Some bands were obviously never going make it big. Some make it there, only to lose the very thing that made them special. Some fluke their way to success, through sheer happenstance. And then there are those bands who had the vision, work ethic, inventiveness and listener-friendly appeal – everything you’d want to have, on paper, to succeed – and end up falling short anyway. Cave In were a band who fell solidly into the latter category. Their story reads like one of those Our Band Could Be Your Life groups who laid the groundwork for Nirvana: the harsh early … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Cave In

Those screams. Good god. Anyone who has heard The Blood Brothers can attest to the horrific effect of their signature feature, the dueling call-and-response vocal assault of singers Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie, trading shrill, piercing howls like an especially volatile married couple. It is like a gauntlet laid down against anyone who dares consider themselves fans of challenging or “difficult” music, and it plays as a sort of acid test for newcomers: Can you persist in listening through the savage, nightmarish wails of sonic ultraviolence roaring out of the mouths of these men, to identify the candy-coated pop structures … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Blood Brothers

R.E.M. performed a vital, yet thankless task: they, more than anyone else, are solely responsible for the modernization of classic rock. It’s impossible to imagine what a good 30+ years’ worth of indie, alternative and mainstream rock bands would have sounded like without an example like theirs, hanging around for as long as they did, seeing flashier and more gimmicky acts come and go, soldiering on through the highs and lows, ultimately proving you could build a Hall Of Fame-worthy career on the basis of sheer musical excellence alone. Has there ever been another group of rock stars who became … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: R.E.M.

What IS it about Pearl Jam? Their status as the number two most iconic, quintessential rock band of the 1990s is nearly undisputed (they never did quite eclipse the memory of Nirvana[footnote]It is impossible to discuss this band’s early success without mentioning Nirvana, but I’ll try not to belabor the connection too much[/footnote]), and with a string of immortal radio singles in their arsenal and, let’s be brutally honest here, a severe lack of competition in their genre, their legacy should be secure. But it’s never been quite that simple for Pearl Jam. Although their tremendous commercial success was almost … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Pearl Jam

These fellers have brought me so much joy throughout the years. Formed in Iowa of all places, but they were smart enough to get the heck out of there and over to San Francisco in the late 80s. To give you an idea of their musical prowess, let me just list the personnel and instruments used as credited on their record, “Lovelyville” • Paul Bergmann – drums • Mark Davies – bass guitar, guitar, Casio synthesizer, drums, euphonium, vocals, trombone on “Nothing Solid” • Anne Eickelberg – bass guitar, vocals • Brian Hageman – guitar, viola, tape, vocals, mandolin • … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Thinking Fellers Union Local 282

NOTE: This was originally posted on March 26, 2016. This version has been updated to cover material the band has released since then. Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Deftones