Punk rock changed my life. But if you meet anyone as knee-deep into middle age as I am, who spent a good deal of their youth in dodgy bars and clubs, they are going to say the same thing; same words, same tone, same look on their faces. I can smell it on people like… Read more
Photo Credit: Paul Rovere Guns N’ Roses formed on the Sunset Strip in 1985, born from splinter factions of two local bands, LA Guns and Hollywood Rose. From their formation, GNR brought darker energy than the other bands on the strip, they sounded like a mashup of punk rock and glam. Dead Boys meets Queen… Read more
With Coronavirus receding and the world slowly opening back up, the last year has allowed musicians to finally get back in the studio and record new music. Combine this with a pandemic’s worth of soul-searching and you find an entire generation of new talent making urgent music that meets this moment. From soul-searching singer-songwriters to… Read more
Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz Laurel Hell was never meant to exist. In June 2019, Mitski Miyawaki announced that a September show in Central Park would be her “last show indefinitely.” “Indefinitely”, she assured fans, did not mean forever, but privately, she had already decided she was quitting the music business. However, she later realized, her recording… Read more
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine Baltimore band Turnstile’s third album GLOW ON starts with what must be the biggest psych-out on a rock record in quite some time. The appropriately-titled opening cut “MYSTERY” begins with a lilting synth intro which lasts a little over twenty seconds before revealing the band’s true nature as the hardcore-punk outfit that they… Read more
Photo Credit: Jamie Wdziekonski Amyl and the Sniffers are named after a certain type of drug that has been used recreationally for certain naughty purposes since the ’70s. Vocalist Amy Taylor says of the chemical “So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that’s what we’re… Read more
Photo Credit: Alasdair McLellan The Sleaford Mods made up of lyricist and singer Jason Williamson and DJ Andrew Fearn was formed in Nottingham, England in 2007. Since that time, the Mods have put out 11 studio albums, 4 EP’s, 4 compilations, one live album, and two lyric collections. Andrew Fearn makes beats and tracks so… Read more
#10. Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Comfort to Me’ Amyl and her boys can do no wrong in my eyes. These 21st-century sharpie delinquents make music to crack 40’s and have a drink, even if you don’t do that anymore. Comfort to Me, The Sniffer’s second full-length album, shows some growth from their debut, touches a… Read more
Photo Credit: Jordan Hemingway When Wolf Alice is good, they’re really good. Brilliant. The second track on Wolf Alice’s third studio album is one of the most well-written songs of the year, telling the tale of a young girl’s quest for a spot at the top in the City of Angels (“I’m socially anxious and… Read more
We are heading toward the end of 2021 and it has been…real. As Shakespeare said, “If music be the food of love, play on.” The following records have kept our bellies full and our hearts pumping. Listen in hopes of better times. In no particular order, here are our top ten rock albums of the… Read more