“In the early ‘80s, Moffa’s power trio was banging around the same circuit as the aforementioned bands, and their style was right in tune with the times.” www.culturesonar.com/sneak-of-the...

This talented folkie flew a little under the radar in the 70s. www.culturesonar.com/sneak-of-the...

“There are three producers who spearheaded a new genre: Phil Spector, who created the foundations of the traditional pop song; Giorgio Moroder, who improved upon the building blocks to create the sound of the 1980s; and then there’s Lee “Scratch” Perry…” www.culturesonar.com/lee-scratch-...

“…Slade was every bit as melodic as Paul McCartney's group - albeit a band that was roguish in their appearance, and more rugged in their live performances.” www.culturesonar.com/slade-the-he...

“When Syd moved to London, he delved into jazz albums like Yusef Lateef’s Eastern Sounds and John Coltrane’s self-titled album. Barrett even named his cat ‘Tunji’ after a track on that album.” www.culturesonar.com/breathe-in-t...

“Little did the world know that this rock ‘n’ roll lion would eventually trade his roar for a more melodious meow, becoming the king of some unexpected musical collaborations.” www.culturesonar.com/robert-plant...

“Travis, who was Little Richard’s bandleader for twelve years (1984-1996), recalled, “Everybody else was doing drugs and drinking, and I’m chasing rattlesnakes and women.” www.culturesonar.com/travis-wamma...

With the news of Dave Mason's passing, here's an interview we did with him from 2017. www.culturesonar.com/british-inva...

The way Scorsese uses popular music in his films is inspired. www.culturesonar.com/martin-scors...

“There are even fewer bands that can take 50-year-old material and successfully deliver it for today’s ears—but that is exactly what the members of Squeeze have done with their new album Trixie’s.” www.culturesonar.com/trixies-sque...

“If it didn’t have somebody else’s name on it, you’d be hard-pressed to prove that “You’ll Never Get to Heaven” wasn’t an outtake from George Harrison’s early ‘70s hanging-out-with-Dylan phase.” www.culturesonar.com/sneak-of-the...

We look at an interesting trend in music right now. www.culturesonar.com/are-real-son...

“Any sense of regional flavor is sadly a thing of the past. Nowadays, commercial music programming from coast to coast is predictable and homogenous with little variation. But radio was not always like that.” www.culturesonar.com/remembering-...

“The irony of their ultimate prog-rock identity is that Anderson and Squire first bonded over an appreciation of the simple harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel (the band later did their version of “America”).” www.culturesonar.com/yes-a-prog-r...

Time to wake and bake! Happy 4/20. www.culturesonar.com/albums-for-4...

“What distinguishes this track is Martha’s deliciously gritty vocals and clever Motown instrumentation (snow tire chains as percussion instruments!) that kick up the intensity.” www.culturesonar.com/girl-groups-...

“…we're blessed with a hodgepodge of focused sounds designed to take the listener through a gauntlet of emotions.” www.culturesonar.com/the-top-5-so...

Some famous instances... www.culturesonar.com/when-the-2-s...

“The songs run long for conventional radio airplay, yet damn near all of them become hits and remain in the public consciousness to this day.” www.culturesonar.com/bat-out-of-h...

“The world will never know how many female artists, who were a part of the famed label, would have found their stride if all the stars were more aligned.” www.culturesonar.com/a-look-at-mo...

“…a few who’ve achieved success have turned their backs on their hard-earned status for normal lives and day jobs.” www.culturesonar.com/after-the-mu...

“…a few who’ve achieved success have turned their backs on their hard-earned status for normal lives and day jobs.” www.culturesonar.com/after-the-mu...

“The Magic Garden was released to much fanfare -- but promptly became a flop.” www.culturesonar.com/the-concept-...

A Jersey band served up some delicious 80s power pop back in the day. www.culturesonar.com/sneak-of-the...

“Earl believed: “Tap-dancing is nothing but drumming with your feet.” www.culturesonar.com/earl-palmer-...

“By the release of Copperhead Road the following year, Earle had fully embraced rock dynamics in his music, adopting an outlaw persona and a slew of substance abuse issues to go along with it.” www.culturesonar.com/steve-earle-...

“It was a grim month, thus perfectly positioned for a bouncy, harmonic hit called “Red Rubber Ball.” It took some of the sting out.” www.culturesonar.com/red-rubber-b...

“The decade-long party was coming to a screeching halt from all of the non-stop excesses that engulfed the band and you could hear it seeping through the speakers.” www.culturesonar.com/in-defense-o...

Our resident Beatleologist makes an excellent case for these bands. One of our most popular posts, ICYMI. www.culturesonar.com/beatlesque-b...

“…singers who were compared to a legend had impossible shoes to fill. Such were the cases of singers Ruby Starr and Bonnie Bramlett; they were labeled “the next Janis Joplin.” www.culturesonar.com/ruby-starr-b...

Today in ’74, “Band on the Run” hit #1. “They followed up with what would be their most successful album, Band on the Run, a loosely threaded collection of songs (mainly recorded in Lagos, Nigeria) about freedom, ambition, love, and escape…” www.culturesonar.com/wings-band-o...

Ahead of an upcoming album, a look at a defining prog-rock group. www.culturesonar.com/yes-a-prog-r...

A video on one of our most popular posts is live. Check it out! youtu.be/YPQyTz-JGNU?...

“His passion for writing songs matched his obsession with playing a multitude of instruments and recording demos.” www.culturesonar.com/pete-townshe...

“Walk of Life” is an affectionate ode to "Johnny," a subterranean busker who plays guitar, caring more about the music than the money.” www.culturesonar.com/the-epic-tra...

It’s National 8-Track Day! “Envisioned as a replacement to the elite few who installed record players in their pricey automobiles in the 1960s…the 8-track was pitched as the savior of portable music." www.culturesonar.com/the-8-track-...

He's one of the more colorful characters in music. www.culturesonar.com/travis-wamma...

“Hot-headed and haughty, Marriott quit the band to form Humble Pie, offering him an ideal berth to share guitar duties with Frampton.” www.culturesonar.com/steve-marrio...

It’s National Siblings Day! “In some cases, brotherly love is the foundation of building exciting and creative R&R…. and sometimes they end up hating each other.” www.culturesonar.com/some-brother...

“…there are some extended guitar solos of far less fanfare that are worth a listen or three. Here are a few to turn up. (Some cursory research reveals that the median length of a guitar solo in a hit song is 35 seconds, give or take.” www.culturesonar.com/extended-gui...

“The album opens with “Long Way To Go,” featuring clear Lennon/McCartney-like harmonies, interesting breaks and chord changes, and a bass line reminiscent of...McCartney. Many of the songs evoke what Wings might have sounded like if both Beatles had teamed up.” www.culturesonar.com/peach-lee-an...

Some sizzling, under-the-radar blues for your #TBT. www.culturesonar.com/sneak-of-the...

“The real verbal impact comes from his playful pleas to “Have mercy!”, along with his hiccup-y “Haw Haw Haw” refrain that gets across what mere words cannot.” www.culturesonar.com/the-epic-tra...

“…it’s the 1971 release, Aqualung, that’s stayed in classic rock rotation. It contains perennial favorites, “Locomotive Breath”, “Cross-Eyed Mary”, and the title track.” www.culturesonar.com/aqualung-rem...

“Tex Mex music has always lived in the in between spaces — the bars where English and Spanish trade verses, the dancehalls where polka steps meet border swagger, the radio stations where conjunto squeezebox riffs sit comfortably next to country weepers.” www.culturesonar.com/how-tex-mex-...

"George (Clinton) and I both tuned into extraterrestrial forces. I believe that I'm programmed from above."- Eddie Hazel, 1977. www.culturesonar.com/eddie-hazel-...

Today marks a very big anniversary. www.culturesonar.com/princes-for-...

“Beato gets “under the hood” of what makes records work. Whether it's dissecting classic tracks, analyzing chord progressions, or discussing studio techniques, he provides valuable insights for anyone looking to learn more about the music we love.” www.culturesonar.com/rick-beato-o...

“I was playing a lot of style on the guitar because I learned a lot from Lenny Breau about playing harmonics. Not a lot of people knew how to do it; it was a feature of that song. It came out of a jam.” www.culturesonar.com/an-interview...

This tangy little song is celebrating an anniversary this week! www.culturesonar.com/red-rubber-b...