superstar musicians together for a one-off recording to raise funds for a charitable cause. Its first incarnation came in 1984, with the hit song “Do They Know … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Band Aid

When listening to the music of Alison Sudol — who performs under the moniker of A Fine Frenzy — for the first time, it would be understandable if the artists who come most quickly to mind are Tori Amos and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: A Fine Frenzy/Alison Sudol

7 Songs From The Sundays That Got Me Through The ’90s The Sundays debuted in 1990 with the album Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. “Here’s Where The Story Ends” got regular airplay on local alternative station KUKQ 1060 AM and immediately hooked … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Sundays

MERCURY REV – Holes Note: As is de riguer for much psychedelia, some of these videos may contain visuals which are ill-advised for epileptics, migraine sufferers, and your workplace. There’s a persistent urban legend that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mercury Rev

Howdy folks. Artist spotlight time on a man who could fit in a lot of categories if these were separated. Comedian, actor, presenter, musician, there is a hell of a lot to cover. BAFTA gave him a lifetime achievement award … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Billy Connolly

Hello, everybody, and welcome to my second ever Artist Spotlight. Today, I’m going to be talking about Interpol. No, not the International Criminal Police Organization, the rock band! Interpol formed in 1997 in New York City. The band was started … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Interpol

Artist Spotlight courtesy of Man with Lute I was first introduced to Muse through the world of Twilight. My mom read the books, watched the movies, and bought the soundtracks. On the soundtrack was the Muse song “Supermassive Black Hole.” … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Muse

“A rock and roll car crash.” That was the description for an album called The Fermi Paradox by a band called Tub Ring. I had opened the Pigface album Easy Listening that was gifted to me for Xmas and out fell a two sided … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Tub Ring

On April 27, 1987, influencial Minnesota hardcore band Hüsker Dü appeared on the CBS program Late Show with Joan Rivers to give a short interview and promote the album that would eventually be their last. Although a large chunk of the chat … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Hüsker Dü

This spotlight is less about the 3 bands named and more about the driving force behind them, a Swiss musician named Thomas Fischer; calling him a “genius” would be overselling it, but in the world of extreme metal, he certainly … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Hellhammer/Celtic Frost/Triptykon

So, Dashboard Confessional. Yes, yes, I know. Hear me out. Dashboard Confessional is arguably the primary inventor of emo music, or at least acoustic emo. Their early stripped-down arrangements and heartbreaking lyrics were an influence on countless artists, and if … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Dashboard Confessional

I think one of the most interesting things you’ll ever hear is someone picking up a guitar for the very first time and plucking out a few notes. There’s something pure about it; not knowing there are rules about which … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Residents

Introduction “Um, yeah. OR, they could do that.” – Tiny Mix Tapes review of Blueberry Boat That statement, with its implied bemusement and confusion, functions as a concise summary of the beguiling genius and frustration of the brother, sister duo The … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Fiery Furnaces

I’m sorry … did you say Winger? As in, the worst hair-metal stereotype to crawl out of the ’80s, that Winger? The band whose front man appeared on the cover of Playgirl, that Winger? The one whose biggest hit was a … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Winger

This Artist Spotlight is a salute to the internet. Also, the inter-connectedness of Latin American music.Without which, I would never have heard of Ms Lafourcade. I was intoduced to Mala Rodriguez by a Spanish friend. I found her duet with … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Natalia Lafourcade

“There are King Crimson fans that listen to Voivod and think ‘that’s what I’m talkin’ about!’ “ – Dave Grohl In 1982, MTV showed up in my house. And I started hearing Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and the first … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mon dieu, il est Voivod

Is the best folk act in America a pair of teenage Swedish sisters? That’s a trick question, because the girls of First Aid Kit don’t live in America, and by now they’re both in their 20s. But if you saw … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: First Aid Kit

Roberta Joan Anderson (b. November 7, 1943) overcame a lifetime’s worth of hardship — disease, heartbreak, and childbearing at an early age — and channeled her pain, frustration, joy and sense of wonder into one of the most extraordinary artistic … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Joni Mitchell