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 »
“Did you know there was an all female music festival back in the 90’s?” My mother asked me this question a few weeks ago as we were getting ready to go out to dinner. Standing side by side in my hall bathroom, making some last minute touches to our hair and outfits, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) blasted from the living room speakers. My mom has always been my go-to when it comes to women in music, exposing me to an endless slew of amazing female artists as I grew up. The conversation started as we praised Taylor Swift for the… Read more »
Poltergeist Is Getting a Reboot And We’re All Going To Die The worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life, Poltergeist, was SCARY ENOUGH the first time. It is a big part of why I can’t watch scary movies without being in actual fear of peeing myself. (Also, there is no “cute date” option for me that will help me get over this. Ever.) The reboot of Poltergeist will incorporate modern technology, only adding to the freakiness and torment it will undoubtedly put you through. The movie is set to be released July 24th in 3D screens across… Read more »
Ben & Jerry’s “One World One Heart Festival” scheduled this weekend at the original 1969 Woodstock concert site has been canceled. Tracy Chapman and LeAnn Rimes had been scheduled to headline the festival, slated for Saturday and Sunday at the former farm, now the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 80 miles northwest of New York City. “An economic downturn coupled with an unexpected slump in the music industry” forced cancellation of this year’s event, the company’s Web site said. Only 1,000 of the 30,000 tickets had been sold, USA Today reported Wednesday. Ben & Jerry’s said automatic refunds would… Read more »
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines – Staind, Slipknot, Tantric, Buckcherry and others are contributing tracks to NASCAR’s Crank It Up compilation. Due to hit stores in June, the collection is “designed and built for racing fans,” according to a label statement, and includes a plethora of rock outfits playing covers of high-speed, rubber-burning favorites. Recently dissolved industrial rockers Fear Factory weigh in with their reworking of gearhead Gary Numan’s classic ’80s ode to four-wheelers, “Cars.” Les Claypool offers up the song most likely to be played on an upright bass: the rockabilly classic “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Meanwhile, “Lit Up”… Read more »
For what was supposed to be a valentine to Bono (“Bahn-o”), there sure were a lot of references to Bono (“Bone-o”) Thursday night. First, on the red carpet leading into the new Kodak Theatre, Evan and Jaron joked that they thought the inaugural “Love Rocks” concert was honoring the late Sonny Bono. Then, R.E.M. carried on the joke by bringing out Cher during their four-song set to duet with singer Michael Stipe on “I Got You Babe,” after which Cher said, “I’ve never done that song without my Bono, so that was for you, Bono.” Finally, when accepting his Heart… Read more »
“It’s kinda hard to know what song to play these days ’cause every word sounds different than it did before,” said Neil Young, following a perfectly chosen and rendered rendition of the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” during his show-closing set with Crazy Horse at Saturday’s 15th Anniversary Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountainview, California. Referring to the events of September 11th, Young used every bit of his allotted time onstage this year – from his two-song opening to the all-star jam bookending the day’s entertainment – to deliver his unwavering, though not necessarily popular, peacenik message… Read more »
Their embraceable debut (1997’s Middle of Nowhere, featuring the Number One single “MMMBop”) sold millions of copies and established Hanson as TRL’s preeminent poster-teens. The grittier follow-up (2000’s This Time Around) alienated bubblegum-dependent younger fans and has yet to go platinum in the states. Now the brothers Hanson – Isaac, Taylor and Zac – are hard at work on a record they hope will marry the success of one to the punchy feel of the other and in the process show the world what they’ve know all along: Hanson are a hard-working, musically gifted and educated rock band. Sessions for… Read more »
The 33rd annual CMJ Music Marathon will take place in New York City October 15th-19th. The event, which spans across 80 venues, aims to break new artists as well as feature established artists. Acts playing the festival this year include You Me At Six, The Sounds, The Dismemberment Plan, NGHBRS, Echosmith, Braid, and more. For more information and to purchase badges, head to the CMJ website. Check out the artists announced so far below! 2/3 Goat * 6:15 Jessica Caplan * 7:00 Lisa Blanco * Aabaraki * Aaron Lee Tasjan * Aaron Lopez-Barrantes * Absolutely Free * The ACBs *… Read more »
Tapping a hunger for positive messages in difficult times, Christian artists are appealing to a growing number of people outside of their traditional audience. The trend is reflected in an important barometer, mainstream radio, which closely follows the tastes of its listeners. “The events of the last couple of years have made people more open to spiritual things and trying to find answers,” says Stacie Orrico, a Christian artist who has made inroads on the pop charts. “After, people were just flocking to churches, which was amazing to watch,” she says. Orrico, MercyMe, Natalie Grant, Relient K and even the… Read more »
