Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Frank Zappa released over 60 albums both as a solo artist and with his band, Mother of Invention. In the process, he changed the face of music. He may not have enjoyed major critical or commercial success while alive, but he’s subsequently been recognized as one of…
Bjork first started drawing attention during her time as the lead singer of alt-rock band, the Sugarcubes. After the band broke up in 1992, Bjork got to work on her solo career. A year later, she released her debut album, the aptly named Debut. It was an instant sensation with both critics and the public….
Lenny Kravitz is one of the most notable rock-and-roll superstars to emerge in recent decades. In this, he has been helped by his very distinctive music, which incorporates a wide range of influences that include but are not limited to blues, jazz, pop, R&B, and soul. Some people might remember Kravitz because of his four…
Following in the footsteps of Frank Sinatra was never going to be easy, but Nancy Sinatra decided to make it especially tough on herself by getting into the music industry. As it turned out, it was a wise move, with Nancy rapidly establishing herself as a talented singer in her own right with hits like…
In 1987, Tracy Chapman signed a record deal with Elektra Records. A year later, she released her self-titled debut album. Landing as it did during a time when hair metal and arena rock ruled, her introspective brand of acoustic folk-rock should have bombed. Instead, it soared, selling over a million copies in its first two…
They may have fizzled out rather than burnt away, but before tensions and brotherly arguments got the better of them, Oasis were the biggest band of their generation. After arriving on the scene with their incendiary debut Definitely Maybe, they ruled the charts with hits like Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back in Anger. Although they…
Hoodie Allen, similar to artists like Sammy Adams and T. Mills, featured a combined sound of rap and pop, causing the artists to stand out in their own genre and individually as artists. When it came to Hoodie Allen however, the rapper has always had his own unique twists with his vocal styles, guest features,…
The San Francisco Chronicle once described the Avett Brothers’ sound as having the “heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.” A band with an eye on the future but a boot in the past, they almost defy…
Ritchie Valens was just 17 years old when he died alongside Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper when their private plane crashed during their tour of the Midwest. At the time of his death, Valens hadn’t released a single album, but had already established himself as one of the most talented young artists in rock…