Category: Rock
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Todd Rundgren ‘Something/Anything?’ (1972)
Todd Rundgren’s career was a tightrope walk between pop stardom and cult icon status, a balancing act that began in the late 1960s and reached its zenith with the 1972 magnum opus Something/Anything?. Emerging with the Nazz, a psych-rock band steeped in Beatlesque melodies, Rundgren quickly set his sights on a broader canvas as a…
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Genesis ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ (1974)
A lot of people remember Genesis for their pop breakout 1986 album Invisible Touch but forget that ahead of that mainstream success they were a heavyweight prog-rock band with an embarrassment of riches on the talent side of the house. Any band that has Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins on its roster of musicians is…
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The Replacements ‘Tim’ (1985)
By 1985 Minneapolis-based The Replacements had carved out a space in the punk rock underground, but Tim marked their shift toward a sound that began to explore the roomier horizon of alternative rock. With their ragged guitars and Westerberg’s soulful voice, The Replacements blended punk’s sharp edge with a melodic sensibility that gave them a…
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The Hellacopters ‘High Visibility’ (2000)
Garage rock has been one of my favorite musical genres for as long as I’ve been listening to music. The sound of a Gibson Les Paul plugged into a Marshall amp is a sound as pure as the driven snow, a timeless blend of American ingenuity and testosterone-fueled machismo that immediately burrows its way into…
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Bad Company ‘Bad Company’ (1974)
If you love yourself a good old fashioned English rock supergroup from the 70’s you’ve come to the right place. Bad Company was comprised of vocalist Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott The Hoople), and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson) all had come together at a unique time in their…
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Can ‘Tago Mago’ (1971)
Krautrock was an experimental genre of music that developed in West Germany during the late 1960’s, combining elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music. One thing the genre was especially known for was the usage of musique concrète, which basically describes the process of taking a typical sound recording (instrument or voice), modifying…
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Eagles of Death Metal ‘Peace Love Death Metal’ (2004)
Eagles of Death Metal is a fun little garage rock project fronted by principal songwriter Jesse Hughes with contributions by alternative rock legend Josh Homme. The name is a play on words to 70’s rock band the Eagles, and the fact that they aren’t a death metal band makes that little inside joke even more…
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Eagles ‘One of These Nights’ (1975)
Eagles’ One of These Nights is a masterclass example of studio alchemy, a pivotal moment that reshaped the band’s trajectory and left an indelible mark on 70s rock. Recorded at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the album emerges from a tumultuous period for the band, who were grappling with internal friction and the pressures…
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Mott The Hoople ‘The Hoople’ (1974)
Mott the Hoople was formed in 1969 during an interesting time in rock history– psychedelic music was in its heyday and the advent of distorted electric guitars was becoming more commonplace. In addition, artists like David Bowie were beginning to push the pace sonically and bringing in a more avant-garde experimental sound to the masses…
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The Who ‘My Generation’ (1965)
Released in 1965, The Who’s debut album My Generation not only defined the sound of British rock but also marked the band’s explosive entry into the music scene. With its raw energy, catchy melodies, and rebellious spirit, the album captured the essence of youthful defiance. Tracks like “My Generation” and “The Kids Are Alright” resonated…
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Jefferson Airplane ‘Surrealistic Pillow’ (1967)
Jefferson Airplane played a pivotal role in shaping San Francisco’s psychedelic rock scene during the mid-1960s, serving at the forefront of the counterculture movement that dominated the city and embodying the experimental shift that was happening in popular music at the time. Their complex compositions, soulful vocals, innovative guitar work, and hazy reverb-drenched production helped…
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Led Zeppelin ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)
The term “most influential band” gets thrown around a lot to describe various acts throughout the years, but no band in history changed the trajectory of pure rock and roll more than Led Zeppelin. Since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1969, Led Zeppelin has been a fixture on the radio and pop…
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The Donnas ‘Spend The Night’ (2003)
I remember The Donnas pretty vividly during my early high school years. I saw them live at Shoreline Amphitheater at BFD Festival the summer after graduating 8th grade and was blown away. Keep in mind this was during the garage rock revolution of the early aughts and at peak Plank testosterone production levels– all I…
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Deep Purple ‘Machine Head’ (1972)
If you’ve ever picked up a guitar it’s nearly a guarantee that you’ve attempted to play “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. It’s one of the most iconic riffs of all-time outside of maybe “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne or “Back in Black” by AC/DC, immediately recognizable for both its simplicity as well as…
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Buddy Holly ‘Buddy Holly’ (1958)
Buddy Holly’s impact on rock and roll is profound and enduring. He shaped the genre’s evolution in a few pivotal ways, from his innovative approach to songwriting and his distinctive style which set a new standard for rock and roll. With hits like “Peggy Sue” and “Everyday”, Holly’s sound combined energetic rhythms with a blend…
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David Bowie ‘Space Oddity’ (1969)
Before David Bowie was a transformational rock star whose ability to effortlessly shapeshift between baroque pop, psychedelic rock, electronic rock, neo-soul, and dance music had fully taken shape he was a struggling artist whose career was very much at the crossroads. After his self-titled dance hall record David Bowie was a flop commercially, Bowie showed…
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Chris Isaak ‘Heart Shaped World’ (1989)
Chris Isaak’s blend of moody rockabilly drenched in reverb and magic dust is a haunting blend. Heart Shaped World features a sort of expertise for uncanny world-building that is immediately gripping the moment you first hear it. It sounds like a live concert put on by a 50’s rock and roll band taking place in…
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Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)
Bat Out of Hell is the first edition of the musical trilogy that made Meat Loaf a household name over the course of four decades. Bat Out of Hell and its two companion albums (1993’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell which features his most famous song “”I’d Do Anything for Love (But…
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The Mother Hips ‘Pacific Dust’ (2009)
The Mother Hips are somewhat of a Bay Area institution having delivered their brand of 90’s alternative meets 70’s classic rock for over 30 years now. Pacific Dust carries on the spirit of what has made The Mother Hips such a fixture in the Northern California music scene– dynamic guitar parts, rock-steady rhythm section, and…
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The Strokes ‘Is This It’ (2001)
There are great musical achievements that stand the test of time. There are bands who are just fucking cool. And there are bands who catch fire out of nowhere before capturing the attention of the entire world. It’s not often those traits intersect so perfectly that the Venn Diagram ends up looking like a circle.…
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The Velvet Underground ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ (1967)
Sexual deviancy and drug abuse have been the hallmarks of rock and roll since its inception, and The Velvet Underground were one of the first bands to really lean into those motifs as a core tenet of what they stood for. Upon its release The Velvet Underground & Nico was controversial and critically panned, both…
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New Order ‘Power Corruption and Lies’ (1983)
New Order was formed by the former band members of Joy Division following the abrupt suicide of their lead singer Ian Curtis. With their new project they retained many of the things that made Joy Division a post-punk cult favorite (namely the repetitive drones and seemingly detached vocal style) while introducing more synth-pop and dance-rock…
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Van Halen ‘Van Halen’ (1978)
Imagine you’re 16 years old, sitting in your bedroom at home, and your older brother bursts into your room with a new album from an unknown band named Van Halen that just released their debut album. You’re getting into rock and roll so you flip it on and you hear the guitar playing of Eddie…
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DEVO ‘Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’ (1978)
Despite being labelled a joke band whose deadpan humor and absurd live show featuring over the top science fiction references made them a fixture in the early American New Wave scene, Devo’s genesis was born of more serious circumstances. Their band name came from the concept of “de-evolution” (an idea that mankind had begun to…
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Dorothy ‘ROCKISDEAD’ (2016)
I’ve always had a soft spot for high-octane rock and roll female lead singers that totally kick ass. Dorothy’s ROCKISDEAD checks that box. Lead singer Dorothy Martin raises hell for 35 straight minutes on the band’s debut album, and while the whole affair is a pretty meat and potatoes version of dirty southern rock that…
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The Nice ‘The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack’ (1968)
In the summer of 1968 prog-rock’s foundation was still being laid. Using elements of psychedelic pop that came to prominence off the heels of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and combining it with Cream’s affinity for blues-rock jamming found on Disraeli Gears, The Nice wedged themselves between the two and in the…
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The Residents ‘Duck Stab’ (1978)
Art-rock band The Residents never shied away from the bizarre and 1978’s Duck Stab is no exception. This album is unsettling, unexpected, and unique in a way that is either going to feel like a transformative piece of experimental rock or nothing more than pure drivel. I tend towards the latter and frankly struggled to…
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Slash ‘Orgy of the Damned’ (2024)
Slash just dropped his newest album entitled Orgy of the Damned this past Friday and I simply had to check it out. As dutiful readers will remember I had the opportunity to see Slash in-person at Power Trip Live last year and it was an incredible experience: I was lucky enough to catch them live…
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Alberta Cross ‘Broken Side of Time’ (2009)
Alberta Cross was a mainstay for me during college, and still stands to this day as one of my favorite alternative rock albums. Their blend of darkly sinister guitar riffs that sounded as if the apocalypse was around the corner, clear respect for the traditions of the blues, absolutely thumping rhythm sections, and the haunting…
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The Doobie Brothers ‘The Captain and Me’ (1973)
The Doobie Brothers hold the distinction of being one of the few great rock bands who found success with two very different lead singers that fronted the band at two different phases of their career. From the meat and potatoes boogie rock of Tom Johnson in the early 70’s to the soulful grit of Michael…
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New York Dolls ‘New York Dolls’ (1973)
New York Dolls is a seminal punk rock band and their 1973 self-titled debut laid the groundwork for bands like The Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols to send punk rock into the stratosphere later in the decade. Borrowing elements from glam rock (if the cover art featuring the entire band dressed in drag didn’t give…
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Bruce Springsteen ‘Born To Run’ (1975)
For anyone who has had a conversation with me about music over the past 15 years can attest to, Bruce Springsteen is my favorite musician of all-time. The Boss has become the de-facto orator of American history over the past 50 years due to his prolific career longevity and his willingness to tackle subject matter…
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Mountain ‘Climbing!’ (1970)
Climbing! is the debut album from American hard rock band Mountain and features one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time on “Mississippi Queen”. The combination of a cowbell count-in paired with the iconic slithering guitar riff sounds like cigarettes and a steak dinner– simply 70’s classic rock perfection. And alongside Leslie West’s pitch…
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The Kinks ‘Kinks’ (1964)
One of the most influential guitar tones in the history of rock and roll comes off 1964’s Kinks. Its lead single “You Really Got Me” inspired artists like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix in subsequent years to crank up the distortion and fuzz, effectively reshaping the sonic landscape of rock and roll for decades to…
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The War On Drugs ‘A Deeper Understanding’ (2017)
A Deeper Understanding felt like a spiritual experience the first time I heard it. Principal songwriter and lead vocalist Adam Granduciel had created a world so lush and abundant it was almost disorienting at first– melodies that bloomed and transformed before your eyes, soft and sentimental, seemingly lacking a true center. It all sounded so…
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Tom Petty ‘Full Moon Fever’ (1989)
Full Moon Fever was Tom Petty’s debut solo album after taking a hiatus from his longtime backing band The Heartbreakers, a similar career path that Bruce Springsteen took when he released Tunnel of Love in 1987 without the official backing of the E Street Band. My love for Petty has been well chronicled (you can…
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