True confession: It has been years since I seriously listened to R.E.M., beyond just a song or two. In the 1980s, this was one of my favorite bands, before they took the big record company money and tried to appeal to the stadium audience. Their sound was fresh, jangly and succinct. R.E.M. was not a … More R.E.M. – Looking Back at Their Studio Albums
This is kind of a mish-mash of different releases; new stuff I have played and think deserving of some words. Jeff Beck / Johnny Depp , 18. At first glance I thought this was some kind of novelty joke. I’ve been a fan of Beck for 50 years, although I find his more recent material … More New Album Reviews: Beck/Depp, Journey, Christine McVie, Drive By Truckers, Pink Floyd
I love to be surprised by music I didn’t know about or was convinced I would not like. As I get older, I have to fight harder to move out of my comfort zone of musical tastes. Retracing my steps over many decades, there are some game-changers. Although I will not likely be shouting the … More Musical Surprises
Thirty years of Pearl Jam. I thought it would be fun to look at their first album, Ten, and their most recent studio release, Gigaton. These two albums couldn’t be more different. Initially, the brooding, aggressive sound of this band did not register with me. However, I love many brooding, aggressive bands, the case here … More Pearl Jam (Part 2)
I’m mostly a classic rock you, but my interests are far and wide, eclectic so I’m told. My wandering in the vast rock landscape has taken me to The Cure, The Smiths, Paul Westerberg, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, The Cranberries, The Breeders, Wilco, World Party and others. The definitions of indie rock, alt rock … More My Voyage into Alt Rock
Let me clarify, new music to me. I was watching this streaming show called Loudermilk, and I heard this haunting, melodic song, lush, almost ethereal. The gentle piano chords instantly settled into my brain. This should be subtitled: Music for Introverts. The music is highly reflective and feels like is describes those puzzle pieces that … More Andy Shauf: New Music
The 1980s was not my favorite decade, especially for music, but there are some hidden treasures. I’ve bypassed the more famous bands and artists in favor of ones that may be a mystery to you. Incredibly, the majority of these artists are still performing today. The 1980s was a strange decade for music. Radio format … More Music: Hidden Treasures of the 1980s
What a great debut album! The Cranberries brought a fresh sound in the decade of 1990s, when indie rock swept in a great, new rush of music. At the time, this album rose to number 18 on the charts and had two hit singles. Over the years, it has sold over five million copies in … More Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993): The Cranberries
The musical group, the Flaming Lips, have been around for awhile, more than 30 years now. I took notice of them around the time of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which had the big hit, “Do You Realize??” This album was in the middle of the band’s triad of commercial success. The albums before these … More The Flaming Lips: Best Albums
This is one of my favorite bands of this millennium. It’s an eclectic jumble of art and indie rock. The singer Feist came from this group. People say, don’t you like any current bands? Yes, and here’s an example. The composition of this group is very fluid. The core is Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. … More Broken Social Scene (Band)
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