Picture down-tempo, mysterious music played in a dimly lit, smoke-filled nightclub at 2 A.M., and you probably won't be far off from the moody sounds of Morphine. A stripped-down trio featuring drums, sax, and a two-string bass played with a slide, M…

Founded in the late 1990s by Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and guitar tech Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle takes the former group's brooding sonic template and lightens the heavy, prog-rock load with more melodic arrangements and varied instrum…

Besides being one-half of pop's legendary duo Simon & Garfunkel would be enough for most people, but Paul Simon went on to reap just as much acclaim and success as a solo artist. In the 1970s, he was at the vanguard of the singer-songwriter movement,…

The mercurial term "emo" has meant many different things since its first appearance in the mid-1980s hardcore punk underground. By the mid 2000s, the term was best exemplified by the band Fall Out Boy. Playing an accessible brand of melodic rock mark…

b. Damian Breakspeare, 1978, Jamaica. Breakspeare's mother Cindy came to prominence when she won the Miss World title in 1977 representing Jamaica. Her notoriety led to a meeting and subsequent relationship with Bob Marley. The consanguinity was well…

Hailing from Belgium Ks Choice initially started off as a duo with brother and sister Gert and Sarah Bettens Both grew up playing music and eventually lead the band the Basement Pigs during their teens While they fooled around with pop cover songs Sa…

Better known as the vocalistsongwriterkeyboardist for the West Coast punk-pop quintet Something Corporate Andrew McMahon explores the dark side with his emo pop side project Jacks Mannequin Utilizing the talents of numerous friends and collaborators …

Led by main songwriter (and vocalist/guitarist) James Grundler, Britpop disciples Paloalto were formed during the late 90s in Los Angeles, California, USA. Eventually joined by Jason Johnson (guitar), Alex Parnell (bass), and Steve Clark (drums), the…

Given their presence on Californian Punk label Drive-Thru, it could be assumed that Something Corporate chose their name as an ironic swipe against the mainstream and although the band also appeared on the Warped tour they made little effort to disgu…

This non-traditionalist modern rock act from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was formed by Jimmy Pop Ali (vocals) and Lupus (guitar). The original line-up made their debut with 1994's Dingleberry Haze EP, which was released on the independent Cheese …

This Los Angeles, California, USA-based alternative rock band treads the same middle ground as Creed, Matchbox 20 and Pearl Jam. Songwriter Jason Wade (b. 5 July 1980, California, USA; vocals/guitar) and Sergio Andrade (b. 17 October 1977, Guatemala …

The debut long-playing release by this Boston, Massachusetts, USA-based power pop band, 1993's Aurora Glory Alice, caused an immediate impact, leading to a major label contract with Giant Records. They repackaged and re-released the album in October …

This dance music act first made their mark in the late 80s on Belgium's "new beat" scene, before successfully crossing over to enjoy a series of rave hits in the early 90s. Producer Praga Khan (b. Maurice Engelen) first collaborated with Jade 4U (b. …

Phil Collins's frontman talents lay dormant for many years when he was the drummer for prog-rockers Genesis, taking a back seat to Peter Gabriel. When Gabriel quit in 1975, Collins stepped out from behind the drums and made Genesis a hit-making machi…

Unbeknownst to most Nirvana fans, drummer David Grohl was also a singer/guitarist/songwriter who wrote numerous songs on his own during his tenure with the band. After Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, Grohl decided to head out on his own and formed the F…

Celtic vocalist Enya first gained notoriety as a member of the group Clannad in the 1980s, but became a superstar as a solo artist by fusing traditional music from the British Isles with dreamy new-age textures. Enya is a true crossover artist: her m…

The ultimate expression of the DIY ethic, iconoclastic singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco burst onto the contemporary folk scene while still in her teens. Her confrontational lyrics, aggressive, percussive acoustic guitar playing, and unconventional imag…

Singersongwriter multi-instrumentalist and Interlochen Arts Academy graduate Casey Stratton began his musical tutelage at the age of eight After years of disciplined training in the classical field he began to explore popular music -- Joni Mitchell P…

With roots in the UK House scene, British dance-pop collective Faithless made a big splash with its debut single "Salva Mea," a highly influential chart smash. Theirs was a multi-hued style, with Maxi Jazz's rapping, the mixing skills of Rollo and Si…

Depeche Mode (French for "hurried fashion") was one of the first and best of the British synth-pop bands, combining breathless, melodic pop with perky electronics. With main songwriter Vince Clarke's departure for Yaz, Martin Gore took the reigns, an…

Hybrid is Mike Truman, Chris Healings and Lee Mullins, an aptly-named trio from Swansea, Wales whose music is a sophisticated fusion of nu-school breaks and trance. Their single releases and remixes have been highly praised and much-played by high-pr…

Singer/songwriter Ben Harper, who hails from Pomona, CA, debuted in 1994 with WELCOME TO THE CRUEL WORLD. Harper's idiosyncratic mix of blues, folk, rock, funk, and reggae made an instant splash. His distinctive use of the dobro-like Weissenborn guit…

Formerly in rival bands on the Chicago local scene guitarist Mike Carden and vocalist William Beckett came together in 2002 to mark the beginning of indie-emo rockers the Academy Is originally just named the Academy Naming influences from U2 to Weeze…

b. 19 April 1967, Mount Kisco, New York, USA. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams first gained exposure by playing tiny church halls and cramped coffee houses on the small-town Massachusetts folk circuit. Her debut album, The Honesty Room, was released by…

Beginning as a member of the Massive Attack collective, Tricky released his own major claim to greatness, MAXINQUAYE, in 1995. The down-tempo grooves, husky rapping, and general air of menace all became hallmarks of the genre known as trip-hop, but T…