China Crisis

China Crisis

College or Modern Rock radio listeners in the mid-‘80s likely remember the songs “Working With Fire And Steel,” “Black Man Ray,” “King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)” and “Arizona Sky.” They were created by Liverpool’s New Wave band, China Crisis. Founded in ‘79 by vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon, China Crisis released…

The Cure

The Cure

Was Robert Smith ever happy? At age fourteen, The Cure frontman, stated his ambition was to “sit on a mountain and die.” Don’t set the bar too high there, Robert. Just a scant seven years later (after failing to locate a suitable mountain) he was quoted saying he “didn’t see that there was much point…

Asking Alexandria

Asking Alexandria

After two Metalcore efforts, Asking Alexandria singer Danny Worsnop sustained a torn vocal cord. Doctors told Worsnop to rest. But he reassured fans that his injury would not hinder the release of Asking Alexandria’s third album since most of the recording had already been completed. He claimed the next album would be the “…musical baby…

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac

This is a story of the convoluted and sometimes torturous road taken by drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. These two Brit Blues vets had been in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers before deciding to strike out on their own. Over the next few years Fleetwood Mac plodded along as guitarists Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny…

Hootie & The Blowfish

Hootie & The Blowfish

  Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Cracked Rear View,” released in ’94, was the #3 best-selling debut album of all time, behind Whitney Houston’s self-titled effort and Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell.” Second and third albums, “Fairweather Johnson” (pictured) and “Musical Chairs,” while not reaching their debut’s rarified heights, still did exceptionally well. Like “Cracked Rear…

Paul McCartney & Wings

Paul McCartney & Wings

Paul McCartney has trophies, honors and accolades to fill a large warehouse. And they are deserved. His combination of raw talent, a stunning work ethic and a creative drive are the stuff of legend. But geniuses can be hard to work with and be incredibly demanding. In the waning years of The Beatles, McCartney’s drive…

Beach Boys

Beach Boys

The Beach Boys featured three talented brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, a cousin, Mike Love and a friend, Al Jardine. Of them all, the most talented and sensitive was Brian. Their first hit was “Surfin’ U.S.A.” which put new lyrics to a Chuck Berry riff. The Beach Boys were soon on a roll with…

Duran Duran

Duran Duran

There are some groups so “on trend” it’s scary. MTV, launched in the early ’80s, was initially in dire need of content. Equally important, they needed to find musicians who “got it.” Artists who understood making a video was more than standing in front of a camera lip-synching. Enter Duran Duran from Birmingham, England. Duran…

Hi Vis

Hi Vis

Graham Sayle, a longtime U.K. hardcore Punk devotee, fronts High Vis. He and his bandmates faced difficult childhoods, dead-end jobs and saw friends and family members perish in a toxic environment. To Sayle Punk was “a vehicle for being pissed off.” Formed in ’16, Hi Vis released their debut album, “No Sense No Feeling” three…

All Time Low

All Time Low

Any band that starts out covering Blink 182 and takes their name from the lyrics in a New Found Glory song (“Head On Collision”) is pretty heavily steeped in Pop Punk. All Time Low started in ’03, while band members were still in high school. They hadn’t even graduated when their debut EP, ’04’s “The…