Here’s a band so obscure and long forgotten that even the most voracious vinyl collector probably isn’t even aware of their existence. Formed in 1980, the Pencils featured singer and guitarist Tony Skeggs, singer and bassist Den Pugsley, keyboardist Rick Birmingham and drummer Andy Wells. You May Also Like: TheRead More

Thirty years ago today, a “big bang” of sorts occurred on television. This moment would profoundly affect R&B, rock, pop, MTV, and general pop culture. You May Also Like: Michael Gregory Jackson – ‘Electric Git Box’ (2022) Michael Gregory Jackson – ‘Frequency Equilibrium Koan’ (1977, issued 2021)

For ZZ Top, 1983’s Eliminator was a turning point, in more ways than one. Billy Gibbons and Co. would never have more commercial success, but they would never sound more commercial, either — memorably experimenting with synthesizers You May Also Like: ZZ Top’s “El Diablo,” “Thunderbird,” “Rough Boy” + Others:Read More

You may have listened to “Jump,” Van Halen’s lone charttopping hit from 1984, without stopping to realize the deeper philosophical message laying just beneath the surface. David Lee Roth is here to help. You May Also Like: No related posts.

I love that feeling that washes over me when a piece of music is so screwed up that I (at least initially) have no idea why I’m enjoying myself so much. That feeling will be the driving force behind most of my WTF?! entries. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny,Read More

“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” is one of the longer song titles in rock ‘n roll and one of the more oddball releases from R.E.M. (probably only superseded by “Leave” from New Adventures In Hi-Fi). You May Also Like: Joe Mandica,Read More

I used to force my brother Dustin to listen to my records — the Beatles, Hall and Oates, Journey, all of it. I made him learn every “nah nah” on “Hey Jude,” every deep cut off Voices, every Neal Schon guitar lick. You May Also Like: Joe Mandica, “I FeelRead More

Justin Hayward’s Spirits of the Western Sky, due on February 26, 2013 from Eagle Rock Entertainment, was recorded in Genoa, Italy and in Nashville — and it sounds just as varied. On his first solo effort in 17 years, Hayward moves from acoustic balladry to soaring orchestral songs, from experimentsRead More

I tried — I really did — to shake Herb Alpert. His silky smooth trumpet musings had been my introduction to something like jazz, though, and I’ve always associated his music with a time of unvarnished musical enthusiasm. You May Also Like: Jeff Lorber: The Albums That Shaped My CareerRead More

Having wowed the garage rock squad with their first album, On Fyre, Lyres continued to deliver the goods here on their subsequent outing, which initially surfaced in 1986 on the Ace of Hearts label. You May Also Like: Gerard – ‘Gerard’ (1976): Forgotten Series