In the early 1990s, Toby Keith rolled into Nashville armed with a pocketful of songs and an overflowing cup of ambition. It took him a couple of albums to get there, but by the early 2000s, he was riding high in the charts as one of the biggest names in modern country. He might not…
Sugar Ray is a popular American rock band formed back in 1986 in Newport Beach, California. The band originally began playing heavy nu-metal theme music and later rose to fame in 1997 after they released their pop-influenced track dubbed Fly. The single Fly was a great success and largely influenced the band’s decision to shift…
Growing up, the Pointer Sisters were told by their religious parents that rock and roll was the devil’s music. But there’s nothing quite so enticing as forbidden fruit. After deciding to turn their love for music into a career, the sisters went on to dominate the charts in the 70s and 80s, winning 13 top…
Did you know that the 1920s was jazz’s prime-age? While jazz artists used conventional swing, blue notes, complex chords, call and response vocals, and polyrhythms, the transition to modern instrumentals in the 70s and 80s was phenomenal. During this time, budding and veteran jazz bands like Weather Report (consisting of 11 band members) stole the…
When it comes to influential musicians, Sheryl Crow is easily one of the first people that you might think of. After all, she’s been performing for decades across several genres including jazz, blues, pop and rock. It doesn’t hurt that she’s not only a musician and vocalist, but also a songwriter. She’s even tried her…
Fates Warning is a popular American progressive metal band formed in 1982 in the city of Hartford, Connecticut. The band consists of guitarists Victor Arduini and Jim Matheos, drummer Steve Zimmerman, vocalist John Arch, and bassists Joe DiBiase. However, the band has experienced several lineup changes over its 40-year career, with Jim Matheos being the…
After establishing a firm fanbase in the Christian rock community, Switchfoot’s career went into orbit with the release of their fourth album, The Beautiful Letdown. The album went double platinum, Switchfoot hit the mainstream airwaves, and suddenly, they were as much of a hit with secular audiences as with faith-based ones. Since then, the band…
Chick Corea gave a lot to the music world as a Jazz keyboard player but more so as the founder of one of the most prominent jazz-rock fusion acts of the late 1900s – Return to Forever. Return to Forever – like the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report was formed by a former member of…
Bright Eyes originally began as a solo project by singer/songwriter Conor Oberst. As a musician and songwriter, Conor has been prolific in releasing music under Bright Eyes and multiple side projects with monikers such as Monster of Folk, Desaparecidos, Better Oblivion Community Centre, and so many others. Shortly after the first Bright Eyes release, multi-instrumentalist…