The daughter of legendary guitarist Johnny Copeland, Shemekia Copeland was born to sing the Blues. Her first public performance was at the Cotton Club at the age of 10 but she didn’t fully commit to a singing career until the age of 16. Johnny took Shemekia on the road with him and she became his opening act. Thanks to her electrifying live shows, she became one of the most talked about artists on the Blues [...]

When a major Rock band splits up, most people expect the lead singer/frontman to be the breakout star while all of his former bandmates struggle to keep themselves in the public eye. However, this is Mötley Crüe that we are talking about… and Mötley Crüe is no ordinary Rock band. Known for their hard rocking hits in the ‘80s and their offstage debauchery, the Crüe became one of the most popular bands in the Hard [...]

Folk and protest music, for the most part, are timeless. There are certain songs that may focus on a particular incident in history, but most Folk-oriented ‘protest’ songs address universal issues that are still sadly relevant. When you sit down today to listen to a classic by Pete Seeger, you suddenly realize that the more things have changed, the more they’ve remained the same. Seeger is associated with his social activism and his amazing cache [...]

Let’s get the obvious out of the way – Herb Alpert is a national treasure. The legendary trumpeter and music mogul has not only created an enormously satisfying back catalog of his own – solo and with The Tijuana Brass – he also co-founded A&M Records, a label responsible for a plethora of hits since the early ‘60s. If you love The Carpenters, The Police, Rita Coolidge, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Amy Grant, Quincy Jones, Janet [...]

Like the Blues, Reggae is a musical genre that has been embraced by music lovers and critics alike. In fact, Reggae has been appropriated into nearly every other musical genre, introducing listeners of all ages to the mystical rhythms from Jamaica. The Police’s early career was bolstered by their blend of Reggae and Pop/New Wave. Even the Eagles added a splash of Reggae to their massive hit single “Hotel California”. However, we can’t forget the [...]

Randy Brecker is considered a Jazz icon, but throughout his career, he’s been so much more than that. The trumpeter began his recording career in 1967 as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. He left the band after their debut album, CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN, and joined Jazz legend Horace Silver’s Quintet. In 1969, he recorded his debut solo album SCORE, where he was joined by his brother Michael on tenor saxophone. [...]

Josiah Johnson may be a new name to some music lovers, but he’s nearly an industry veteran, having been a professional musician for more than a decade. And these days, that can almost seem like a lifetime for today’s popstar. He began his career in the Indie Folk band The Head and the Heart, who formed in 2009. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 2011 and went on to be certified Gold by [...]

Although she’s only 27, singer, songwriter, banjo-player, and guitarist Molly Tuttle has been a professional musician for over a dozen years and has accomplished more than most musicians twice her age. The Bay Area-raised Tuttle began playing guitar at the age of 8 and by the age of 11, she was playing onstage with her multi-instrumentalist father Jack Tuttle. She then recorded a 2007 duet album with him at the age of 13. She joined [...]

It has been nearly 25 years since Conor Oberst began his musical journey under the name Bright Eyes. He was originally a member of Omaha, Nebraska Indie Rock band Commander Venus, who split in 1997. Then, operating under the name Bright Eyes, he compiled A COLLECTION OF SONGS WRITTEN AND RECORDED 1995-1997, which was released at the beginning of 1998. At the end of the same year, the second Bright Eyes album, LETTING OFF THE [...]

For nearly 35 years, Tanya Donelly has been an important player in the Alternative Rock world. From her time with groundbreaking quartet Throwing Muses (which she co-founded in 1983 and left in 1991) to her stint with The Breeders (1989-1992) and her work with Belly (1991-96), Donelly’s musical journey has been unpredictable but most certainly influential and inspiring. While the first decade of her career was in the Alternative Rock spotlight, her solo career has [...]