One of the very best bands of the 1980’s, Tears For Fears are almost criminally under-appreciated. They pushed the boundaries of pop music and wrote hit songs that had something to say. The message in “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” has never been more relevant and this performance at Knebworth in 1990 is a testament to how good they were in a live setting. Enjoy: continue reading...
In 1971 The Faces were probably the only other band who could hang with the Stones and compete for the title of ‘best rock and roll band in the world’. Ragged and loose, but incredibly good players, The Faces also featured Rod Stewart while he was still a rock star (and not the lame pop star he became famous as). “Stay With Me” is probably their most well known song, but it’s still a lesser known tune in the annals of classic rock… which is a shame, because it’s one of the all time best rock and roll tunes ever created. This performance should make everything abundantly clear: continue reading...
Right off the bat Viva Brother is a bit suspect considering all the hype that the UK music press dumped on them before they’d even released a debut. Then when you consider that every piece written about them references the fact that they sound exactly like Blur and Oasis and that the band falls under a new category called “gritpop”(presumably a grittier version of Britpop…), you might be a bit hesitant. At least I was. Then I heard the song “Darling Buds of May” and was pleasantly surprised. Sure there are shades of Albarn and the Gallagher brothers, but who cares if the song is good? continue reading...
“The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” has vaulted to the number one spot in my list of favorite songs from this excellent new album from the Arctic Monkeys. That’s not to say that it will change at some point, Suck It And See is rammed with good songs… but the combination of the dueling guitar and bass lines, Alex Turner’s stunning lyrics and delivery and a coda that blows the song into something even bigger makes this one the favorite of the moment. And guess what, there’s a brand new video that’s just been released. It’s basically the band looking cool in the way that cool bands do. Amazing song: continue reading...
Yes, I featured Radiohead only a few weeks ago in the Live Flashback, and yes, Glastonbury isn’t “flashing back” very far (it was last weekend), but this is Radiohead performing the new tunes from The King Of Limbs for the first time in a surprise special set at Glastonbury and they damn well deserve another feature anyways… So yeah, that’s pretty much it. Here is Radiohead performing both “Lotus Flower” and, a bonus 2nd clip!, “Bloom” from The King Of Limbs. These tunes sound a lot more muscular in a live setting. Very exciting! God I hope they tour again soon… Enjoy: continue reading...
Young Rebel Set is a new band from the oddly named Stockton-on-Tees in North East England and Curse Our Love is their debut album. I’ve only heard a handful of songs, but I’m sold on them already. Sure, the songs aren’t pushing any limits or breaking new ground, but there’s still something to be said about creating heartfelt songs with passion and doing it very well. The band relies on a pub/rock/folk sound with equal nods to Springsteen and Dylan and accent-tinged vocals that carry the lyrics with gusto. Keep an eye on this band, I cannot see how they wouldn’t be popular with an audience that has embraced the likes of Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers and The Felice Brothers. The first single from the band is an excellent driving rocker called “Lions Mouth”, but I’ve chosen the quieter and heartfelt “If I Was” as todays featured MP3. Enjoy: continue reading...
If the first taste of the Arctic Monkeys‘ 4th LP Suck It And See was a bit underwhelming with the song “Brick By Brick”, you should be completely satisfied with the first official single from the album called, “Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”. This song is a nice extension of the darker, more mature sound first explored on Humbug, but still has a sledgehammer of a riff and some super catchy “oooohs” and “yeahs”. Check out the video for the song below. Can’t wait for this album! continue reading...
It’s such a shame that The Libertines have had such an up and down history as a band. Blame the lows on whatever cliche fits… drugs, jealousy, insanity, drugs… but, the highs were quite incredible. Who know’s what could have been accomplished had Pete Doherty and Carl Barat been able to make more music together? I suppose not all hope is lost. They have been able to pull it together for a few reunion shows over the years. A prime example is this performance from 2010’s Reading Festival. The band effortlessly performs an incredible version of “Can’t Stand Me Now” to a crowd that is going absolutely mental. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll get more magic from these guys… continue reading...
I’m right in the middle of Keith Richards’ biography Life and I must say it is an absolutely incredible read. Sure the stories about drugs and women and getting arrested are bafflingly insane, but strip all of that away and all that’s left is the music and a reminder of how incredible it was. At this point Richards and Jagger have really become caricatures of themselves and rockstars in general, but the truth is that they fucking invented “being a rockstar”. The golden era of the Stones remains, at least to me, the period of 1968 to 1972 where Richards was literally re-inventing how the guitar was played in Rock and Roll music. Smack in the middle was the 1969 release of Let It Bleed which features my all time favorite Rolling Stones song, “Gimme Shelter”. Here is the band, back when they truly were the baddest band in the world, performing that song in Texas: continue reading...
I’m not sure when this performance was, but it’s a great quality look at The Smiths playing one of the most famous tunes from their brief time together. It’s also worth watching for 3 reasons: continue reading...
