bands
Rock n' roll, boy bands, jazz trios, and more; the greats, newbies, and forgotten icons who create our favorite groups.
The Hi-Hat That Changed My Mind.
The first time I heard "Freak on a Leash," I turned it off. I had been playing drums for most of my life by then. I grew up on rock and metal, the kind of music where the singer sings, the guitars hit hard, and the song makes sense from the first verse to the last chorus. I knew what I liked, and I thought I knew what good music was supposed to sound like.
By Overdrive Recordsa day ago in Beat
10 Tracks That Showcase the Best of Texas Shoegaze
Texas isn't just the subject of country songs. It's also the birthplace of thousands of underground bands that deserve more exposure, and to celebrate Texas going blue in the 2026 U.S. midterms , I browsed this playlist to find some obscure shoegaze bands from Austin, Houston and beyond. These tracks represent the best of the Lone Star State, and they give you an idea of the experimental music that you'll find in the Southern U.S. If you've ever wanted to be a "day one" fan, here's your chance—most of these bands are still releasing music and performing live.
By Kaitlin Shanks2 days ago in Beat
W.A.S.P. Tales. Top Story - November 2026.
“The most outrageous band in the world…W.A.S.P.” Unbridled outrageousness was both a blessing and a curse for Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. Having Tipper Gore and her gang of Washington wives repeatedly bring up their name as an example of why children needed protection from music certainly gave the band street cred. But how seriously can a band be taken when its most notorious song is subtitled “F*** Like a Beast”?
By Carl J. Petersen4 days ago in Beat
Recording The Myth
Introduction Yesterday I bought a vinyl album I had not seen for decades, "Heavy Cream", and one of the songs was "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" penned by Eric Clapton, which got me thinking, "How many songs reference old mythology, and immediately several came to mind.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 6 days ago in Beat
Songs For The Orange One. Content Warning.
Introduction After the thirty-four guilty verdicts for the mendacious misogynist and habitual bankrupt and cheat and thought I put together a short playlist for the occasion, with some notes on the songs and their sources.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 8 days ago in Beat
Compilation Craze: How a Clothing Brand Built the Ultimate Punk Collection
In 2001, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge of blink-182 founded Atticus with their friend Dylan Anderson. At the start, Atticus functioned as a record label and a clothing line, releasing multiple compilations and a few solo albums from 2002 to 2011. I'm not sure if they're signing artists today, but the brand is still around, selling apparel online and making appearances at music festivals.
By Kaitlin Shanks10 days ago in Beat
My Second Favourite Album: El Dorado by The Electric Light Orchestra
The genesis of the Electric Light Orchestra was a band that would take over from the Beatles at the fade outs to “Strawberry Fields Forever” and ”I Am The Walrus” , both heavy on strings but still steeped in rock. The Beatles had not been scared of orchestral arrangements and “Eleanor Rigby” contained only Paul McCartney on vocals , the music being provided double string quartet arranged by George Martin.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 11 days ago in Beat
Some Electric Light Orchestra Favourites
Introduction I know a lot of people will disagree with me because I won’t include “Mr Blue Sky” which I find trite, boring and overplayed, but I will tell you a little about how the band were formed and the original idea behind it.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 11 days ago in Beat
On The Player V (Again)
Introduction Often, when I play a CD or a record, I take a photograph and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #OnThePlayerNow and a ninety second snippet of one of the songs. Click on the hashtag, and you will see the latest selection.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 15 days ago in Beat
Compilation Craze: Revisiting the Hottest Unsigned Bands of 2003
While I haven't bought a CD in years, I always enjoy checking out the old compilations when I browse a used record store. Many compilations have obscure tracks that you won't find anywhere else, and this Budweiser True Music "Future Icons" album has 11 of them, plus four bonus tracks from bands that already made it big—presumably to get you to buy the record. According to Discogs, this CD came free with a 2003 issue of Blender , and I bet that some music lovers still have a copy lying around somewhere.
By Kaitlin Shanks16 days ago in Beat
The El Pea Situation
Introduction About a month ago, I started becoming obsessed with the vinyl album "El Pea", and I am not sure why. I had also aquired a copy of "Bumpers", which is a great album, and "Nice Enough To Eat" was one of the first albums that I bought, and it introduced me to a lot of artists who are absolute favourites of mine.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 16 days ago in Beat
