The sounds of rural America are explored through the warm vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar-driven arrangements of Virginia-based husband and wife duo Robin Linda Williams Accompanied by the appropriately named Their Fine Group featuring Dobro ace…

When Mick Jagger famously declared he didn't want to be singing "Satisfaction" at the age of 40, he probably didn't dream that he would still be performing it well into the 21st century--or that he would make solo records. Nevertheless, in 1985, tens…

British pop producer extraordinaire Trevor Horn started out as half of synth-pop duo the Buggles and even had a brief stint in the band Yes before taking on production tasks for a myriad of artists from ABC to Seal. His own creative juices flowed thr…

b. Autry DeWalt II, 14 June 1931, Blytheville, Arkansas, USA, d. 23 November 1995. His record label, Motown, stated that he was born in 1942. Walker was inspired to take up the saxophone by the jump blues and R&B bands he heard in the early 50s. In h…

A self-proclaimed man among men (and deservedly so), singer/guitarist Bo Diddley is still the only musician in history to have a beat named after him. Diddley's raunchy, distorted 1950s sound and African-derived rhythm have been an enormous influence…

The 90s saw a mini-movement of US bands that mixed the authentic sounds of blues, rockabilly, and country with the energy of punk rock, as bands such as Jon Spencer And The Blues Explosion, Revered Horton Heat, and Southern Culture On The Skids emerg…

This US outfit released their self-titled debut album in 2000, by which point the four members had been playing together for over five years. Originally based in Los Angeles, Rick Torres (guitar), Kiran Shahani (bass) and Ramin Sakurai (keyboards) be…

This US hip-hop/funk crossover outfit was formed in New York City in 1993 by Huey Morgan (b. 8 August 1968, USA; vocals/guitar), Steve Borovini (drums/programming) and Fast (b. Brian Leiser; bass/keyboards/harmonica). Assimilating a variety of local …

b. 31 December 1960, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Westerberg had been planning a solo project even before his band, the Replacements, imploded in 1991, but his first work under his own name comprised two tracks on the soundtrack of the 1992 "slacker"…

When songwriter Brad Roberts (b. 10 January 1964; vocals/guitar) graduated from the University of Winnipeg, Canada, with an honours degree in English literature, he was still a dedicated student, planning to take a Ph.D. and become a professor. His c…

Led by vocalist Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs combined danceable rhythms, jangly guitars, catchy melodies, and liberal politics to create a super-accessible version of 1980s college rock. The band broke into the mainstream with a cover of Cat Stev…

Formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1972, this hard-rock outfit featured former Guess Who member Randy Bachman (b. 27 September 1943, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; guitar, lead vocals). Bachman had left the Guess Who in July 1970, recorde…

Boston's J. Geils Band appeared at the dawn of the '70s as a high-energy blues/R&B band offering an alternative to the singer/songwriters, soft pop, and prog-rock then in ascendance. Powered by Peter Wolf's Mick Jagger-like showmanship and Magic Dick…

AC/DC is generally regarded as a titanic force in the world of heavy rock, occupying a sphere of seminal influence right alongside Kiss. These Australian guitar gods--led by Angus Young, an axe-wielding man-boy in a school uniform--churn out songs la…