Shovels and Rope mix lots of different musical elements all dear to classic rock fans. There’s folk, bluegrass, rock, garage, country, and a hint of punk, all tied together with pitch-perfect harmonies.
These tracks may not be about ghosts and goblins, but they nonetheless cast a long, dark shadow of foreboding.
What is the shelf life for aging rock star Halloween costumes? With the demise of physical albums and CDs, it is getting shorter since a fan can now shimmy down the street, earbuds in, oblivious to what their favorite artists look like.
“Blue Eyes” is the first tune that ever hooked me from the lead-in count of “one, two, three, four. . .,” which is followed by a twangy, country-fried opening riff that sets the tone for the mellow Neil Young groove reverberating throughout the track.
I was jogging in the Oakland hills the other day, listening to a Pandora shuffle, when a version of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” stopped me in my tracks and challenged my long-held theory of cover songs.
A Top Ten playlist of the best rock ‘n’ roll cover songs, according to a painstaking methodology I have developed over the years. With one notable exception, these are either excellent versions of obscure tracks or completely revamped classics.
Watching Glen Hansard perform “Astral Weeks” is to see the power of music personified, how it shines a purifying light on the darkest internal recesses. It is like being let into a sacred space.
A gym playlist for classic rock fans, guaranteed to get you through your workout — guaranteed.
My friend’s mom gave us a ride to the Clash concert and instructed us in no uncertain terms to meet back at the car at 11:00 PM. I can still hear that command, which seemed reasonable at the time, ringing in my ears three decades later.
I know a band rocks when it inspires a bald fifty-something to stage dive — thrice. And my wife to skip the gym in favor of drinking.