rock

No Slump Here: 10 Excellent Sophomore Albums

No Slump Here: 10 Excellent Sophomore Albums

Every now and then, a promising act pulls it all together on their second outing. When careers are done, it’s these special second efforts we remember most.

The Greyboy Allstars, New Monsoon, ALO, and Moonalice Rock Petaluma

The Greyboy Allstars, New Monsoon, ALO, and Moonalice Rock Petaluma

Jazzy electric boogaloo funk masters, the Greyboy Allstars, headline Petaluma with strong support from regional Bay Area rockers New Monsoon and ALO.

Woke vs. MAGA Is Just Like the Disco vs. Rock Divide

Woke vs. MAGA Is Just Like the Disco vs. Rock Divide

Want to understand (and maybe start to reconcile) the Woke vs. MAGA divide? Start with the disco vs. rock divide of the 1970s.

Wand Find Their New Gravitational Center on ‘Vertigo’

Wand Find Their New Gravitational Center on ‘Vertigo’

On Vertigo, psychedelic rockers Wand distill hours of material and add ornamentation to tracks that regularly favor mood over moments of grandeur.

Phil Lesh & Friends Keep Terrapin Vibe Alive at Sunday Daydream

Phil Lesh & Friends Keep Terrapin Vibe Alive at Sunday Daydream

The beach park provides balmy breezes making the setting feel like a genuine paradise and even more so with Phil Lesh still crushing it like a man half his age.

Charlie Overbey Finds Himself ‘In Good Company’

Charlie Overbey Finds Himself ‘In Good Company’

It isn’t easy to get a bead on Charlie Overbey. He’s a rock and roll singer who veers from punk to country and claims they all merge at the root.

Listen Up Gen Xers: Satan Ain’t (Taylor) Swift

Listen Up Gen Xers: Satan Ain’t (Taylor) Swift

I first heard about Slayer in a church in Mississippi. The sermon warned of metal’s Satanic influence. Now we old head-banging Gen Xers are afraid of Taylor Swift?

Overlong Tom Petty Country Tribute Falls Short of Its Subject

Overlong Tom Petty Country Tribute Falls Short of Its Subject

This country tribute LP honoring Tom Petty could have been half as long and twice as good with Rhiannon Giddens, Dolly Parton, and Jamey Johnson as highlights.

The 20 Best Tom Petty Songs

The 20 Best Tom Petty Songs

Throughout his prolific career, Tom Petty challenged himself to keep things interesting and reinvent things. These are his 20 best songs.

Unlike Her Music ‘I Am: Céline Dion’ Is Not a Mournful Drama

Unlike Her Music ‘I Am: Céline Dion’ Is Not a Mournful Drama

Unlike how her subject’s music can be, Irene Taylor’s biography I Am: Céline Dion is not a mournful drama. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Dead & Company Dazzle in the Desert with Sphere Residency

Dead & Company Dazzle in the Desert with Sphere Residency

Grateful Dead spinoff Dead & Company’s creative use of Sphere’s visual technology elevates the concert experience to a multidimensional amusement park.

Fanny’s Continuing Career Coda Features Live 1970s Performances

Fanny’s Continuing Career Coda Features Live 1970s Performances

All-female 1970s rock band Fanny share their early performances on a stunning new CD set. They have power and swagger here and mesh perfectly on every number.