Depeche Mode, The Best Of Volume 1 (Remixes)

Originally a product of Britain's new romantic movement, Depeche Mode went on to become the quintessential electro-pop band of the 1980s. One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based completely around the use of synthesizers, Depeche Mode began their existence as a bouncy dance-pop outfit but gradually developed a darker, more dramatic sound that ultimately positioned them as one of the most successful alternative bands of their era.

Rolling Stones - The Great Lost Live Album

By the time the Rolling Stones began calling themselves the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the late '60s, they had already staked out an impressive claim on the title. As the self-consciously dangerous alternative to the bouncy Merseybeat of the Beatles in the British Invasion, the Stones had pioneered the gritty, hard-driving blues-based rock & roll that came to define hard rock.

Neil Diamond - Velvet Gloves and Spit

According to the liner notes for IN MY LIFETIME, "Shilo" was the song that led Neil Diamond to split with Bang Records, his first record label. As Diamond tells it, the song's personal tone convinced both the label and the artist that it was time to move on. Diamond's desire to stretch beyond the confines of his early hits "Cherry, Cherry" and "I'm A Believer" are fully evident on VELVET GLOVES AND SPIT, his first album for MCA.

VELVET GLOVES AND SPIT includes both "Shilo" and "Brooklyn Roads," songs that did not tear up the charts at the time but have since become standards. It also includes several "should-have-been" hits, among them the raucous "Two-Bit Manchild," the bouncy "Honey-Drippin' Times," and the hook-laden "Sunday Sun." The album also includes several earnest but laughable efforts, notably the anti-drug song "The Pot Smoker's Song," which intersperses a singsong chorus with the horrifying spoken confessions of drug addicts, and "Knackelflerg," a failed effort at writing a folk-pop equivalent of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Even the failures, however, show that, in his prime, Diamond was virtually incapable of writing an unmemorable melody. Just try getting "Knackelflerg" out of your head once you've heard it!

Joe Satriani - Strange Beautiful Music

What's a guitar hero to do now that the masses prefer electronic beats and rap-metal to killer scale runs? Joe Satriani seeks that answer on Strange Beautiful Music. Satriani set himself apart from other would-be kings of the six-string in the 1980s by combining impeccable technique with great feel and pop hooks. With those qualities, he produced great guitar-driven albums like Surfing With the Alien and Flying in a Blue Dream. On his 2002 release, Satriani tries to make his music fresh by incorporating world music influences and a bit of techno flava. To his credit, he succeeds more than he fails. "Belly Dancer" combines straight-up rock riffs with Middle Eastern-twinged melodies and faster-than-sound runs up and down the fretboard. On "Oriental Melody," Satch's world music sensibility shines with the help of ping-pong delay and keyboards.

Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia


I just recently discovered the Dresden's so I don't have the POV of a longtime fan. This album, for me, is a masterpiece. Every moment grabs and shakes me. I'm under Amanda's spell. The lyrics are witty, funny as hell, and gut-wrenching at times. Deliah stands out as a mini 3-Act play. This is a desert-island disk for me that will last a lifetime.

ColdPlay - Best Of 2006

Coldplay are an alternative rock band from London, England composed of Chris Martin on lead vocals and piano, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. Having released three successful albums, Coldplay have also achieved great success with their singles, such as "Yellow", "Speed of Sound" and the Grammy-winning "Clocks". 

311 - Don't Tread On Me

Over 311's decade-plus span they've fused reggae to crunchy rock chords, helped pioneer rap-rock, and made the occasional foray into jam band territory. They grew increasingly curious as songwriters on later efforts like Transistor and From Chaos, and made a veteran record with 2003's Evolver, which incorporated all the elements of their sound for a flawless, if just reliably good (not great) album. Released in 2005, Don't Tread on Me could be Evolver, Pt. 2. It has a few high points and very, very few lows, but ends up leveling off somewhere in the middle. It's 311 in sepia tone. "Speak Easy" returns S.A. Martinez to his rap persona over a viscous throwback groove; bombs, botox, and the culture of fear and complacency are some of the subjects drawing the activist ire of Martinez and Nick Hexum. "Frolic Room" is a tribute to the Hollywood Boulevard hangout, and appropriately has a great lyrical narrative and a combo of heavy chords and sunny Hexum/Martinez harmonies. The sinewy reggae punch 311's been perfecting for years rises again on "Waiting," while Martinez handles lead vocals impressively on "Getting Through to Her." In its "Life is not TV" mantra, the latter cut's also one of the numerous allusions on Tread to finding true reality around the corner or in yourself, instead of on the tube. Like that positive outlook, it's nearly impossible to dislike 311. You're never far away from an organic dub turn or heavy moment, and there's always a drum-tight, elastic rhythm snaking underneath the two-vocalist setup and trebly guitars. (Both the title track and "Thank Your Lucky Stars" are notable for this.) At the same time, arriving nearly two years after Evolver and with a greatest-hits album in the middle, Don't Tread on Me suggests 311 are playing it just a little safe. There are no missteps on the album, and the group's faithful will have plenty to rock with. But Don't Tread on Me still feels like one to grow on instead of one to remember.

Tom Waits - The Early Years


Recorded in Los Angeles, California between July & December 1971. While it's a fascinating, ultimately satisfying listen, THE EARLY YEARS provides reassuring proof that Waits didn't start out as a genius. These 1971 demos of a 21-year-old Waits show a huge talent still in an embryonic state. All the elements of his artistry were solidly in place; the blues, jazz and beat poetry influences, the Hoagy Carmichael/Irving Berlin compositional sensibility, but they were only just beginning to gel. A couple of these tunes would turn up in revamped versions on Waits' 1973 debut, but most are transitional pieces that never would have seen the light of day, had Bizarre/Straight not delved into its archives. Waits neophytes should probably start with the official releases, but hardcore fans will be fascinating by this opportunity to see a world-class artist in a developmental stage.

Chris Cornell - Lost and Found (2006)

INCLUDES THE JAMES BOND CASINO ROYALE SONG NOT ON THE OST ALBUM (for some reason)

artist info: Originally finding success as the singer/frontman of Seattle's Soundgarden, Chris Cornell also forged a successful solo career after the band's 1997 demise. Born in Seattle on July 20, 1964, Cornell's music career didn't take shape until he was a teenager -- playing drums in bands that mixed punk/new wave (the Police) and metal (AC/DC) covers. Although he spent most of his teenage years withdrawn and as a loner, rock music helped Cornell overcome his uneasiness around others. After dropping out of high school and working as a cook, Cornell formed a band that, with a few lineup changes, would become the great and influential Soundgarden by the mid-'80s. Cornell switched to vocals around the time of the band's formation, with friend Hiro Yamamoto on bass, Kim Thayil on guitar, and eventually, Matt Cameron on drums. Along with the Melvins, ..

Billy Idol - Happy Holidays


2006 yuletide platter from the '70s Punk/'80s Pop superstar. It's a nice day for a 'White Christmas' here on this delightful collection of 17 Christmas favorites including 'Jingle Bell Rock', 'Let It Snow', 'Merry Christmas Baby', 'Oh Christmas Tree', 'Silver Bells', 'Here Comes Santa Claus' and many others. Idol does not dress up the songs to fit his over-the-top Rebel Rocker image, but instead remains true to the original, joyful nature of the season. Grab a cup of eggnog or mug of hot cocoa, relax in front of the fireplace with a loved one and let Billy Idol help usher in the holidays in style. Bodog.

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

First off, Jane's Addiction are a Alternative Metal band. Well, I call them metal, they're not very heavy though, kind of airy even. Their singer, Perry Farrell, has a high pitched (some say chipmunky, but that's unfair I think) voice, which annoys some people. Personally I like it because it's different, and fairly powerful, like a buzzsaw or something. Their guitarist is Dave Navarro, and he is very talented. He throws little solo's in all the time, and it sounds like part of the song, rather than showing off. Their bassist (who is no longer in the band) is Eric Avery, and he comes up with some very cool bass lines, and he's missed on their new album. And their drummer is Steve Perkins, I'm no drumming expert, but I think he adds alot of power to their songs.

Coldplay - Castles (2006)

artist info: Coldplay never intended to become England's favorite rock & roll sons when their signature rock melodies ruled the charts throughout 2000. The Brit rock quartet -- composed of Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Jon Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Guy Berryman (bass) -- yearned to mess around a bit, plucking their own acoustics for fun while attending the University College of London. All had been playing instruments since their early teens and had been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Stone Roses, Neil Young, and My Bloody Valentine.

Bryan Adams - So Far So Good

Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, few contemporary rock artists were able to come up with as many lighthearted, guilty pleasures as Bryan Adams. This is especially evident through So Far So Good, which neglects all album fillers and compiles many of his most noteworthy songs, from such rockers as "Summer of '69," "Run to You," and "Cuts Like a Knife" to the equally popular power ballads "Heaven" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." Also included is the all-new "Please Forgive Me," one of his best power ballads yet. It's not quite a perfect compilation, however; in particular, his Top 20 hits "She's Only Happy When She's Dancin" and "Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" are overlooked. These are only minor flaws, though. There is no better introduction to Bryan Adams to date than So Far So Good.

Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow

There aren't many bands within modern English language pop music that can elicit heartfelt sighs, and much less in today's mainstream. Often it doesn't seem possible that something or someone could come along and be cared about as much as the Smiths' rabid fans still care about them. And it is harder still to believe something could inspire a truer obsession, as there still doesn't seem to be another manner in which to discover this band. But then the Smiths were not really a pop band to begin with, not really of or within the mainstream either.

And Hatful of Hollow is precisely this, 16 shots of adolescent displeasure, humour, frustration, wishful thinking, and frankly, fixation; sounding in turns like slaps, punches and long, drawn out sighs. It is a band summing up beautifully what it means to be growing up awkwardly and feeling strange; wanting love and yet still not fully believing in it.

Pearl Jam - Ten

Before anyone else says that�s the lamest, most unoriginal intro ever. I agree with you there but it simply gets my point across that Pearl Jam and bands like them were always in the shadow of Nirvana as sad as that sounds. To be honest, Nirvana is my least favourite grunge band with Alice In Chains first and Pearl Jam coming second. This album reminds of the sunny out-burst of Florida and there is a simple reason why. I bought it in the airport going to the States and for the whole of that 8 hour trip, it included getting up and down to the bathroom several times, watching the movie (it was Cat in the Hat, it sucked) and getting used to Ten. At first, the fast grunge songs were the only thing I enjoyed but through my two-week stay at the sun state, I learned to gradually like most of the songs. A quick glance at the singles and it doesn�t seem that the album is that good in terms of overall quality but it pieces together perfectly when you get a listen for it all the way through. The album was quite surprising as the majority of the songs are quite quiet and while the fast rock songs are a treat, they don�t hold a candle to the ballad like songs. Black, Oceans and Garden are absolutely god-like and they are really touching. Black is a slow arty song, which shows some of Eddie�s best vocals. The amount of emotion in the song just touches me every time and the slow clean guitar just top the effect of nicely.

Jimi Hendrix - Out of the Studio Vol. 2


artist info: In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire -- has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.

Public Image Ltd - The Greatest Hits So Far

Even though the title should've been "All the Hits, Ever," this collection offers an excellent, if unsentimental, overview of a band that went from brilliant, groundbreaking work ("Public Image," "Death Disco"), to good, subversive New Wave ("…Love Song"), to solid alt guitar rock ("Rise," "Seattle"), to creative exhaustion ("Warrior").

The Red Krayola - Red Gold (ep)

After a gap of about seven years between releases, the Red Krayola came back with not one but two CDs in 2006, the first being the full-length album Introduction, the latter being the EP Red Gold. In line with the usual way such releases go, the EP isn't as important a statement as Introduction, but Red Gold does offer a fair amount of substance in its limited six-track, 21-minute space. Half of the tracks are instrumentals which, in keeping with the Red Krayola aesthetic, have nothing particularly predictable or in common except for a sense of droll whimsy. Of these, "Bong Bong" sounds rather like post-modern gamelan music; "Paris" is kind of like a stroll along a Parisian boulevard where Django Reinhardt's good-time guitar swing meets booming gothic doom; and "Easy Street" (actually an instrumental version of a track that appeared on Introduction, "Greasy Street") is powered by a grinding riff that's pretty catchy by Red Krayola standards. Of the vocal numbers "Oh I Was Bad" offers world-weary blues of a sort with an appealingly amused air ("oh I was bad, I was not good, I didn't treat my mother like a good son should"), while "The Essence of Life" is bleak stream-of-consciousness rumination. If you're looking for noir-ish artiness along the lines of Tom Waits (though the sound itself isn't similar to Waits'), but far more offhand and nonchalantly inscrutable in its construction and delivery, much of this fits the bill.
 Genres: Alternative Rock, Underground Rock

Neil Young - live in Toronto (1971)

biography: After Neil Young left the Californian folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield in 1968, he slowly established himself as one of the most influential and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation. Young's body of work ranks second only to Bob Dylan in terms of depth, and he was able to sustain his critical reputation, as well as record sales, for a longer period of time than Dylan, partially because of his willfully perverse work ethic. From the beginning of his solo career in the late '60s until the late '90s, he never stopped writing, recording, and performing; his official catalog only represented a portion of his work, since he kept countless tapes of unreleased songs in his vaults. Just as importantly, Young continually explored new musical territory, from rockabilly and the blues to electronic music. But these stylistic exercises only gained depth when compared to his two primary styles: gentle folk and country-rock, and crushingly loud

Aerosmith - Get A Grip

If you wanna hang loose, baby, get a grip." When Steven Tyler delivers this bit of wisdom on the title track of Aerosmith's fifteenth album, it seems plausible enough. Or maybe it's just impossible to argue with this screaming siren and his crew when they fall in behind a hot-shit metallic R&B strut. On "Get a Grip," one of Tyler's trademark silver-tongued spiels tames a bucking Joe Perry guitar riff, the rhythm section never stops galloping, and it sure sounds like America's reigning hard-rock band is back in the saddle again. After the commercial and, yes, aesthetic success of Pump (1989), the stage is clearly set for Aerosmith's triumphant return. Miraculously unscarred and much smarter, these ultimate Seventies survivors are perfectly positioned in 1993.

Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual


"Ritual De Lo Habitual" is a must for everyones music collection. It is quiet simply one of the greatest alternative rock albums there will ever be. Starting with the ass-kicking "Stop!" the pace is mind blowing. The Album comes to a head during "Three Days" and then takes a more relaxed feel from "Then She Did" through to "Classic Girl". It's hard to believe it was released way back in 1991. If you don't have this Album in your collection then it is not a collection worthy of merit. Just GET IT !!!

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have returned to form with latest single 'Snow'. Gorgeous strumming on the guitars, with lead singer Anthony Kiedis' vocals turned down to 'soft' level, enabling the entire band to have a look in for the opening part of this funky song.

Kiedis has got a great voice, and really seems to connect with the music, his voice jerking in tandem with the drowsy, twanging guitars - slightly throaty and ever so captivating. Beautifully produced and well put together, 'Snow' is a cleverly-lyricised, fun track that you can listen to over and over without getting bored - and that's what the Chilis do at their best.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are going to be around for a very, very long time to come, and this latest release certainly explains exactly why.

Kiss - Creatures of the Night

By 1982's Creatures of the Night, Kiss had finally ditched their plans of becoming "respectable artists" (starting with 1979's Dynasty) and had come to the realization that they were a loud, no-holds-barred heavy metal band. Easily their best since 1977's Love Gun, Creatures of the Night contains very little filler and sounds as if Kiss had been reborn (it also includes one of the heaviest drum sounds ever captured in the studio by any rock band). The band is inspired and enthusiastic throughout, especially on such rockers as the opening title track, "Killer," "War Machine," "Saint and Sinner," and one of their great anthems, "I Love It Loud." Also included is one of Kiss' better ballads, "I Still Love You" (later featured on 1996's Unplugged set), as well as "Rock and Roll Hell," a song written about Ace Frehley, who would soon officially make his resignation from the band public. Guitarist Vinnie Vincent (real name: Vinnie Cusano) handles guitar duties here and was eventually named as Frehley's replacement, playing on the ensuing tour. Although Creatures of the Night deserved to be the album that put Kiss back on top of the charts, it performed below expectations (topping out at number 45), as did its tour. Hence, the album is one of Kiss' most underrated. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the makeup had grown stale and was now getting in the way of their music. The time had finally come for the band to unmask.

R.E.M. - Out Of Time

The supporting tour for Green exhausted R.E.M., and they spent nearly a year recuperating before reconvening for Out of Time. Where previous R.E.M. records captured a stripped-down, live sound, Out of Time was lush with sonic detail, featuring string sections, keyboards, mandolins, and cameos from everyone from rapper KRS-One to the B-52's' Kate Pierson. The scope of R.E.M.'s ambitions is impressive, and the record sounds impeccable, its sunny array of pop and folk songs as refreshing as Michael Stipe's decision to abandon explicitly political lyrics for the personal. Several R.E.M. classics -- including Mike Mills' Byrds-y "Near Wild Heaven," the haunting "Country Feedback," and the masterpiece "Losing My Religion" -- are present, but the album is more notable for its production than its songwriting. Most of the songs are slight but pleasant, or are awkward experiments like "Radio Song"'s stab at funk, and while this sounds fine as the record is playing, there's not much substantive material to make the record worth returning to.