From its opening seconds, Led Zeppelin II announces itself as a gift to anyone with a pair of headphones. Robert Plant’s muffled chuckle to begin “Whole Lotta Love” is immediately incinerated by Jimmy Page’s kaiju-sized guitar riff, which fills the left channel. Meanwhile, there’s an echo of Page’s riff deep in the right channel, the implication […]
Tucked away on the fourth floor of an otherwise unspectacular brick building in Hamburg, Germany, a small and scrappy team is producing some of modern rock’s boldest records. “It’s only 10 minutes away from Central Station, but in the wrong direction,” says Johann Scheerer, founder and owner of Clouds Hill Recordings. “No one really knows […]
Revolver is the perfect intersection of everything that made the Beatles such a force for change. Experimental yet accessible, unfailingly commercial even as it rejected convention, and so freaking good that, 55 years later, it still sounds fresh. It’s also a record that takes on a new life with headphones, and not because it’s loaded […]
I met Dan Sartain at the merch table after his November 8, 2004 show at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan. I bought two copies of Sartain Family Legacy 1981-1998 and we made small talk. He complimented me on the suit I was wearing (I’d come straight from my grandpa’s funeral) and me saying I […]
Article by Matt Kumma Neil Finn has been my king of rock n’ roll for nearly 35 years. He’s written some of the best songs I’ve ever heard, has several slots on my top-albums-of-all-time list, was invited to join one of the greatest rock bands ever, and always has good hair. I was a Split […]
The Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom shone a light on legendary backing vocalists such as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and Judith Hill, all of whom have collaborated with some of music’s biggest names. Another vocalist that could’ve easily been profiled in the film is Venetta Fields. Born in 1941, the Buffalo native spent […]
Take a moment to learn more about some of the women of punk who pioneered the style in the 1970s and ‘80s. Jayne County Jayne County (b. 1947) is a queer and trans punk trailblazer who is often considered the first openly transgender singer in rock. Although she is a rock legend, she is also […]
Henry Rollins discusses his reasoning for collecting multiple pressings of the same release. We can all learn a thing or two about what makes a quality pressing when searching for the best version of our favorite records. Read more from Henry Rollins. I think it is fair to say that it’s possible to get a […]
Pino Palladino was finishing up his bass parts on a Common album when a request came as a bolt from the blue: Could he join The Who this weekend? While in Philadelphia wrapping up work on the MC’s 2002 album Electric Circus, the bassist rang his wife, Maz, who informed him he probably wouldn’t be […]
As collectors, we are always on the hunt for our next score. There are the holy grails — the records that represent our greatest finds — and then there are “happy little accidents,” as Bob Ross would say. Henry Rollins shares the coolest records he found that he wasn’t looking for. Read more from Rollins […]
