The fact that women prefer sensitivity to sexuality is well documented. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Woody Allen was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Classic singer-songwriters such as James Taylor and Jackson Browne, meanwhile, have built reputations based upon their ability to thoughtfully assess situations, both romantic…

Bassist Leif Edling has been the de facto leader of this epic doom metal band for more than two decades now, picking and firing bandmates seemingly at will. Known for his humor (the band’s debut was titled Epicus Doomicus Metallicus) and his ability to detect premium talent, Edling seems content…

These days, it’s nearly impossible not to see, hear or read about Old 97’s. Rhett Miller and crew have just released Blame It on Gravity, supposedly a return to form while bassist Murry Hammond’s solo debut turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, an acoustic, country gospel record full…

Being married to your bandmate isn’t easy. Just ask Jason Hammel, half of the twosome that makes up indie pop act Mates of State. “I honestly don’t know how people avoid getting sick of each other,” says Hammel, who has been hitched to singer/keyboardist Kori Gardner for almost a decade…

For someone in a band whose sound has been described as grotesque vaudeville, Brian Viglione, drummer of The Dresden Dolls, sure comes across as a chipper dude. “If someone ever compares us to Gwar, I’d feel honored but underqualified,” Viglione says from his house just outside of Boston. Indeed, even…

Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, the two DJs collectively known as Utah Saints, are the antithesis of prolific. Though the pair has scored numerous movie and television themes and remixed songs for artists as diverse as Blondie, Hawkwind and The Osmonds (!), they’ve only managed to release two albums since…

When a 16-year-old Charlie Sexton released his debut, Pictures for Pleasure, way back in 1985, most predicted that the singer-songwriter was on his way to major stardom. Tall and handsome, Sexton parlayed his early acclaim into a cameo appearance in the hit film Thelma and Louise. But, oddly, Sexton’s striking…

Brothers Derek and Glenn Jackson dissolved their last band, the atmospheric, new-wavy Until They Arrive because they wanted to pursue a more rock-oriented direction. Enter Tiger Moth, a heaving, Zeppelin-inspired quartet whose members don’t give a rat’s ass about subtlety, mood or texture. The five cuts on this terrific debut…

Every Old 97’s album features a couple of tunes written and sung by bassist Murry Hammond, the George Harrison of the group. And, for some fans, Hammond’s tunes, such as “W. Tx. Teardrops” and “Valentine,” have become highlights of the band’s performances; Hammond’s cornpone demeanor and soft-spoken charm have always…

Robert Holley, lead singer and principal songwriter of the retro-indie quartet Airline, possesses a dry, off-the-cuff delivery that makes even his most intriguing lyrics come off stress-free, as if he’s capable of keen introspective at the drop of a hat. Airline’s heady debut, Farewell Republica, features casually delivered, yet fully…

After Green Day made punk acceptable to middle-class kids who bought their CDs at the mall, there was a void of product that was filled by an unlikely source: hard-core punk that didn’t have the advantages of tastefully applied eyeliner and faux British accents. Those disgruntled suburban youths were in…

Years ago, when he was leading Lone Star Trio, Matt Hillyer was the cutest guy this side of Rhett Miller, a rocker in hick’s clothing who deftly integrated rockabilly cool into his potent mixture of hard-core honky-tonk and contemporary Americana. After the demise of Lone Star Trio, Hillyer formed Eleven…

Reinventing an old warhorse like “Rock You Like a Hurricane” is no easy task, but Bonde Do Role, a hip-hop collective from Brazil, succeeds by keeping the beats heavy and the mood light. Formed in 2006 by MCs Pedro D’Eyrot and Marina Ribatski along with DJ/MC Rodrigo Gorky, the band…

When Roger Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985, he insisted that the band had dissolved due to irreconcilable differences. As with any divorce, that sort of language meant getting back together wasn’t an option. And yet, in 2005, 20 years after saying it would never happen, Waters was once again…

Louisiana-based troubadour Marc Broussard has soul in his genes. The son of acclaimed guitarist Ted Broussard (of the Boogie Kings), Marc has seen his fortunes rise consistently ever since his first solo release in 2001. Broussard, previously involved with the Christian act Y, doesn’t hide the influence spirituality has in…

Led by Kim Pendleton, former singer for Vibrolux (who actually cut a decent album for Polygram in 2001), the typographically challenged BAcksliders wish to pay homage to all the right retro new wave standard-bearers: folks like Elvis Costello, Blondie and The Cars. But, in actuality, the cheeky pop-rock found on…

If you want to get roots rocker Steve Earle’s attention, just mention W. Then sit back and wait for the fireworks. “Bush has left us a bankrupt country,” says Earle, adamantly. “And it’s going to take us a long time to recover from his mistakes.” Out on the second leg…

Bob Schneider isn’t completely awake at the moment. It shows too. As he drives through Seattle, the Austin-based singer-songwriter can’t help but yawn and stammer. One of the many “perils” of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle: After-show parties seem to make pre-lunch interviews a near impossibility. And yet, somehow, here…

The end was sadly inevitable. After nearly three decades of bashing any Bush who has happened to be president and helping create an entirely new genre of music along the way, Al Jourgensen has decided to end Ministry. With such landmark recordings to his band’s name as The Land of…

When legendary punk forebears The New York Dolls reunited in 2004 with three surviving original members (including singer David Johansen), expectations were certainly not high. After all, it had been nearly 30 years since the band splintered apart, and deceased lead guitarist (and legendary junkie) Johnny Thunders was always thought…

North Carolina’s Birds of Avalon is on a roll. Bazaar Bazaar, the band’s 2007 full-length debut, has garnered critical kudos while helping the band pick up fans across the country. Formed by Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler after both guitarists left The Cherry Valence, Birds of Avalon fuses elements of…

While still worshipping at the altar of Frank Black (with a menacing snarl a la famed ’60s psycho Sky Saxon), Kyle Barnhill, the frontman for Fort Worth’s The Cut*Off, has conjured up his best set of songs for the band’s excellent third effort, Packaged Up for Beginners. By melding the…