I have a confession to make: Metal fan that I have always been, I’m not particularly a Black Sabbath fan. I know, I know: You’re all black-listing me right now. You May Also Like: Why Black Sabbath Went Out on a High Note With ’13’

by Tom Johnson I fell hard for Sheik’s highly developed melodic sense on Phantom Moon, a moody, dark, mostly acoustic album of songs about the psyche written by a friend and playwright. I stepped back through his small catalog to Humming and found the album almost as beguiling, and onlyRead More

by Fred Phillips You won’t find a much stranger mix than HeadCat. On vocals and bass, you have metal legend Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. On drums, you’ve got Slim Jim Phantom from the Stray Cats. You May Also Like: Motorhead, February 16, 2011: Shows I’ll Never Forget

by Mark Saleski When R.E.M. toured on the Murmur record, they were the darlings of college radio. That’s certainly where I first heard them. “Radio Free Europe” and “Catapult” were getting a lot of airplay, and the band received some enthusiastic press reports You May Also Like: Why R.E.M.’s ‘LiveRead More

by Tom Johnson Can a band mature and continue to challenge themselves and listeners? Rather Ripped answers yes. Sonic Youth may not wail away with walls of squealing distortion like they used to but Rather Ripped‘s lyrical focus on relationship troubles is backed by their trademark angular pop that willRead More

Steely Dan’s “My Old School” features a boss, brassy Stax sound plopped right into a piano-driven hard shuffle – making this a fun, foot-stomping number.

by Tom Johnson The second installment in Stevens’ planned 50-piece “states” series took aim at Illinois. As a follow-up to 2004’s stunning Seven Swans, it struggles a bit, but is a rewarding and entertaining listen. Stevens’ music is pretty much entirely acoustic — banjos, guitars, piano. Those who want anotherRead More

I love to read negative reviews of albums put out by aging rock stars. They’re predictable in a comforting sort of way. A big chunk of them say that the artist hasn’t been any good since the “blah blah” release. You May Also Like: How Neil Young’s Complex, Hypnotic ‘Greendale’Read More

I wanted to love this. I originally heard the “pre-release” mp3s that slipped out, and I was enthused at what appeared to be a return to the “classic” Radiohead sound of OK Computer and The Bends. You May Also Like: Radiohead Saw the Future With ‘OK Computer,’ Then Became ItRead More

We had the “official” start of summer a little over a week ago, by I’ve always felt that the 4th of July weekend was when summer stepped into its full bloom. You May Also Like: Lisa Germano’s ‘Happiness’ Broke Out of the John Mellencamp Roots Rut John Mellencamp’s ‘Freedom’s Road’Read More