Blog: The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown

This summer has sucked as far as music goes. No, not everything is bad...but not until late July is there anything worth (Thom Yorke & Pharrell) getting excited about. If the record labels actually think I'd be dancing in the streets over Nelly Furtado or Dashboard Confessional, then they need to hire new interns in order to take a pulse about what customers are looking forward to. But that would mean they would actually have to know what they were doing...and that's a big stretch for an industry whose existance purely relies on the success of someone [...]

When the Nirvana rare tracks box set was released, it quenched the appetites of many fans. Me among them. But for the true hardcore fan, this wasn't everything. There are known songs out there that have been rumored for years. Some have made the internet run being downloaded faster than the new Paris Hilton single. Others have remained...to this day, unheard. So what are the Nirvana boys (and Courtney Love) waiting for? Who knows? Maybe for the dollar to go up from inflation...that would be my guess. But until then here [...]

They are gone but not forgotten. Well, maybe some people have forgotten them. But if you're thinking about being nostalgic about the first half of the 00s, then here's a look back at the best songs from one of the darlings of that era. Best Grandaddy Songs El Caminos In The West (From Sumday ) Revolution (from I Am Sam Sdtk. ) Nature [...]

Very seldom do bands announce they are breaking up before releasing a long anticipated album. But then again, Grandaddy was never one to go with the grain. Maybe it's all the pesticides they've inhaled living in the central valley, or maybe they've just tangled their beards together too often, but whatever the cause...the time for the band to go away is now. The spirit that made them darlings of the indie press is long gone. Instead we something of an album of half-finished concepts for songs. They definitely have the Grandaddy sound but none of [...]

People are claiming to hear hip-hop's death rattle. I think their wrong. If they hear anything that might sound like a rattle, it's the fun-filled beats of our next artist. Meet Ugly Duckling. Three guys from Long Beach, who came together over ten years ago to form a group in the shadows of bands like Tribe Called Quest and de la Soul. But close to a decade later, a sound that was getting a little stale in the mid-90s is making a comeback like a mother...well you know what. One of the freshest and [...]

For a singer to leave a mega-band and start a new band...the pressure is enoromous. So very rarely does it ever work out. Here's a list of the best 2nd bands for singers. Note: this is not just 2nd bands for any member of a previous band....the reason why Foo Fighters or Love and Rockets are not on here. Also, no solo work either. That's a no brainer. Wings (Paul McCartney â€" The Beatles) Crosby [...]

Once upon a time, a little band called the Status Quo did a song called “Pictures of Matchstick Men.” It was 1968 and everybody was either stoned or fighting Communism in a far off jungle. Little did they know that 20 years later, it would be covered and practically launch a career for a young David Lowery. At the time, David was singing for the group Camper Van Beethoven, who reached their

For years people have been prophesizing the death of hip-hop. Some people have been praying for it. Sadly, it seems that this forecast may actually be coming true. If one takes a look at the top album sales on itunes, only 7 of the top 20 albums came out in 2006. (By comparison, 17 of the top 20 alternative albums are from 2006) And many of the hip-hop albums are from over 10 YEARS AGO!!! Is hip-hop in that bad of shape that someone would rather buy Dr. Dre's the Chronic [...]

Just because they are rich and famous and can have any woman they desire, that doesn't mean their lives are easy. Maybe just easier. Not all of them can be in perfect health like Nick Lachey. So here are the most famous rock stars and their afflictions. Disabled Rock Stars Ray Charles (blind) Stevie Wonder (blind) Joni [...]

When people get sick then try to do things they used to, deep down inside you root for them to do a good job, but you know it’s never going to be as good as when they weren’t sick. This brings us to The Vines. Recently, the lead singer was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Now, he’s most likely had this all his life, including during the recording of the first two albums. And maybe, the reason those albums worked was because he was dealing with the fact that [...]

It seems every band under the sun reunites eventually. The Pixies, Janes Addiction, Alice in Chains all faded gracefully but returned for reunion tours and albums. Even the most unlikely reunions have come to fruition. The Sex Pistols scoffed at the idea now get together for shits and giggles at least once a year. Van Halen refused to ever reunite with David Lee Roth but has done so twice now. Even the Police refused to ever get back together but went against their word when they played the Hall of Fame induction. So who [...]

***sorry for the delay...first blogspot was down...then ezarchive**** Why do people love Morrissey? And I don’t mean, why do they love his music? I mean why do people cry hysterical tears when they see him sing as if their parents were just killed in a car accident? I like his music…I don’t break out the Kleenex box when Everyday is Like A Sunday bursts through the stereo speakers. So what is it? Is it his masculine charisma? [...]

They may only have one album to speak for...but it's a doozy. As Arcade Fire barrels onto this list at #4... Rush Neil Young The Band The Arcade Fire The Tragically Hip Hot Hot Heat Godspeed You Black Emperor Blue [...]

The Arcade Fire isn’t an unknown band but their first EP may fall in that category. Before they wowed the music snob intelligentsia with their upbeat Talking Heads-splashed funeral parades, they were still exploring their off-beat yet quirky sound. This EP isn’t for everyone. It’s a great find for fans of The Arcade Fire and music snobs who are too good to listen to music that mainstream music snobs listen to. But if you're intrigued, what you will find is a solid collection of songs that would lay [...]

Remember how embarrassed our parents became when we asked them questions about the 60’s? “Did you ever smoke pot? Did you ever burn your bra? Did you ever own a Volkswagon van?” Imagine how difficult it is going to be for us when we have to answer our kids when they ask, “Why did people in the year 2000 have such bad taste?” And, no, I’m not talking about George W. Busch. I’m talking about the fad that has overstayed its welcome. They are five young [...]

For years, this two-piece (some days three-piece) band tried to break out of the mold that they were nothing more than a cheap copy of Built To Spill. Sadly, they never did and are now just an answer to a trivia question on the Northwest music scene in the post-Nirvana years. But if you decide this band I feel you will be pleasently surprised. And yes, they do sound like Built To Spill. (PS. The name of the band is the phone number for roadside assistance in Seattle - just in case you're in seattle and need assistance.) [...]

Country radio is not country. They are pop. If they were really country, they would be playing songs about putting it to the man not licking his ass. Here are the eleven best "real" southern bands that country stations should be playing but don't have enough country to do so. Or because Jesus told them otherwise. 1. Drive-By Truckers 2. Son Volt 3. Lucero 4. Songs: Ohia/Magnolia Electric Company 5. William Elliott Whitmore 6. [...]

He's a retro review from 2001. When influential bands break-up, the members tend to go off and do completely useless things. For example: Jimmy Page formed the Firm (blech), Krist Novoselic decided to run for Washington St. Lt. Governor (the huh?), and don't even get me started about the Faith No More fellas. Ex-Pavement lead singer Stephen Malkmus has learned from his peers. Over the years, he has stolen away Pavement demos, [...]

First off, let me get something out of the way, I am not giving the Chicks a bad review due to their exercising of their freedom of speech a few years ago. In fact, that faux pas made me a bigger fan of Maines & Co. than I already was. The truth of the matter is, I would have never explored country music if it hadn't been for the Chicks. At a time when when nu metal garbage was running amuck on the radio, I thought it was quite amusing that the most powerful people in the [...]

Today's a day of rest and relaxation as we remember our heroes who fought bravely in battle to defend the honor and prestige of this country. So, for everything war has been to this country, here's a list of the 11 best songs having to do with war. 1. Masters of War (Bobby Dylan) 2. War (Bobby Marley) 3. Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival) 4. Life During Wartime (The Talking Heads) 5. Rooster (Alice in Chains) 6. [...]