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Rockin'Artist Bios S |
| Artist |
Prime Years |
| SR-71 | | | Forming in the early ‘90s with guitarist/vocalist Mitch Allan, guitarist Mark Beauchemin, bassist Jeff Reid and drummer Dan Garvin, this Baltimore quartet didn’t release its debut album Now You See Inside until 2000. | |
| Saliva | 1998 - 2007 | | Vocalist Josey Scott said the name Saliva was “controversial and different, and like it or not, you’ll never forget it.” | |
| Santana | 1969 - 2000 | | Carlos Santana’s style is easily recognizable and that’s the first sign of a great guitarist. The lines are long and fluid, accented with vibrato. The guitar often sounds relaxed and airy - in sharp contrast to the Latin rhythms pulsating beneath. | |
| Saosin | 2006 - | | Saosin formed in ’03 when members of the recently disbanded Newport Beach group, Open Hand, decided to keep going. | |
| Satellite Party | 2007 - | | Perry Farrell's Satellite Party (with Nuno Bettencourt – guitar, Carl Restivo – bass, Kevin Figuerido – drums and Etty Lau Farrell – backing vocals) began in '05. | |
| Joe Satriani | | | Beginning his career as a guitar teacher, Joe Satriani was coaxed out of the shadows by fellow guitarist Steve Vai (who worked with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, etc.). | |
| Saves The Day | | | New Jersey's Saves The Day released Can't Slow Down, the acoustic EP I'm Sorry I'm Leaving and Through Being Cool. | |
| Saving Abel | 2008 - | | Like 3 Doors Down and Stereoside, Saving Abel is one of several post-Grunge/Hard Rock bands rooted in the Deep South. | |
| Say Anything | 2004 - | | Starting as Sayanything in '01, the group's original line-up consisted of high school friends who attended L.A.'s Windward School (drummer Coby Linder went to Shalhevet High School). | |
| Scars On Broadway | 2008 - | | Scars On Broadway get it done with “Kill Each Other/Live Forever,” “World Long Gone,” “Cute Machines,” “Enemy” and “They Say,” a great F-the world song. | |
| Scorpions | | | Best known for Rock You Like a Hurricane, the Scorpions history is considerably longer. | |
| Screaming Trees | 1991 - 1996 | | Combining a mixed bag of '60s psychedelia, Garage Rock and Punk, the re-grouped Screaming Trees recorded for the legendary SST and Sub Pop before becoming the first Seattle group to sign with a major label, Epic, in ‘89. | |
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| The Seeds | | | This L.A. garage band managed to create a semi-classic with Pushin' Too Hard - slashing guitar and Sky Saxon's vocals. | |
| Seether | 2002 - | | Signed by Wind-Up Records for U.S. distribution Seether released Disclaimer in ‘02. | |
| Bob Seger | 1974 - 1982 | | For a time, a very long time, it looked as though Bob Seger was just a Midwest thing. | |
| Senses Fail | 2004 - | | Senses Fail issued their full-length debut, Let It Enfold You, in ’04. Formed only two years earlier in Ridgewood, NJ, the group, like countless others, worked their way up the indie label food chain. | |
| Brian Setzer Orchestra | 1994 - 1998 | | Taking the big band-Rock approach, the Brian Setzer Orchestra created a solid debut and a major problem for the record promo people. The sound didn’t easily fit into any radio format. | |
| Seven Mary Three | 1994 - 1998 | | Flat out American Standard deserved all the praise heaped on it. Landing between Pearl Jam Grunge and STP’s more fluid sound, Pollack and Ross are an effective pairing while Ross’ rage and pain vocals sound edgy and vital. | |
| Sevendust | 1997 - 2008 | | Sevendust rides Witherspoon's vocal barrage and the duel guitar attack of Lowery and Connelly. | |
| Sex Pistols | 1977 - 1978 | | Originating the crash and burn school of Rock, the Sex Pistols weren't around all that long but still managed to make their mark. | |
| Del Shannon | | | Shannon had several more hits including Hats Off To Larry, another lost-love song, and Little Town Flirt. | |
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| Derek Sherinian | | | In ‘00, Derek Sherinian began a duel career as a session musician and solo performer. | |
| Shinedown | 2003 - | | Shinedown formed in '01 after Smith left his previous band at the altar - just about to sign a recording contract. Though claiming Lynyrd Skynyrd (local heroes) and Led Zeppelin as major influences, Shinedown leans more toward the Tool and Staind vein. | |
| Shins | | | Hailing from Albuquerque, the Shins formed in '97. | |
| Silverchair | 1995 - | | Silverchair formed in ’92 as Innocent Criminals. Daniel Johns (vocals/guitar) and Ben Gillies (drums) had already logged a few years as bandmates. They were joined by Chris Joannou (bass) and Tobin Finnane (rhythm guitar). | |
| Silversun Pickups | 2006 - | | On Carnavas, Silversun Pickups come across as an updated version of the Breeders, with the distorted guitar, often sounding as sharp as an electric razor, tight beats and airy vocals. | |
| Simple Minds | 1983 - 1987 | | Formed in ‘78, Glascow's Simple Minds were originally a Punk outfit known as Johnny and the Self-Abusers with vocalist Jim Kerr, guitarist Charlie Burchill, bassist Tony Donald, keyboardist Mick McNeil and drummer Brian McGee (who left in ‘84 and was replaced by Mel Gaynor). | |
| Simple Plan | 2001 - | | Anyone missing blink-182 should check out Simple Plan’s “No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls.” The album, comes about as close as you can get to blink’s notorious edge without having to sweat copyright infringement. | |
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| Sixx: A.M. | 2007 - | | Sixx: A.M. was founded by Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. In '06 Sixx began working on his book The Heroin Diaries, based on a collection of his journal entries from '86-'87, when his addiction was arguably at its worst. | |
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| Slade | | | Slade was the British Hard Rockin' version of the Kingsmen. Slade had a two guitars, bass and drums line-up that featured Noddy Holder's raw vocals. | |
| Slash | 1997 - | | Born Saul Hudson in London, the future Slash (a name given by a family friend because Saul was always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another) had an English dad and an African-American mother. | |
| Slayer | 1985 - | | Slayer formed in L.A. (OK, Huntington Beach), starting out as a Judas Priest/Iron Maiden covers band. | |
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| Small Faces | | | Steve Marriot was the Small Faces guitarist/vocalist and main driving force. Ronnie Lane (bass), Kenny Jones (drums) and Ian McLagen (organ) handled everything else. | |
| Smash Mouth | | | Smash Mouth's first recording was the independent Fush Yu Mang, an excellent hard charging mosher CD with Flo and Nervous In The Alley. | |
| Smashing Pumpkins | 1992 - 2000 | | You’d have to travel a long road to find a more powerful double CD set than Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The CD opens with a somber piano synth intro… have they gone new age? | |
| Patti Smith | 1975 - 1978 | | Hardcore Patti Smith fans favor Horses while casual listeners name Easter as her premier album. | |
| Smiths | 1983 - 1986 | | With the exception of the Smiths final studio album “Strangeways, Here We Come,” the Smiths entire catalog is remarkable. | |
| Smoosh | 2003 - | | Smoosh is made up of two sisters that started playing music at around 8 and 10 years old. The kicker is that a year later these girls are performing their own songs in public. At a Capitol Hill show over a hundred people came out to hear this fun band. You could hear people shouting out for favorite songs and singing along. The audience was the perfect mix of kids and typical Seattle concert goers. | |
| Snow Patrol | 2004 - | | Snow Patrol has two distinct modes of operation. The first (and best), is a chord based sound with guitars strumming underneath engaging melodies that frame Lightbody’s pensive and often wistful vocals. | |
| Socialburn | | | Socialburn's Neil Alday, Dusty Price and Brandon Bittner realized, after an impromptu singing session by the campfire, that starting a group might not be a bad idea and later added Chris Cobb. | |
| Something Corporate | | | SoCal based Something Corporate started in Dana Hills with singer Andrew McMahon, bassist Clutch and drummer Brian Ireland | |
| Sonic Youth | 1990 - 2006 | | Influenced by the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo teamed with bassist Kim Gordon to form Sonic Youth in '81 | |
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| Soundgarden | 1990 - 1994 | | The “A-Sides” has seventeen tracks and clearly illustrates why Soundgarden was a major ‘90s group. | |
| Sparklehorse | 1999 - | | Side projects and health issues kept Sparklehorse sidelined until Linkous collaborated with DJ Danger Mouse, and other musicians, for the ’06 album, “Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain.” | |
| Spencer Davis Group | 1966 - 1967 | | Someone, why back when, who thought they were in the know, once claimed that calling them the Spencer Davis Group was like calling the Beatles the Ringo Starr Quartet | |
| Spirit | | | L.A. in the mid '60s was a boundless place. In that hothouse environment Ed Cassidy (drums), Randy California (guitar), Jay Ferguson (vocals) and Mark Andes (bass) came together as the progressive Red Roosters. | |
| Spooky Tooth | 1970 - 1972 | | Best remembered as the launching pad for Gary Wright, who was a founding member, and Foreigner's Mick Jones, who joined later, Spooky Tooth worked the fringes of the late '60s/early '70s Art-Rock scene and eventually included a significant portion of Joe Cocker's Grease Band | |
| Spoon | 2001 - | | Spoon started (with Brit Daniel and Jim Eno) in Austin naming themselves after a song by the German avant-garde band, Can. | |
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| Sprung Monkey | | | Pulling themselves from the SoCal backwash, Sprung Monkey formed in the early ‘90s with Steve Summers (vocals/guitar), Mike Summers (guitar), Chuck Riley (guitar), Tony Delocht (bass) and Ernie Longoria (drums). | |
| Squeeze | 1979 - 1987 | | Squeeze proves that it takes more than a couple brilliant songwriters (Chris Difford - lyrics and Glenn Tilbrook-music) or extremely talented musicians (keyboardist Jools Holland and vocalist Paul Carrack) to make a band successful. | |
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| Stabbing Westward | 1993 - 2001 | | “Wither, Blister, Burn + Peel” is THE Stabbing Westward CD with “Shame” and the MTV Buzz Clip fav “What Do I Have To Do.” | |
| Staind | 2001 - 2008 | | In May of '01 Staind released Break The Cycle featuring the ballad It's Been A While and Outside. | |
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| Starting Line | 2002 - | | Once school was out Starting Line hit the studio and recorded Say It Like You Mean It. | |
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| Status Quo | | | Remembered in the U.S. for their late '60s hit Pictures of Matchstick Men, the Status Quo enjoyed a three-decade career in their native England. | |
| Steely Dan | | | Steely Dan took its name from a very useful tool mentioned in William Burrough's classic novel Naked Lunch. | |
| Stellastarr | 2003 - 2005 | | Shawn Christensen (vocals/guitar), Amanda Tannen (bass), Arthur Kremer (drums) and former Charlotte's Funeral guitarist Michael Jurin launched Stellastarr. | |
| Steppenwolf | | | Steppenwolf came roaring out with the thunderous riff driven Born To Be Wild, perhaps the ultimate motorcycle song. | |
| Stereo Fuse | 2002 - | | Though they have an impressive debut, Stereo Fuse does better on All That Remains when they loosen up and lighten up. | |
| Stereoside | 2008 - | | Stereoside’s “So Long” sound is dense yet melodic. Their songs often dwell on drug use – getting high or staying clean – and the damage done. | |
| Rod Stewart | 1968 - 1975 | | Initially, Rod Stewart hardly seemed destined for the flashy, flamboyant and egocentric life of a Rock n’ Roll star. | |
| The Stills | 2003 - | | The Stills play with a haunted grandeur that is appealing as it is captivating. | |
| Kelley Stoltz | 2006 - | | A lot of performers, both in music and other entertainment fields, talk about environmental stewardship but few really practice it. An exception is San Francisco based Kelley Stoltz. | |
| Stone Sour | | | Though it might be tempting to classify Stone Sour as a Slipknot side project, fact is, Stone Sour, the name taken from a whiskey and orange juice concoction, was around first. | |
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| Story Of The Year | | | Story Of The Year won a local radio contest and began disseminating CDs and videos to anyone who might listen or watch. | |
| Stray Cats | 1982 - 1984 | | They came and went quickly, but while they were around the Stray Cats were a lot of Rockin' fun. | |
| Stroke 9 | | | Stroke 9’s work led to a major label recording contract with Cherry/Universal. | |
| The Strokes | 2001 - | | After playing NYC clubs and building a solid reputation as a live act, the Strokes released a three song EP, The Modern Age that was also available in the U.K. | |
| Styx | 1977 - 1981 | | Styx, the mythical river at the gates of Hades, was an excellent name choice, In fact, it was one of the most creative things about the group, even if it led religious zealots to claim Styx was in league with Satan | |
| Sublime | 1992 - 1996 | | Over a four-year period the Long Beach, CA, Sublime built a large and faithful following amongst the area’s surf and skateboard crowd. | |
| Sugarcult | | | Hailing from the garden spot of Santa Barbara, CA, Sugarcult came to prominence with singer/guitarist/lyricist Tim Pagnotta, guitarist Marko 72, bassist Airin, and drummer Ben Davis. | |
| sum 41 | 2001 - 2007 | | Sum 41’s debut EP Half Hour of Power is good but the full length All Killer No Filler is both stronger and better produced. | |
| Superjoint Ritual | | | After hanging out, jamming and even playing a few low-key, unpublicized shows, Anselmo (guitar/vocals), Jimmy Bower (guitar), Hank Williams III – grandson of the Country great and son of Jr.- (bass), Joe Fazzio (drums), and Kevin Bond (guitar) decided to make a go of it. | |
| Supertramp | | | Supertramp finally found success with Crime of the Century. Crisis? What Crisis? and Even in the Quietest Moments | |
| Survivor | | | Few Rock groups have used soundtracks as a career path but they played a large part in Survivor's story. | |
| The Sweet | 1974 - 1978 | | And the hits just kept coming. Ballroom Blitz in '74, Fox On The Run unleashed in '76 and Love Is Like Oxygen rolled out in '78. In addition, the Sweet had a few more minor hits on both sides of the Atlantic before the thing tanked. | |
| Switchfoot | 2005 - | | Switchfoot started as a trio with John Foreman (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tim Foreman (bass, keyboards) and Chad Butler (drums). | |
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