Search Results for: hard rock

Green Day will toast the release of American Idiot on Tuesday, but perhaps an even bigger cause for celebration these days is the 10-year anniversary of their breakthrough LP, Dookie. The modern-day classic not only launched the Bay Area punk trio into the mainstream, it opened the door to a mid-’90s wave of popped-up punk and provided a launching pad for the current crop of melodic pop-punkers. “[Dookie] changed my life,” confessed Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden. “It made me want to start Good Charlotte…. Right after that record came out, we were like, ‘We have to start a band in… Read more »

Guitarist Robert Quine, one of punk rock’s most daring soloists, was found dead Saturday in his New York apartment. He was 61. According to close friend and guitar maker Rick Kelly, who discovered Quine’s body, the musician died of a heroin overdose Memorial Day weekend. He had been despondent over the recent death of his wife. Born in Akron, Ohio, Quine was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, whose music he recorded obsessively while living in San Francisco. He moved to New York in 1971 and became the lead guitarist for bassist Richard Hell’s important group the Voidoids, with whom… Read more »

Sometimes, Washington is as hot as Bangkok. OK, I stole that line, but it was baking hot at RFK Stadium Saturday for the HFStival, the annual, all-day, relentlessly eclectic rock extravaganza put on by local radio station WHFS-FM (99.1). An estimated crowd of 60,000 blazed under a pre-summer sun, moseying in and out of the stadium from parking-lot attractions that included a forest of beer trucks, giant inflatable corporate logos, two more bandstands – one for national acts, the other for local acts such as Washington Social Club and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack – and, for the truly adventurous, a Ferris… Read more »

When Prince, ZZ Top and Jackson Browne are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, they won’t have to look far to see contemporary stars their music influenced. Outkast, Kid Rock, Alicia Keys and Dave Matthews are among those who’ll pay tribute to their musical mentors by inducting this year’s class, organizers announced Thursday (February 19). The 2004 inductees also include the late Beatles guitarist George Harrison, the Dells, Bob Seger and Traffic. Other presenters include Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Bruce Springsteen and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony… Read more »

You say you want a revolution? Well, you know – we all want to change the world. Except for Chris Colus. He’s the drummer for a reggae-roots-rock band, freshly signed to a major record label, and he’s trying to explain that band’s name, which is O.A.R. – Of A Revolution. “There’s no political motive,” the 25-year-old Rockville, MD native insists. “This is the music we’ve wanted to play, the music we wanted to hear – that’s a revolution for ourselves and our fans.” The “Of A Revolution” name actually comes from “The Wanderer,” a short story singer-guitarist Marc Roberge wrote… Read more »

The big question as we enter 2004 is simply “Do you want some?” The answer will come when Liam Gallagher and elder brother Noel return to the fray with the new Oasis album later this year. Although to some the Mancunian brothers’ group may be too tied up with the hangover of ’90s Britpop to ever be a potent force again, they are still undoubtedly one of the biggest rock groups in the country. They do like to tread water, however, and a much-needed change in direction may finally come with the introduction of Death In Vegas man Richard Fearless… Read more »

In their 13 years together, the members of P.O.D. have never denied their faith. And frontman Sonny Sandoval says the group never will. “It’s going to come out, whether I build houses or collect garbage,” he says. Spirituality and positivity have saturated the band’s material to date and have helped turn P.O.D. into a multiplatinum-selling act in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. With the new Atlantic effort, “Payable on Death,” both band and label hope that the faith of the 2.7 million U.S. fans who bought P.O.D.’s previous album also remains intact, as the new set – the group’s… Read more »

Their music has always been personal and uncompromising, expressing their distaste for authority and their penchant for classic punk. But Rancid have never worn their hearts on their sleeves – until now. The band’s latest album, Indestructible, is a musical manifesto of strength and courage, reflecting all the styles in the group’s arsenal – from the Clash-tinged groove of “Memphis” to the roaring punk firestorm of “Born Frustrated.” Lyrically, however, is where the real breakthroughs take place. Songs like “Ghost Band” and “Tropical London” are more poignant and confessional than most of the band’s past output, revealing a sensitivity that… Read more »

It’s OK with Nickelback if you want to call them a pop group. In fact, pop doesn’t begin to describe the Canadian quartet’s third album, “The Long Road.” The Roadrunner set, arguably the most-anticipated global rock release of the year, is due Sept. 23 in North America and a day earlier in the rest of the world. “Somewhere along the line, people turned pop – as in ‘popular’ – into a dirty word,” says Chad Kroeger, leader of the hard-rocking band. “We want to reach the widest audience possible and let everyone know who we are. Korn, Tool and Slipknot… Read more »

Led Zeppelin has agreed to let one of their songs be used in the soundtrack for the upcoming film School Of Rock-but only because its star, Jack Black, asked personally. According to the studio, Black-who makes music with the comical rock act Tenacious D-stepped in after School Of Rock director Richard Linklater was unable to get permission to use “Immigrant Song.” Black reportedly sent a humorous videotaped request for the song to the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin, who subsequently gave their approval. The School Of Rock soundtrack comes out September 30, while the film opens October 3. Led… Read more »