Blurring the lines between hard rock, power pop and emo, Anberlin’s audience spans listeners who grew up in the 1980s through today. Instead of showcasing an affinity for The Smiths or Depeche Mode (as in the past), this brand new disc Dark Is the Way: Light Is a Place (Republic) is a straight-up rocker that ranks amongst its most urgent to date, thanks to production from Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine). (more…)

The stories have been told countless times behind legendary bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC, and while Rush isn’t quite in that upper echelon of influence, its impact is rampantly apparent throughout the classic and alternative rock annals. Surprisingly up until now, there’s never been a definitive documentary telling the story of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart (along with the team that helped elevate them to international prominence), and despite less drama than many of the above bands, Beyond the Lighted Stage (Banger Films/Zoe Vision) is endlessly interesting from start to finish. (more…)

While the Goo Goo Dolls didn’t hit the charts until the mid-1990s, the band’s actually been together since 1986. The group’s longevity remains with the brand new studio release Something For The Rest Of Us (Warner Brothers), which finds front man John Rzeznik writing about society’s current uncertainty. Musically, the band extends plenty of muscle from ramped up rockers to power ballads in its epic tradition.
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From his rise as a good old fashioned rock n’ roller in the 1970s to pop chart conquest throughout the 1980s and ‘90s and settling into elder statesmen singer/songwriter territory in more recent years, John Mellencamp’s amassed a massive audience from all walks of life. And as this 54-track/72-page book box set On The Rural Route 7609 indicates, he’s just as apt to write about every type of person and circumstance he meets along the way, tracing those working class Indiana origins to socially conscious subjects like bigotry and poverty to poetry rich narratives spanning a slew of colorful characters.
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With over five million copies sold of her sugary sweet (though still substance filled) debut One of the Boys, Katy Perry follows-up with the equally fantastic Teenage Dream (Capitol). The pop diva who kisses girls and likes it (but is marrying a guy) knows just how to push people’s buttons while laughing all the way to the bank as her fans sing-a-long to summertime standouts like “California Gurls” (backed by Snoop Dogg). (more…)

For those keeping tabs on Sarah McLachlan’s personal life, it’s apparent that raising two children throughout the 2000s was a top priority, as evidenced by the lengthy break in between albums. But after seven years without a new studio disc, the singer/songwriter recently released The Laws of Illusion (Arista) and embarked on a national tour split between Lilith and solo dates. “Well it’s slowed things down considerably, and that’s just the way that things naturally happened,” she asserts of the decision to put family first. “I choose to have kids a little later and get my career going. I’ve had an amazing ride so far career wise and it’s enabled me to sort of take a step back and pretty much be a full time mom and pick and choose how much I want to be involved in music and how many shows I want to do, which is another reason it’s taken seven years in between records as well. (more…)

Even since former Beach Boy Brian Wilson put the finishing touches on the previously unreleased band project *Smile*, his credibility’s been restored tenfold. Though it would be great to see the singer/songwriter penning his own tunes, at least he’s masterful when covering another pair of legends on Reimagines Gershwin (Disney Pearl Series). With a full blessing from the estate, catch twelve tunes from George and Ira Gershwin, plus a pair of new Wilson/Gershwin cuts from the previously unreleased vaults.
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During Creed’s initial run throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, the group sold 35 million records while racking up hit after hit like “Higher,” “My Own Prison,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “My Sacrifice.” Though the guys went their separate ways with singer Scott Stapp treading the solo route while guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall started up the new band Alter Bridge with Myles Kennedy, the core foursome is back together after a half decade hiatus. And the bellowing hard rockers are picking up right where they left off, starting with the new CD Full Circle (Wind-Up) and continuing with a “20-10” reunion tour at amphitheatres for a mere $20 in the pavilion and $10 on the lawn. Here’s more from a chat with Tremonti just prior to loading up the buses. (more…)

Taking equal cues from Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Buble as Adele and Amy Winehouse makes Eli “Paperboy” Reed a target for fans of both contemporary crooners and sassy singers with an edge. On Come and Get It (Capitol), he bridges the 1960s with now, touching on everything from piano pop to R&B grooves and singer/songwriter material laden with soul.
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Summer may be flying by, but there’s still another major bash before school starts up again. Kicking off Friday and stretching though Sunday, music fans from across the globe will descend upon Chicago for the annual Lollapalooza, which features opening night festivities from current pop queen Lady Gaga and her cavalcade of costumes. Also catch earlier sets from Devo, The Strokes, The Black Keys and Hot Chip. (more…)