MELANIE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RAINBOW: THE NY FOLK SESSIONS 1963-1965 CLEOPATRA RECORDS Melanie Safka, who spent most of her professional life performing as simply Melanie, got her start in New York City around the time that Bob Dylan’s [...]
DOPAMINE DREAM DOPAMINE DREAM SON DOWN RECORDS Dopamine Dream is the second album from the Toronto-based band. Dopamine Dream debuted in 2023 with the album Unknown, and during the last two years, the band grew and expanded their sound. This [...]
VARIOUS ARTISTS YACHT METAL CLEOPATRA RECORDS Once, Yacht Rock was known as ‘Adult Contemporary’ or even ‘Middle of the Road’ (MOR for short). For some reason, that name has been switched to Yacht Rock. This album features various heavy metal [...]
TODD RUNDGREN SOLO IN CLEARWATER CLEOPATRA RECORDS In 2003, Todd Rundgren embarked on a lengthy tour. These three dozen shows were different, in that Rundgren was going out on his own, with just his guitar, piano, and foot pedals. Of course, the [...]
JOE MATERA – THE MAKING OF ABBA: THE STORY BEHIND THE BAND’S BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM SONICBOND PUBLISHING BOOK REVIEW BY AARON BADGLEY By 1975, ABBA had firmly established themselves in Europe and the U.K. as a substantial singles band with the [...]
JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE RIVER OF MUSIC: THE POWER OF DUETS VOLUME ONE FRONTIERS MUSIC Jim Peterik is a legend in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. Beginning in 1964 with the classic band Ides of March, to the 1980s Survivor, through to 38 [...]
NAUGHTY, NICE & NOISE SPILL MAGAZINE TEARS INTO THE BEST & WORST OF THE 2025 CHRISTMAS RELEASES (THE ALBUMS) It is that time of year again. The stores are getting busy, Hallmark movies are the television, and music is in the air. This [...]
PUT YOUR POLITICAL MESSAGE ACROSS WITH A LITTLE HONEY A CONVERSATION WITH SEAN ONO LENNON In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote and recorded a song that would go on to become a perennial Christmas favourite. Fans in the U.K. had to wait until [...]
BIRDS AND MUSICIANS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON A CONVERSATION WITH COLEMAN WILLIAMS Let us get this out of the way, immediately. Coleman Williams is part of one of the most important musical families of all time. Hank Williams is his great [...]
NAUGHTY, NICE & NOISE SPILL MAGAZINE TEARS INTO THE BEST & WORST OF THE 2025 CHRISTMAS RELEASES (THE SINGLES) Well, it is that time of year again, to gather friends and family and get together for Christmas, the most wonderful time of [...]
THE WATERBOYS THE WATERBOYS PRESENT: RIPS FROM THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR SUN RECORDS The Waterboys, in particular Mike Scott, the founder and only original member from 1981, have never done what was expected of them. For example, in April 2025, [...]
ANDREW PERER – TURN MY HEAD INTO SOUND: A HISTORY OF KEVIN SHIELDS AND MY BLOODY VALENTINE JAWBONE PRESS BOOK REVIEW BY AARON BADGLEY As the title would indicate, Turn My Head into Sound: A History of Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine [...]
IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE ALBUM, STILL IS A CONVERSATION WITH JEREMY CUNNINGHAM OF LEVELLERS Levellers formed in 1988. Taking their name from a 1600s British political movement, it was no wonder that the folk-punk and post-punk band had a [...]
CHEAP TRICK ALL WASHED UP BMG All Washed Up is Cheap Trick’s 21st studio album, and their first since 2021’s In Another World. The core trio of the band is still going strong. Rick Nielsen (guitar and vocals), Tom Petersson (12- string bass, [...]
CITY AND COLOUR SOMETIMES LULLABY DINE ALONE RECORDS It may be hard for some to accept, but the truth is, Dallas Green, professionally known as City and Colour, released his debut album, Sometimes, 20 years ago. Indeed, it has been two decades [...]
THE SAINTS LONG MARCH THROUGH THE JAZZ AGE FIRE RECORDS The Saints formed in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia in 1973. Originally the band was founded by singer-songwriter Chris Bailey, drummer Ivor Hay, and guitarist-songwriter Ed Kuepper. [...]
THE IVEYS MINISKIRTS AND RAINBOWS: THE IVEYS ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 5 Y&T MUSIC Before Badfinger was Badfinger, they were The Iveys, hailing from Swansea, Wales. They formed in 1961 and had a few different names before settling on the Iveys . They [...]
THE DURUTTI COLUMN THE RETURN OF THE DURUTTI COLUMN (45th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) LONDON RECORDS Durutti Column is really a musical project rather than a band, created by guitarist Vini Reilly. Quite frankly, no one but Reilly would think to name [...]
THE MAGIC OF IT ALL A CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN WILLOUGHBY We lost Dave Cousins of Strawbs fame in July of this year. It was a huge loss in many ways. And although new material from Strawbs camp is always welcome, the new documentary, The Magic Of [...]
COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY THE BRIDGE (REMASTERED) WITCHWOOD MUSIC/RSK ENTERTAINMENT The term ‘lost gem’ is used often, maybe too frequently, but The Bridge, by Cousins & Willoughby is a true lost gem. When it was originally released in 1993, [...]
WE COULDN’T LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER OUR FEET A CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS CONNELLY OF FINI TRIBE When Chris Connelly and David Miller formed Fini Tribe in 1984, they could not have predicted that over 40 years later they would not only still [...]
THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY COLLECTION APPLE/UNIVERSAL MUSIC When The Beatles launched the original Beatles Anthology in 1995, it was a landmark and historical rock ‘n’ roll event. Never before had a band told their own story over the course of [...]
PIERS HEMMINGSEN – THE BEATLES IN CANADA: THE EVOLUTION 1964-1970 HEMMINGSEN PUBLISHING BOOK REVIEW BY AARON BADGLEY The Beatles in Canada: The Evolution 1964-1970 is a hefty book (over 600 pages) both in size and information. The focus [...]
HUMBLE PIE SUNSET BLVD 1969 CLEOPATRA RECORDS In 1969, former Small Faces member Steve Marriott joined forces with Peter Frampton, fresh from the band The Herd. They recruited Greg Ridley, formerly of Spooky Tooth on bass, and drummer Jerry [...]
