Punk rock taught us tons of things. It taught us how to draw logos on leather jackets, how to put Elmer’s Glue into hair and make it stand, it taught us about independent music, and it taught us stupid stuff like the ZOMG ANARCHY DUDE~! aspect of the sound- all of these are important (yes, in a way, even the last one). But the most important thing that punk showed us was that we are all fans of music, and that the enthusiasm that a music fan feels for a …

Nearly twenty years after I discovered Sebadoh, I’m getting another chance to see Lou Barlow in concert tonight.  I wish that I could explain what it is about a loveable stoner with great hair, a penchant for noise and a Jackson Browne-like quality for making sweet and mellow music (only unlike Jackson Browne he doesn’t suck) that makes me adore his music so much, but I can’t.
I guess Lou Barlow is just honest. He isn’t afraid to make big and bold proclamations about love, hope, and masturbation and once he’s …

Gospel music is a difficult thing for an atheist like myself.  On one hand, you have the subject of the music- God. Or Jesus. Or sometimes both. But on the other side there’s the music, which when done correctly is music done with fire and passion.  I suppose the peril of the modern day aging hipster/atheist has to run together at some point.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists play punk rock, I guess. Good, loud, epic punk rock that is somehow too smart to just be lumped in with all of the leather jacket-clad anarcho-punks wishing for Crass’ return or that Greg Ginn and Henry Rollins would play nice with each other.  Instead, this is spirited punk rock which indebts itself to some 90s indie rock, some noisier arty rock and even big, beautiful swatches of power pop.
Brutalism Bricks, Leo’s latest album is all of those things and still more.  If anything this …

Alice Cooper’s 80s period, it’s a period of time that most Alice fans aren’t even aware existed, and Alice doesn’t even remember recording Zipper Catches Skin and DaDa due to the severity of his alcoholism at the time of writing and recording the albums.
Because of this most people tend to write off the albums as unworthy of Cooper’s heavy metal done as showtunes legacy, but once listeners dig deeper they’ll find a few good songs buried inside of the albums.
First off, to most Alice Cooper Fans these albums (the aforementioned …

For the record the albums included in this three CD/six album set are Love of the Common People, Hangin’ On, Folk Country, Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan, Waylon, Singer of Sad Songs and they are first six albums that Jennings released in the mid-to-late sixties.
Those years are important to realize in these albums, because they have less to do with the 1970s Outlaw country version of Waylon that became famous.  Instead, these albums have a polished country/folk music feeling of Glen Campbell’s golden era.
Much like Campbell, Jennings finds himself doing country …

The only thing amazing about the neo garage movement is that every band makes me excited. Brimstone Howl isn’t any exception. They are pseudo vintage garage guys all the way, right down to their haircuts and mod outfits. Their latest album, Big Deal, What’s He Done Lately? sounds like it was recorded in the same cave that The Sonics recorded their music in forty years ago, and I love it way too much.
This album has it all: rock and roll stompers, r&b swagger, ham fisted psychedelia and all points between. …

There is nothing unique, revolutionary or even remotely clever about Left Lane Cruiser. Their lyrics include gems such as my daddy had a six-string/my momma never slept at night and their guitar always feels very blues-based- in other words, what’s so special about this band? The answer is everything.
Their latest album All You Can Eat!! is a tuneful and energetic romp that never gets repetitive or old.  The band never really moves past basic rock and roll, and doesn’t seem to need or want to. Instead songs are built around …

Live albums are a fickle thing. The good ones leave you just as breathless and sweaty as if you were really at the show, and the bad ones sound just like the albums and are merely contractual obligations.  Alive as Fuck by the Black Diamond Heavies is no obligation. Instead, it’s a rollicking, bluesy and energetic call back to mid sixties garage rock.
Recorded live in Covington Kentucky (home of a few really nice drive-through liquor stores and a great Skyline Chili location), Alive as Fuck never stops. The songs, performed …

Hello out there. I’m 32, and I’ve never felt those oh-so-cliché worries about growing older. I’ve viewed it as another part of life’s journey. This was of course in the days before I listened to Sugar Blue’s Threshold.  Now I’ve come to the rather horrible and rotten conclusion that middle aged is damn frightening.
On paper, Threshold should be good. Sugar Blue has an interesting pedigree (he played harmonica on “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones!), but in execution the album is just plain awful. The songs aren’t the hard lessons …