Profiles and tributes to the singers and bands who defined an era.
In the cold, sterile offices of the modern music industry, artists are often treated like assembly-line products. You are given a look, a sound, and a script, and you are expected to perform. But every so often, a rebel emerges who refuses to be packaged. Janelle Monáe was one of those rebels. To the executives, … Read more
It was 1979, the era of the neon-soaked discotheque and the dying gasps of the punk revolution. Suddenly, from the hazy airwaves of the Sunset Strip, four guys in skinny ties appeared like a retro-futuristic fever dream. The Knack were the biggest band on the planet for a fleeting, glorious moment. Their debut single, My … Read more
In the sweltering heat of 1968, while the world was gripped by the psychedelic explosion and the looming shadow of the Vietnam War, a soft-spoken Englishman was quietly writing a revolution. Ray Davies, the creative genius behind The Kinks, released a track that would fundamentally alter the trajectory of pop music. At first glance, it … Read more
It was 1976, a year defined by the fading grit of post-Vietnam America and the rising tide of hard rock legends. Among the most enigmatic figures of the decade were Blue Oyster Cult, a band that always seemed to operate in the shadows of the occult and the surreal. When their signature track, (Don’t Fear) … Read more
It was supposed to be the Woodstock of the West, a final, radiant gathering to cement the Summer of Love into the history books. Yet, as the sun set over the Altamont Speedway in December 1969, the air turned cold and the promise of peace disintegrated into pure, unadulterated chaos. For those of us who … Read more
When Jefferson Airplane burst onto the San Francisco scene in 1967, they became the architects of a sound that defined an entire generation. For millions of Gen Xers and Boomers, White Rabbit remains the definitive soundtrack of the Summer of Love. To the casual listener, the song is a trippy, hypnotic journey through Lewis Carroll’s … Read more
It was February 1967, and the air at Redlands, Keith Richards’ secluded Sussex estate, was thick with the hazy, psychedelic fog of the mid-sixties. The Rolling Stones were at the pinnacle of their fame, but beneath the glossy sheen of international stardom, the walls were closing in. A tip-off, an informant, and a sudden, violent … Read more
The year was 1988, a time when the music industry was caught between the fading neon glow of the disco era and the sharp, synthesizer-driven edge of modern pop. Most audiences viewed Tom Jones through a singular, polished lens: he was the classic Welsh crooner, the heartthrob of the Vegas residency, and a voice defined … Read more
In the golden haze of 1966, the airwaves were crowded with the upbeat, sun-drenched melodies of surf culture. The Beach Boys were known as the architects of this California dream, the voices that promised endless summers and ocean breezes. Yet, deep within the walls of Western Recorders, a shift was occurring that would forever alter … Read more