Author: Mark Leader

When Art Alexakis left L.A. he moved to his new girlfriend’s hometown, Portland, OR. There the singer/guitarist hooked up with bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert. They released an album on a local label. That went nowhere and only served to frustrate Alexakis. Another indie release, on a new label, the EP “World Of…

The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O’s (Ozolek) vocal and stage antics made her impossible to ignore. Prone to dumping beer all over herself while performing, Karen O’s style owed at least something to Wendy O. Williams and Iggy Pop. Guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase delivered a raw Garage Rock din. In ’02, Yeah…

Navy towns are great places for Rock bands. You get on-the-job-training working clubs where the only real requirement is to play loud. Hailing from San Diego, in the mid ’60s, the Iron Butterfly were a five-man group with organist/vocalist/leader Doug Ingle, vocalist Darryl DeLoach, guitarist Danny Weiss, bassist Jerry Penrod and drummer Ron Bushy. They…

Warren Zevon always had a unique perspective. He earned it. After his first album bombed, Zevon found work writing commercial jingles. If that doesn’t alter your point of view, nothing will. His return was marked by a self-titled album which contained several classic songs including “Hasten Down The Wind” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” (both…

It cut like a knife through the radio airwaves. The driving beat with acoustic and electric guitars going full tilt. Still, you kept coming back to that voice. It was harsh and powerful yet had a plaintive, desperate quality. Was it some long lost classic or had Humble Pie re-grouped, and just by chance, recorded…

Neil Youngs’s Resume Buffalo Springfield – Though they only stayed together for a couple of albums, Buffalo Springfield, which included Stephen Stills, left an indelible mark on Rock music. They’re best remembered for the tense hit “For What It’s Worth.” However, that song was easily eclipsed by Young’s “Mr. Soul” which sounded like a bridge…

Countless groups have covered Chuck Berry. Nearly all stayed relatively close to the source. One notable exception was Electric Light Orchestra’s rendition of “Roll Over Beethoven.” Aside from the inescapable guitar riff, the song had definite “classical” overtones (figures, given the song’s title) with a creative arrangement. What made it work was the violins and…

Emerson, Lake & Palmer were noted for Rockin’ classical works (“Hoedown,” “Fanfare For The Common Man” and “Pictures At An Exhibition”) and even the “Peter Gunn Theme” from the late-50’s/early-60’s TV detective series. Emerson, Lake & Palmer were prime exponents of the Art-Rock movement. They were also known for flamboyant performances, extended solos, time signature…