The Spirits of '81, Part One: Punk-Funk Junk

The true importance of 1981 may not be realized by most folks anymore, given the extremely sorry state of "popular music" these days...

Sabbath Sunday: Sabbath, Sexy Sabbath

There are a lot of adjectives that come to mind when you think of Black Sabbath; dark, ominous, heavy, intense, things like that. However, one thing Sabbath was definitely not was sexy. 

Hardcore Matinee: Sick of It All, Built to Last

I realize this is heresy for an old Boston hardcore kid like myself, but the truth is the NYHC bands were just plain better. 

Donovan Takes Us to Atlantis

 

Scotsman Donovan Leitch started his career as a Bob Dylan imitator and then seemed to ingest a huge quantity of mind-altering chemicals, resulting in his subsequent self-reinvention as the Celtic Bard of Psychedelia. 

Mötley Crüe and Twisted Sister: Dude Looks Like a (Ugly) Lady

Although most of the original UK glam and glitter bands flopped in the US, they struck a nerve with hardcore fans who mixed the glam attack with more conventional memes from affiliated bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper and concocted a new strain of bubble-glam metal for the Material Age.

Enchantment on Demand: Your Guide to the Cocteau Twins' Catalog

No one could have predicted it, but the Cocteau Twins are far more popular now than ever before. They're certainly a lot more popular than they were during their lifetime.