Taylor Swift is a mega-star, and her profile as a celebrity can overshadow her musical abilities. Opinions on Swift are wildly diverse – in some quarters she’s dismissed as disposable music for teenage girls. In others she’s highly respected as…
Jeff Tweedy was the junior partner in alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo, playing bass and fronting the occasional song. When the group split, Tweedy formed Wilco with other Uncle Tupelo musicians – notably bassist John Stirratt, Wilco’s only other constant member.…
Writing about Dire Straits’ discography this week, I learned that 1985’s Brothers in Arms was one of ten albums nominated in 2010 for the title of best British album of the previous 30 years. I was especially intrigued by a…
Detroit based married couple Jack and Meg White started playing music as a duo in 1997. Jack White played bluesy guitar, while Meg White’s primitive, untrained drumming was distinctive and refreshing. From the beginning of their career The White Stripes…
Welcome back to the last episode of the 6 week decade challenge. Let’s check the leader-board. Average Paul 61% Badfinger 65% Chris 66% J 67% 2loud2oldmusic 68% jprobichaud 72% Angie 74% Jim S 74% Bruce 75% Rich K 81% Tony…
Welcome to week 3 of the music decades challenge. Of the contestants who’ve completed both week’s challenges so far, the leaders are: J 58% 2loud2oldmusic 75% jprobichaud 75% Paul 75% Stephen1001 81% Bruce 89% Rich K 97% Tony 97% Jim…
James Murphy always intended to be a drummer or a sound technician, but ended up fronting a dance-rock band New York’s LCD Soundsystem bridge the divide between dance and rock – Murphy’s raw vocals are a great entry point for…
The Decemberists rode the wave of early 21st century Indie to success, attracting attention with their predilection for historic epics and olde English folk music. They hail from Portland, Oregon, but the band was named for the Decembrist Revolution in…
The Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There is a fascinating film, portraying different aspects of Dylan using six different actors, including a woman; Cate Blanchett steals the show with her portrayal of Bob Dylan’s twitchy peak in the mid-1960s. I…
If you’re an old man, shouting at the clouds about how modern music isn’t the same as it was in your heyday, you would probably enjoy the recent output of Jason Isbell. Isbell’s an Americana artist, whose sincere albums are…
When Uncle Tupelo split up after 1993’s Anodyne, guitarist and primary song-writer Jay Farrar seemed the best bet for a successful career with his new act Son Volt. But Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco with the remnants of Uncle Tupelo – bassist…
I’ve been tremendously under the weather this week, and one of the best parts of being sick is the hallucinatory dreams I sometimes experience. In the throes of sickness I dreamed that I interviewed Neil Finn (of Crowded House and…
