Rock Music 180

New York's Best Classic Rock Music can be Found on Q104.3

2009-05-24T23:21:00.001-07:00

Arguably the best city in the world, New York City has it all. There are so many things to do there, and it is no wonder why people living in surrounding states like New Jersey and Connecticut work, play, and locate themselves near this wonderful city.

If you live in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, there are a lot of radio stations you can listen to on your commute to the city. My favorite is Q104.3. This is the home of New York’s best classic rock music by far. They even say that is the best classic rock station in the country. That is for you to decide.

If you live in this area or are in town and are need of great classic rock hits, I would tune to 104.3.

Looking for Free Rock Music Videos?

2009-05-16T15:03:00.001-07:00

Do you turn your television on to channels like VH1 and MTV and don’t find the bands you really want to watch? Are you tired of the garbage reality shows on these channels, especially when they are supposed to be playing music videos and programs related to musicians and artists?

Join the rest of us. There is a great website online where you can watch all of your favorite rock bands. Did I mention it was free? That’s right, free rock music videos at your disposal 24/7.
Just go to rockmusicvideos.net to learn more on how to watch free music videos of your favorite bands!

Alternative Rock Music Band Incubus to be Touring in San Diego July 9, 2009

2009-05-10T23:48:00.001-07:00

Alternative group Incubus is back on tour again! This popular band will hit San Diego for tour dates starting on July 9, 2009. They will be doing a North American tour, as they go to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, and more.

Incubus has grown to be quite a popular band in America. Liked by alternative rock music listeners along with the underground following, Incubus has a far and wide fan base. If you are interested in going to an Incubus concert, check to see if they are coming to a city near you. If they are, get your tickets at ticketmaster.com or any other ticket vendor that sells Incubus tickets.

50's and 60's Rock And Roll Music

2008-06-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

If you want to take part in a little history lesson about 50's and 60's rock and roll music then I suggest that you do a little bit of research about The British Invasion. Besides bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks, other groups like The Yardbirds, The Animals and Them were making some huge hits. More importantly, you might want to read about a band called Cliff Richard and The Drifters, which is said to be the first group to record a rock and roll single in the U.K. Although rock and roll was being developed prior to the British Invasion period, it is safe to say that the U.K. artists made a huge impact on the states and helped mold rock and roll into what it sounds like today. The 50's and the 60's were a very crucial time for social change, and I think that rock and roll music had a lot to do with that as well.

The Most Famous Band in Australian Rock Music History

2008-06-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know this, but for those who don't AC/DC is probably the biggest music act to ever come out of Australia. Not only are they ranked as the fifth biggest band in terms of sales, they are also cited as being a major influence by many famous bands and artists. They have sold over 100,000,000 records since they began creating music, which is something that not many artists can say about themselves. Australian rock music history certainly has some substance, but it is not a major player in the history of the entire genre. However, there are plenty of talented musicians that have come from this land and cities like Sydney and Melbourne have strong rock music scenes. Unfortunately, the land down under will probably never produce another band with the same success that AC/DC had, but nothing is absolutely certain.

Throwback Alternative Rock Music - One Hit Wonders of the 1990's

2008-06-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Rhapsody is probably one of the best places to find music, and I think that paying for this service is worth every penny. I really enjoy the fact that it always refers you to other similar artists from the same time period as the one that you are currently viewing. For example, I recently was listening to the old hit by Cake known as, "The Distance". After the song was done playing, I noticed that a link to a band called "Geggy Tah" was available. The name rang a bell, but I could not think of anything that they had produced. I was soon reminded of their only hit, which was called "Whoever You Are". There are plenty of alternative rock music bands from the early to mid 1990's who only had a single radio hit, and I am usually reminded of them when I search through Rhapsody. A song by another band from this era, Soul Coughing, soon entered my playlist with the title of "Super Bon Bon". Anyone from Generation X knows about these short-lived bands and the catchy hits that they put out on the radio.

Classic Country Rock Music Bands

2008-06-10T15:00:00.001-07:00

Many fans of rock and roll tend to stay away from the Country genre, because it is usually associated with slow tempos and redundant lyrics. This is not always the case, though, and you might actually enjoy some of the more classic country rock music bands instead of the contemporary ones. Bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, CSNY, Allman Brothers Band and the Eagles are actually considered to be in the country rock genre. If you are tired of these popular groups, then I suggest that you check out some of the music by Blue Rodeo, Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Whiskeytown and The Tractors. Like every style of music, it is not uncommon for the less popular bands to have some amazing songwriting abilities. Just because underrated bands have poor marketing techniques does not mean that they shouldn't be heard. If you search the Internet, you will be surprised with how diverse country rock music really is.

A Rock and Roll Music Band With Smart Business Practices

2008-05-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, or CSNY, not only produced some amazing music but also incorporated a lucrative marketing practice. This classic rock and roll music act initially only had three stars in the lineup, and added Neil Young a couple years after their formation. The band had its ups and downs, periodically splitting up and then joining back together. However, when CSNY would split, band members would then produce solo albums in the same genre that were rather successful. Because the public already had a love for the music of CSNY, it was only natural for them to go out and buy the solo records. Not to mention, when the band would get back together, fans would be even more excited for the new albums that would be produced as a group. I don't know for sure if these musicians planned for this to happen, but it certainly helped keep them in the industry for many years.

The Beatles Rock and Roll Music

2008-05-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

The hottest band to ever come out of the British Invasion scene is still being talked about to this day, but sometimes I get the feeling that fans do not even know about half of the music that the Beatles had produced. I recently listened to the Yellow Submarine soundtrack and I realized that there were songs on there that I never paid any mind to. "It's All Too Much" just recently became one of my favorite songs in regards to The Beatles rock and roll music, and it made me realize that a lot of their great work has been put on the back burner. If you really want to get a raw taste of how diverse this band was, I suggest that you pick up a cheap record player and search for used vinyl. Vinyl records not only have an authentic sound that will never be reproduced, but listeners are basically forced to hear entire albums and experience the music from beginning to end.

Hard Rock Music That Doesn't Hurt the Ears

2008-05-23T15:50:00.001-07:00

I have always been a big fan of grunge because it has qualities similar to those of hard rock music, but it is also a style of music that has so many different variations. Alice in Chains, for example, has a very diverse sound palette that makes it difficult for one to put the band in a specific category. They are considered grunge, of course, because of the fact that they came out of Seattle during an influential time period when other bands had the same sound.

The funny thing about grunge is that you will find songs that are heavy and you will also find songs that are slow and layered with different acoustic sounds. At times, I have even compared some grunge songs to those that were written by singer-songwriter acts in the 60's and 70's. Basically, one must never forget that just because a band rocks out pretty hard, it does not mean that they don't have influences from other genres and styles.

70's Rock Music - ELO

2008-05-20T02:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to think that most rock music fans are aware of a band called Electric Light Orchestra. This band gained recognition in the 1970's and they definitely brought some unique things to the table. Using string instruments, obscure synthesizer effects and a wide range of vocals, ELO had a sound that no one else has been able to replicate.

I am sure that you have heard most of their hits like, "Evil Woman", "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Strange Magic". ELO has a HUGE discography, though, and I think that if you explore through some of their less successful albums you will find some gems that you never even knew about. In regards to 70's rock music, I would say that Electric Light Orchestra is one of the best in terms of originality.

Meanings of Rock Music Lyrics

2008-05-02T14:54:00.001-07:00

My music selection is changing constantly and I am sure that yours is too. Most of the time, I will listen to the lyrics of a song and try to figure out my own meaning for them. To be quite honest, I would sometimes rather create my own meaning out of a musician's lyrics so that I can relate to the song on a personal level. However, once in a while I will come across a few lines that really hit me hard and I will have this sudden desire to know what the artist was feeling when he or she wrote them. This is when I visit songmeanings.net and read some of the interpretations that other listeners have posted.

One song that recently made me look rather closely at its lyrics was "Edit the Sad Parts" by Modest Mouse. At one point in the song, Isaac Brock sings, "I made my shoes shine with my coal, but the polish didn't shine the hole". Not only is this songwriting at its best, but it describes a lot people in our world. No matter how good we make something look, it is never really that good.

I suggest that you visit songmeanings.net and look up some of your favorite rock music lyrics. Not all of the comments that you read will be people's interpretations, but they are certainly scattered throughout.

Rock Music by Argent - An Excellent Progressive Rock Band

2008-04-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

After the Zombies called it quits, Rod Argent felt like it was not time to stop making music. "Argent" was born in 1969 with Rod leading the way and their moderate success is still considered to be a significant part of rock music history. Although most people probably only remember their classic hit, "Hold Your Head Up", this band still produced a decent amount of songs that were well-written and great to jam out to.

I personally disagree, but I have heard some people say that rock music by Argent did not have any unique elements and that they began to conform to a more popular sound after the Zombies had split up. However, rock and roll fans and musicians who have heard a lot of Argent's music know that they had a very diverse sound. The song "Dance in the Smoke" is a very underrated track that is probably a much better representation of the band than "Hold Your Head Up".

For more information about this classic group of musicians, check out rodargent.com. I also recommend that you try to get a copy of the anthology album that they put out back in 1984.

Rock Music Videos From MTV

2008-04-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

YouTube is probably the best place to go for rock music videos, but I would also keep MTV's website in your bookmarks as well. MTV has a huge database of free streaming rock music videos and I must say that I am rather impressed with the quality that they have provided. Internet visitors can browse through various video lists, but I think that you will have a much better time just searching for videos by your favorite artists.

I was surprised to see that MTV even had music videos from very old artists. Pink Floyd even has a couple of videos on this website, including "Arnold Layne" and "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1". I also did a search for Deftones videos, considering that I used to be a big fan of them. There were plenty of Deftones videos in the database, including one of my favorites, "Change (In the House of Flies)".

Be sure to visit MTV.com and search for videos by your favorite artists. Also, remember that they have music videos from every genre, not just rock and roll.

Important Band in Japanese Rock Music

2008-04-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant is an influential Japanese rock music act that had a substantial amount of success. The band released 9 studio albums, with their first album being self-produced and self-released. This band has sometimes been referred to as the "Japanese Ramones," but not everyone may agree with this label. I suggest that you check out their music and decide for yourself.

TMGE was discovered by The Brian Jonestown Massacre while performing at a venue in Los Angeles. Alive Records heard the news about this hot Japanese rock band and eventually signed them. Following this, TMGE released an album in the states called, "Gear Blues."

This band has even been ranked number 77 in the top 100 Japanese musicians of all time. Although they split up in 2003, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant still goes down in history as one of the most influential rock bands to come out of Japan.

Classic Rock Music Artists That Should Not Be Forgotten

2008-04-18T09:37:00.001-07:00

Classic rock music is loved by people of almost every age, and I have noticed that a lot of teenagers and young adults enjoy listening to this kind of music. Of course, most young people only know about the legendary bands like Led Zeppelin, CCR, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. I think that there are several other bands that should be given the same appreciation, and they came from this same exact era. Jeff Beck, for example, is one of the greatest guitar players of all time and the influence that he had during his time with The Yardbirds was incredible. Most classic rock fans are aware of Jeff Beck's status as a guitar legend, but I think there are plenty of young individuals who will never know his name.

Another great band from this genre was The James Gang, which had Joe Walsh as a member for quite some time. Funk #49 and The Bomber are two of their most popular songs, and I think that their sound was just as unique as Led Zeppelin's or The Who's. If you have not familiarized yourself with The James Gang yet then I suggest that you do so. Some other less-appreciated artists that you should check out are The Band, Traffic, CSNY, and of course, The Kinks.

Important Bands in Hardcore Punk Rock Music

2008-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned in my previous post, there are plenty of different types of rock music. Sometimes, there are so many kinds that it can actually become overwhelming. However, if you choose to focus on a particular type of rock music, such as punk, you will then notice that there are a few more kinds of rock that branch off of it. Punk rock music has many different sub genres, such as old school, hardcore, emo and anarcho. I personally feel that hardcore punk is one of the rawest forms of this type of music, and there are several different bands that helped create and maintain this style.

Black Flag is probably one of the most influential hardcore punk bands to ever exist. Initially created in the late 70's by Greg Ginn, this band planned to exploit their sound with a message of anarchy and anger. Some may see this as a pessimistic way to play music, while others find it to be one of the most passionate. This band did not have a lot of the prefabricated ideas that you regularly see today, and from what I understand, the band members themselves had everything to do with the way they sounded and the image that they portrayed.

Other hardcore punk bands that made their marks in the 70's, 80's and 90's were Bad Brains and Minor Threat. The excessive aggression and intense power that these bands obviously showed were some of the things that had people saying that they were ahead of their time. Following the death of a musical fad like disco, this was a refreshing way to revamp the music scene in the United States. If you are a fan of punk music but have not heard much about the bands that I mentioned, then it appears that you have a little bit of homework to do.

The Many Different Types of Rock Music

2008-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

All this time, I have been speaking about specific sub-genres of rock music. Since it is long overdue, I feel as though I should briefly talk about what different types of rock music actually exist in this world of ours.

Many will argue that old blues music is the first rock music, but I disagree. Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and the great Robert Johnson may have all played guitar but that does not mean that they were rock musicians. Blues has a very rich history with solid meaning behind it, and that is why it is in a class of its own.

Rock music, most will agree, began in the 1950's in the U.K. John Lennon was one of the many musicians to start a rock band during this time, and his was called The Quarry Men. Shortly after this band, however, was the one that you were probably thinking of. Other bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks were contributing to this growing scene, and eventually it became an international sensation once the Beatles had reached the U.S. in the early 60's.

From this point forward, the types of rock music that branched off could not be counted on two hands and two feet. Those that come to mind at this very moment include surf rock, psychedelic rock, soft rock, funk rock, jazz-rock, punk rock, heavy metal, industrial, indie rock, emo rock, and country rock. There are plenty of other sub-genres to be mentioned, since I only made reference to a handful of them. Not to mention, classic rock even became a type of rock music once enough time had passed since the 1960's and 1970's. Basically, if you put enough of a twist on rock and roll, you are now in a whole different category.

One of the Less Appreciated Bands of Classic Rock Music

2008-04-09T03:28:00.000-07:00

When a band has a long and successful career, there is no doubt that they are going to evolve and get their feet wet with several different styles. There are some very talented bands that have been able to hold on to elements of their original style over the decades, but their sounds had still changed with the times. One of my favorite classic rock music bands, The Kinks, actively made music from 1963 to 1996 and sometimes I get the feeling that they do not get the recognition that they deserve. I will admit, however, that although I consider myself to be a big fan of The Kinks, I do not like every single album that they have recorded. This is natural, of course, considering the fact that they recorded a total of 28 studio albums, in addition to all of their live albums and compilations.

In my opinion, one of the best albums that The Kinks ever recorded was "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society." Tracks like, "Do You Remember, Walter?", "Animal Farm", and "Big Sky" are all arranged beautifully with brilliant melodies. If you have not heard these tracks, I recommend that you check them out. I would also like to mention that this band is considered by many to be one of the most influential rock bands of all time, but the fact that they were overshadowed by the success of bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Beatles made it difficult for them to shine just as brightly. Their unique sound, which some might say has qualities similar to those of The Beatles, made it very evident that each musician had versatility and incredible songwriting abilities.

It is likely that you have already experienced the sound of The Kinks. However, I am willing to bet that there are some albums that you have probably never heard, and I feel that individuals who truly appreciate classic rock music should hear them to get an idea of how these musicians progressed throughout their lengthy careers.

80's Rock Music From The Underground

2008-04-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

If you were heavily involved with the music scene in the 1980's then you are probably aware of some of the underground acts that were starting to get popular. When I say underground, I am of course referring to the bands that had huge followings but never really had much exposure on the radio. Bands like The Pixies, The Meat Puppets, The Cure, New Order, and many others had large fan bases with dedicated supporters but the mainstream public never really gave them much of a listen.

The Pixies are one of my all-time favorite 80's rock music acts, especially since front man Frank Black had such a unique vocal style. Songs like Monkey Gone To Heaven, Something Against You, Mr. Grieves, Wave of Mutilation, and of course, Where is My Mind, are all classic tracks by a band that I would say got just the right amount of recognition. If the Pixies had blown up and the whole world knew about them, then maybe I would not like them as much as I do today. If you have never heard of the Pixies, then I suggest that you check out some of the music that they produced in the late 80's and early 90's.

Beatles Rock and Roll Music - A Little Bit Extra

2008-04-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

An individual by the name of Piero Scaruffi has created an excellent website that gives a brief but sufficient history of how the Beatles became the legendary music act that we know them as today. This website also contains a chronological order of their works between the years of 1963 and 1970. When you visit this page, which is located at scaruffi.com/vol1/beatles.html, be aware that the left column of information is written in Italian and the right column is written in English.

This is not the absolute best resource for learning about The Beatles, and it may even contain everything that you already know. However, the reason that I wanted to share this link with you is because it is coming from an ordinary individual like you or me who obviously knows a lot about the Beatles as well as the music industry from that time period. I also felt that this was a more unconventional way to share some information with everyone, rather than just giving a link to wikipedia.org. Having a diverse group of sources is a good way to eliminate bias.

What Are Your All-Time Favorite Rock Music Videos?

2008-03-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is definitely a subject that comes up often. With the advent of MTV in the 1980's, rock music videos have been created ever since and the different styles that we have seen over the years is truly amazing. Some of these directors have moved on to other kinds of projects, while some have stayed in the same business.

Some of my personal favorites are the videos for "Pets" by Porno For Pyros, "Lithium" by Nirvana, "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, "Epic" by Faith No More, "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, and "Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol. Of course, many of these music videos are older and I think that is why I like them so much. This was a very experimental art form, and the technology was somewhat limited during these years. Of course, there have been plenty of great music videos that were created in recent years. This type of art is very progressive and it will not stop until something else takes its place.

Although it does have its negative aspects, YouTube is a great resource for rock music videos. Whenever you need to kill some time, search for some of your favorite artists and see what you come up with. You will probably find videos for songs that never even made it onto MTV.

What Style of 80's Rock Music Do You Like?

2008-03-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

We all know that the 1980's were a very transitional period for rock and roll music, and sometimes I am amazed at how many different styles were present during this time. One of the greatest parts of making music is experimentation, and it is obvious that a lot of this was happening during the 80's.

80's rock music can range anywhere from Metallica to The Cars to The Sex Pistols. There are various degrees of how "hard" a band or musician can rock, and these degrees even existed in decades prior to the 1980's. A few of the sub-genres that were huge included heavy metal, punk, new wave, alternative and soft rock. While bands like Metallica were writing elaborate and intricate songs with the help of heavy distortion and fast rhythms, other bands like Devo were pushing the boundaries with how weird one can get with synthesizers and other electronic instruments. In most cases, you really can't say that a band plays just "rock & roll" because there are too many different styles that have stemmed off of it.

I recommend that you do some research of your own to learn about some of the underground rock bands that were making music in the 1980's. You may have heard of The Talking Heads, but have you ever heard of Roxy Music? For every popular band or musician, there are 5 other underground artists that never got the recognition that they deserved. Your local record store is always a great place to check for some obscure music, but it can sometimes limit you. I personally think that one of the best resources for finding music is www.rhapsody.com, and if I am not mistaken, you can browse through their library free of charge.

The Wonderful World of Soft Rock Music

2008-03-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

Soft Rock Music is a sub-genre of Rock & Roll that has created a large following over the past few decades. Although it has some of the same characteristics as regular Rock & Roll, soft rock has a much calmer sound. Soft rock bands use the same instruments as any other rock band, but a lot more emphasis is put on the vocals. The singer is usually performing in a calm manner and the lyrics tend to have a complete absence of anger. However, this does not mean that every soft rock song that you hear is a happy one.

Some bands that are popular in this genre are Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago and Elton John. I personally think that Hall & Oates are one of the more influential soft rock bands of previous years but apparently they are classified as "blue-eyed soul".

I am willing to bet that there is a radio station in your area that only plays this type of music, and if you have an interest in soft rock then you should find out which one it is. This music is great for relaxing at home, driving in your car or listening to before you go to bed.

Great Source for Christian Rock Music

2008-03-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Christianrock.net has plenty of information for fans of Christian Rock Music, as well as 24-hour Internet radio. One of the nice things about this website is that their revenue comes mainly from donations, advertising and t-shirt sales, which means that most of their resources are put into providing quality content. If you want to learn about different artists, news, upcoming CD releases, concerts and much more then I suggest that you check out this website.

Another thing that you will notice when you visit this website is that they have 3 different sister sites for other types of music. These include hard rock, hip-hop and power praise. Each website is designed in the same way and has the same interface as the next. You can also make song requests if you wish to hear something specific on their one of their stations, which can be hard to find with most Internet radio websites.

If you are an avid listener of Christian rock music then you will definitely like this website. Check out www.christianrock.net and be sure to visit their other 3 music stations as well. Also, make a tax-deductible donation if you want to support what these people are doing.