Well, it takes a charismatic front person with an amazing set of pipes, some dark lyrics and some punk- and hard rock-influenced guitar, heavy bass and hard-hitting drum beats.
I don't like pop rock or college rock at all. As vague as those genres are, they make me want to run - far away from the radio.
Take the break-your-heart beauty of Motown, put it on top of a pure rock 'n' roll energy foundation and add a twist of 20-something youthful charm and you've got The Hard Lesson's new 7-inch vinyl release.
The show Bob Dylan played at the Philharmonic Hall on Oct. 31, 1964, yielded what is arguably one of the best bootleg live recordings of his career.
There hasn't been a metal album released in years that's as wicked and constructed with such a veracious talent as the self-titled Probot album. Probot is Dave Grohl.
COUNTRY"Live at Billy Bob's," Michael Martin Murphey, Smith Music Group Since recording his first solo album in 1972, country songwriter Michael Martin Murphey has become better known for his solo material than his work with the Lewis & Clarke Expedition or his songwriting for The Monkees.
Few factors can make a band immediately amazing. One of them is when the drummer rocks so hard that he or she starts to bleed (see www.jucifer.com). Or when flange and distortion are used simultaneously (Flange, noun: Fuzzy, spacey guitar effect that sounds cool). Another is when the lyrics are so good, you skip backward on the CD just to hear them over again. Thus is Jucifer's new six-song (plus bonus track) release, "War Bird." Jucifer is a really, really loud rock band.
Detroit, deshmoit. You'd think we were an hour and a half away from Seattle or something the way people describe the "scene" these days.
Well-known rap producer Kanye West's solo debut, "The College Dropout," is intelligent, humorous and full of great samples and hooks. Not only does the album incorporate reflective and thoughtful hip-hop and R&B, but it also makes use of old-school soul sounds.
Almost any artist will tell you that their sound is unique and can't be compared to anything.
I've been told that an album isn't worth a five-star rating unless it changes my life.
The liner notes in The Elected's debut, "Me First," explain almost everything there is to know about Blake Sennett's life away from Rilo Kiley. There are thanks to Elliott Smith, who opened his studio to Sennett.
There's something immediately appealing about The Blanks' debut release, "kiss you on the mouth." The Lansing-area band mixes clear guitar tones, fuzzy keys and groovy bass to help create its revival sound.
BLUES"Whiskey Store Live," Tab Benoit and Jimmy Thackery, Telarc Recorded live on the "Whiskey Store" tour, which supported the 2002 release by the same name, this album features Baton Rouge blues guitarist/vocalist Tab Benoit and blues rock guitarist Jimmy Thackery for dueling six-strings.
It's hard to understand H.I.M., also know as His Infernal Majesty. The fact that the band is from Helsinki, Finland, doesn't help.
The Upper Peninsula is like another world compared to the rest of Michigan. It's really cold, there's plenty of places without electricity or a Meijer and there's rarely a traffic jam. And Yoopers are their own breed of people, musically.
Annie Quick loves her guitar. And why wouldn't she? It's a 1972 Gibson SG and her name is Georgette and the focus of Quick's sophomore release, "Bigger." On the album, Georgette is personified into a female guitar player.
Recently, a friend asked me who I thought would win in a fight: The Distillers' Brody Dalle or Courtney Love.
There's this strange feeling that hits you right when you enter the city of New Orleans.
Throughout rock history, the three-piece band has never ceased to amaze. How can such a powerful sound stem from just three musicians?