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Kathleen Johnson
Glenn Phillips – Angel Sparks
Angel Sparks
Glenn?! What’s up, you ol’ squirrelly Atlanta devil? You haven’t released an album since 1996; it’s good to hear from you again. I never figured you’d given up music, it’s much too important to you for that – heck, you’ve been coaxing otherworldly solos out of your guitar since the late ’60s, when you were…
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Kathleen Johnson
Fifty Seven Stitch – Nerveblock
Nerveblock
Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned American hard rock? You know the kind – crunching guitars, strong vocals, a deft melodic touch that never threatens to spiral into goo (thanks in large part to smoldering tube amps), a rhythm section tight enough to bounce numerous quarters off? Check the sales charts or MTV and you’ll notice…
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Kathleen Johnson
Green Amps
Turning America Green
It hit Joel Wheeler in a flash of white light, a memory fried extra crispy into his brain. Just how you’d picture an epiphany to be, right? A random sentence from a recent acquaintance – five words from a bass player, in this case – knocking the soul for a loop, a sense of clarity…
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Kathleen Johnson
Robert Quine
Prime Time
His name rhymes with “wine” and it’s not as well-known as others, but Ohio-born guitarist Robert Quine played a crucial role in the New York punk scene of the 1970s; his work on Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ Blank Generation – an acclaimed record of the original punk era – is the highlight of a distinguished career.…
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Kathleen Johnson
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX – II
Ed Mundell – my choice for Guitar God 2001. Although Mundell, lead guitarist for Monster Magnet (his day gig) and the Atomic Bitchwax (his side gig), might lack name recognition, he certainly doesn’t lack in the chops department. And TAB’s sophomore CD, II, a rip-snortin’ riff rock juggernaut, is yet further proof of his prowess.…
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Kathleen Johnson
Ten Years After – The Anthology (1967-1971)
If you’re lucky enough to catch Ten Years After on classic rock radio these days, it’s likely the 1971 hit “I’d Love to Change the World.” As strong as that tune is, it barely skims the surface of a truly great band. This new two-disc, 26-track retrospective offers listeners a wonderful chance to go deeper…
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Kathleen Johnson
Motorhead – Hammered
In these uncertain times, thank goodness for reassuring constants: mom’s home-cooked meals warming the belly, the Red Sox not winning a World Series… and Motorhead frying eardrums. Like the Ramones, Motorhead does one thing, and does it extremely well, again and again (in this case, a take-no-prisoners amalgamation of speed/punk/metal). Forget reinventing the wheel, Motorhead…
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Kathleen Johnson
Motorhead – Hammered
In these uncertain times, thank goodness for reassuring constants: mom’s home-cooked meals warming the belly, the Red Sox not winning a World Series… and Motorhead frying eardrums. Like the Ramones, Motorhead does one thing, and does it extremely well, again and again (in this case, a take-no-prisoners amalgamation of speed/punk/metal). Forget reinventing the wheel, Motorhead…
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Kathleen Johnson
Gov’t Mule – The Deep End Vol. 1
Class acts: they still exist. Take Gov’t Mule. This trio has always gone about business with the utmost class, treating both fans and the music with endless respect. Now comes The Deep End Vol. 1, the hard rockin’ blues-rock group’s first release since the death of bassist Allen Woody in 2000. The Deep End Vol.…
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Kathleen Johnson
Lee Ranaldo
Alt-tuned Youth
Sonic Youth was one of the most unlikely success stories of underground American rock in the 1980s. And while success and longevity probably weren’t on the minds of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo when they formed the band with bassist Kim Gordon in 1981, the post-punk scene in Manhattan was looking for an icon. Sonic…
