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Keep even the most cursory eye out and the name Barrett Martin is bound to appear somewhere in the liner notes to albums from countless artists across dozens of genres spanning three decades. Best known as the drummer in Screaming Trees and the grunge era supergroup Mad Season, the Seattle multi-instrumentalist has played on recordings by everyone... Continue Reading →
The number of superlatives bandied about by those who have taken in one of the U2 shows at Sphere at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas since the state-of-the-art venue opened at the end of September is endless. Audience members report being left speechless at the sights and sounds while even the most hardened critics... Continue Reading →
It’s become an annual thing to trek over to the fringes of the Arctic Circle for Iceland Airwaves, a music festival in the northernmost capital region in the world, this year taking place Nov. 2 - 4. From last Thursday through the weekend though, it was less “land of ice and snow” and more “is... Continue Reading →
Think of the dozens of bands throughout the history of rock and roll that can never be seen again. The Beatles, The Doors, Van Halen, Nirvana – all of them are gone for good, with key members either six feet under or those surviving knowing better than to mess with the legacy lest they turn... Continue Reading →
Certain artists hit at just the right time. And for a small number, they hit generations over and over again. In the case of Violent Femmes, it's typically during the late-high school/early-college years sweet spot. Tracks like "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up" and "American Music" have that folksy but funky swing while still... Continue Reading →
Philadelphia has a long history with Aerosmith – and it hasn’t always a been good one. But all that was swept under the rug as one of the contenders for America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band launched their “Peace Out” farewell tour at the Wells Fargo Center to a packed house last weekend. Led by... Continue Reading →
Music festivals have become the epitome of the clichés “dime a dozen” and “here today, gone tomorrow.” That appeared to be the case with In Between Days, which debuted last summer in Quincy, Mass., less than 10 miles south of Boston. Despite a single day, semi-solid indie bill, headed up by Manchester Orchestra and seven... Continue Reading →
Australian indie outfit Middle Kids have been a group I first dialed into back in 2016 when I was eyeing up bands to catch at that year's Iceland Airwaves music festival. Their song "Edge of Town" grabbed me instantly, and I couldn't wait to see and interview them in the 101. Unfortunately, life had a... Continue Reading →
It's always a pleasure catching up with Johnny Beane, host of The EVH Show on Exclusively Van Halen, and last night I guested live to discuss the just announced Van Halen box set The Collection II, which focuses on the Sammy Hagar era of the band. Also in on the chat was Dane Zimmerman, checking... Continue Reading →
There was always something deeper going on under the surface with Sinéad O’Connor. From the moment she burst into the mainstream with the worldwide smash single “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the Irish singer-songwriter was both a curiosity and lightning rod for controversy. When news spread of O’Connor’s death at the age of just 56 years... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 