Although often overshadowed by fellow Brit-rockers Oasis and Radiohead, The Verve was responsible for some of the best and most well-crafted rock to come out of England in the 1990s. While the band perfected their pop songwriting as time went on, it …

Melissa Etheridge made waves in 1988 as one of the few female rockers on the scene; in 1993, she made headlines by coming out as a lesbian. Etheridge's confessional lyrics and raspy voice earned her comparisons to Springsteen and Janis Joplin; she br…

Pearl Jam strode the middle of the neo-hard rock road manfully with their angst-ridden anthemic tunes bearing echoes of 1970s riff-rock. They arrived as part of Seattle's grunge explosion, with a sound less "punk" than Nirvana and less "metal" than S…

Since Jimi Hendrix's death in 1970, there were very few black rock bands to hit the mainstream--until Living Colour. Merging socio-political lyrics with music that touched upon a variety of different styles (metal, funk, fusion, etc.), Living Colour …

Irish alt-rockers the Cranberries became Top 40 superstars following the stateside release of their debut album, 1993's EVERYBODY'S DOING IT SO WHY CAN'T WE? The band's blend of alternative rock and dreamy pop was the perfect musical backdrop for lea…

The Stone Temple Pilots are the result of a chance meeting between Scott Weiland (b. 27 October 1967, Santa Cruz, California, USA; vocals) and Robert DeLeo (b. 2 February 1966, New Jersey, USA; bass) at one of Black Flag's final shows in Los Angeles.…

b. Hayden Dresser, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The music of modern day urban folk singer-songwriter Hayden has often been compared to Neil Young's classic acoustic-based recordings of the early 70s, owing to both artist's fragile, high-pitched vocals a…

Beck Hansen, the quintessential California slacker, came up among the lo-fi ranks, pushing a blend of country blues, Dylan-inspired wordplay, punk, and hip-hop. His straight-out-of-the-gate 1994 smash, "Loser," made him a star seemingly overnight. Su…

Originating from Canton, Ohio, USA, this spiritually inclined pop punk band was formed by Matt Thiessen (b. Canada; guitar/vocals), Matt Hoopes (guitar), Brian Pittman (bass), and David Douglas (drums). The quartet took their unusual name from the be…

Post-grunge rockers Hinder got started in the early 2000s in Oklahoma City where Joe Garvey and drummer Cody Hanson found Austin Winkler singing cover songs at a college party The three formed the nucleus of Hinder and started landing gigs opening lo…

A rowdy update of the 70s Californian folk rock fraternity, Cracker are fronted by Redlands natives David Lowery (b. 10 October 1960, San Antonio, USA; formerly the founder of skewed rock architects Camper Van Beethoven) and fellow guitarist Johnny H…

Sweden's first pop export of the 90s, Marie Fredriksson (b. Gun-Marie Fredriksson, 30 May 1958, Östra Ljungby, Sweden) and Per Håkan Gessle (b. 12 January 1959, Halmstad, Sweden) enjoyed international success thanks to a highly commercial combination…

Before Nine Inch Nails, electronic-based rock was often considered devoid of feeling and danger. Leader Trent Reznor merged synths with tortured vocals/lyrics, distorted guitar, and repetitive, slamming rhythms into an unpredictable amalgam, helping …

Chicagos Rise Against began in 1999 when ex-88 Fingers Louie bassist Joe Principe tapped area vocalist Tim McIlrath for a new project rooted in the sound and social vision of traditionalist hardcore Joined by fellow 88 Fingers vet Dan Precision on gu…

This band from Melbourne, Australia combine their influences of 40s era swing music (like Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw) 50s Rock'n'Roll (Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley) with a love for upbeat and energetic punk rock and blues into their own fun, danceable musi…

A tasty blend of soul/funk/rock and other styles. It's raw, grooving music. All of The Woodsmen's music is free for you. Go to www.thewoodsmen.net for more

b. Beth Torbert, 15 June 1971, New Delhi, India. Confrontational, tattooed, hard rock singer-songwriter Bif Naked was born to two private-school teachers who gave her up for adoption. Torbert was adopted by two American missionaries, and her childhoo…

A poprock band from Spain El Canto del Loco started as a project by two acting students who shared their passion for Spanish power pop music Daniel Martn Garca aka Dani and Ivan Alejandro Ganchegui were soon joined by guitarist David Otero Martn drum…

Too mainstream to be labelled nu-metal and too modern-sounding to be allied with grunge, Kansas City, USA-based Puddle Of Mudd share elements of both genres and have gained a measure of success as a result. The original line-up, formed in 1993 around…

This sophisticated melodic US rock band was put together by guitarists Jim Peterik (formerly of the Ides Of March) and Frankie Sullivan in 1978. Recruiting vocalist Dave Bickler, they recorded their self-titled debut as a three-piece. This featured a…

This quintessential 1960s instrumental combo functioned like a well-oiled machine, with ticks and foibles that gave them a character all their own. The dual-guitar lineup had the spotlight, but the drumming swung and breathed with jazzy subtleties. T…

Tommy James the Shondells -- the very mention of their name even to someone who doesnt really know their music evokes images of dances and the kind of fun that rock roll represented before it redefined itself on more serious terms And between 1966 …

An inspiration to subsequent generations of electronic artists, Tangerine Dream pioneered the ambient use of synthesizers in a rock format. Part of the German psychedelia ("krautrock") explosion of the late '60s/early '70s, the group mutated over the…

With her hook-filled pop tunes, highly developed melodic sensibility, and pin-up girl looks, Sheryl Crow appealed to a wide audience in the 1990s. Garnering platinum albums, hit singles, and even the tacit approval of rock's old guard, Crow proved to…

Bostons Dispatch was comprised of Brad Corrigan Pete Heimbold and Chad Urmston The band debuted in 1996 with Silent Steeples and returned a year later with Bang Bang Both albums displayed the trios three-part harmonies and cheeky college-friendly mix…

Known worldwide as the embodiment of heavy metal, England's Black Sabbath enveloped the 1970s in a dense fog of apocalyptic imagery, monolithic guitar riffs, and horror-movie lyrics. When frontman Ozzy Osbourne left the band in 1979 for a highly succ…

Hardcore revivalists-turned-goth-punks AFI ascended to a new level of stardom when they decided to slap on some eyeliner and embrace their inner Robert Smiths. After several independent releases, the Southern California-based outfit released their ma…

US alt-rock band formed in 2000 by Ben Burnley (vocals/guitar), Aaron Fink (guitar), Mark James Klepaski (bass), and Jeremy Hummel (drums). Fink and Klepaski were both previously members of alt-metal band Lifer, while Fink had attended high school wi…

Though journalistic shorthand often finds Nickelback dubbed "the Canadian Creed," the band found success on its own terms right from the start with the 2000 debut album THE STATE. It may be true that the band's heavy guitars, pounding drums, and dram…

Amelia is a 3 piece indie band from Portland, OR.