From rock n’ roll godmother Sister Rosetta Tharpe to grunge singer Tina Bell, there have always been Black rock music artists. Pop-punk and alternative rock are no different. To celebrate Black History Month and the kickass contributions of Black rock artists, here are 10 Black pop-punk and alt-rock artists you should listen to year-round. Fefe Dobson The Canadian pop-punk singer Fefe Dobson released her self-titled debut album in 2003, which spawned hits that included “Take Me Away,” “Bye Bye Boyfriend,” and “Everything.” She would follow that album with 2006’s Sunday Love and 2010’s Joy. The latter was especially notable for… Read more »
It’s Gym Class Heroes vs SECRETS in this installment of (Un)Covered.
The Gym Class Heroes have experimented so much on their latest CD that even frontman Travis McCoy can’t quite describe the group’s newly formed sound. “It’s like our last two efforts combined in a sense, but pushed further. Hence the title ‘The Quilt.’ It’s like a patchwork of sounds, different arrangements (and) real lyrics,” says McCoy, trying to explain the CD, released earlier this month. “Musically, I think it’s a big cocktail of everything that’s inspired us over the past two years,” he said. “It is definitely rooted in hip-hop and hip-hop is like the main course on the plate,… Read more »
For then 15-year-old Travis McCoy, high school gym class was nothing more than an excuse to chat about music with buddy Matt McGinley. McCoy, who was an aspiring rapper, was the frontman for a local band, and McGinley played drums for another in their native Geneva, N.Y. The summer after sophomore year, McGinley’s band landed a party gig, and McCoy, who happened to be at the same gathering, stepped to the mic and began to rhyme along with it. Thus Gym Class Heroes was born and went on to release three independent albums before signing to Fall Out Boy principal… Read more »
