Fifteen years ago this month, on Oct. 22 1991, Matthew Sweet released “Girlfriend.” Film historians often site 1939 as the greatest year in cinema. The untouchable year saw the release of movies such as “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Sound Of Music,” “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington,” and “Wuthering Heights.” Choosing music’s crowning calendar is […]
Two weeks ago I published a list of the 20 most important remaining albums of 2006. Beck’s “The Information” topped it ahead of DJ Shadow, Jay-Z, Sparta, Jet, The Hold Steady and Lady Sovereign to name a few. The album hit shelves Oct. 3. But the historical record – at least in the U.K. – […]
Elvis Presley is The King. He was The King in 1956, and he is still today – 50 years later. He earned the nickname because he was not only the top draw and biggest performer in the world, but also because he was the largest selling solo artist. For half a century that title has […]
Last week one of the most iconic bands of any era had its tour visit Chicago – and it never should have. I hope they don’t come back again. Ever. Queen’s performance at the All-State Arena March 23 – with front row tickets going for as high as $3,600 through online brokers – marks the […]
The Smoking Popes are back – or so I’m told. I guess you could argue the seminal 90s power-pop act was “back” last August when the announcement came via Web site it would play a reunion show. Or you could argue the actual return was Nov.11 when the quartet took the Metro’s stage for the […]
The Arctic Monkeys – a brash group of English teens without a member of legal U.S. drinking age and who didn’t even own instruments until Christmas 2001 – debuted atop the UK charts last week. Not only did the band’s first full-length enter the chart in its top slot, but “Whatever People Say I Am, […]
Oh how adorably punk rock of Johnny Rotten. The Sex Pistol shunned the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and said his band wouldn’t attend the March 13 induction ceremony. In a handwritten (because typing is too mainstream) note posted on his Web site, the aging icon said, “rock and roll and that hall of […]
We’re obsessed with nexts in today’s day and age. Lebron James is the next Michael Jordan. Pink is the new black. Jaguar is the new Cadillac. iPod is the next Walkman. It’s our insatiable need to compete that finds us forever searching for ways to replace our icons. Whether it’s because we hold these benchmarks […]
Recently I was confronted by one of my religious friends and asked to comment on a column he found regarding Christianity and rock’n’roll. I read the column when it was published originally so I had opinions regarding this specific piece as well as the topic already. His question, as well as the thesis for the […]
I never thought I’d like the Grammys because the mainstream is so passé. Except I did. Or rather, I didn’t loathe them. Which is saying a lot given how predictably simple it is to bash the biggest night in popular music. The thing is, if you have seen more than two years worth of these […]