chuck berry

One of punk rock’s original goals was “the destruction of rock ‘n’ roll.” While that didn’t happen, most early punk musicians were rock fans, in spite of their espoused rhetoric. Hence why most early pogo soundtracks were basically Chuck Berry with a Marshall amp. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But this is hardly […]

“We’re the Interrupters! We’re from Los Angeles, California!” the young guitarist announces over a fanfare, as the camera pulls back and reveals a four-piece band, plus a singer, and a crush of throbbing humanity in a tiny space. “And this first song is a protest song, but it’s also a unity song. Because there’s no […]

September 1963: A young R&B combo called the Rolling Stones are rehearsing, preparing for a recording session. Their manager, former Beatles publicist Andrew Loog Oldham, was tearing his hair out. They were about to record their second single, a follow-up to their modestly successful remake of Chuck Berry’s “Come On.” But they had one problem: […]

Elvis Presley portrayed by actor Michael St. Gerard performing “Baby Let’s Play House” in 1955 in the 1990 ABC TV series “Elvis”: Rockabilly is the original punk rock, from back in the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s. Nothing is more rebellious and life-affirming than some greasy hillbilly gittin’ real, real gone on […]

A greasy R&B riff rips from the speakers, coated in more fuzz than a peach orchard wearing a 50-year-old wool sweater. A singer with a sneer that could wilt Elvis’ upper lip indicates he’s gonna tell you a story about his town. He snarls about hanging out by the notoriously polluted Charles River, “along with […]

Hip-hop and rock sensation KOAD has surprised fans with a new single and video, “on some bullshit,” just one day after his 19th birthday.  “on some bullshit” was co-produced with HOLLY (A$AP Rocky) and mixed by Alex Tumay (Young Thug, Travis Scott, Kanye West). The track features an addictively punchy beat with angelic and soaring […]

Rock ‘n’ roll had, for the most part, lost its “roll” by 1970. It became rock music—self-serious, dour, pompous, filled with pretensions to being “art.” It ceased being fabulous teenage noise, filled with Chuck Berry’s playful swagger and Elvis’ hypersexualized pelvic thrust and rebel sneer. Kids wanted something loud and flashy, full of energy, something […]

As Mallavora, lead vocalist Jessica Douek, guitarist Larry Sobieraj, bassist/vocalist Ellis James and drummer Jack Pedersen take everything you know about classic metal and give it their own twist. The quartet are on the rise to show the British scene that they’re more than just a new band. Their debut EP is a product of […]

Though all but forgotten by this point—save for documentary films like excellent Vancouver overview Bloodied But Unbowed and recent Teenage Head retrospective Picture My Face—Canada once boasted one of the world’s best punk scenes. The quality/quantity of Great White North pogo-rock acts, plus their music’s sheer ferocity, belied our neighbors’ more mild-mannered and civilized reputation. […]

KOAD might be a brand-new name to you, but soon, this hip-hop rock star on the rise will be dominating your playlists. The 18-year-old Indian-American artist just released his second single and accompanying music video for the powerhouse track “jaunty,” the follow-up to his rowdy, booming debut, “pots n’ pans.” Featuring undeniably catchy hooks, positive […]

When the ball dropped in New York City’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight Dec. 31, 2009, punk rock had been around 35 years. (Or 33, depending on if you date the subculture from when the Ramones began playing gigs or from the mythic Punk Year Zero of 1977.) It was well into its […]

Jordan Benjamin is at a point in his career where he can be honest about his influences. Yes, his debut full-length and conceptual introduction as grandson, Death Of An Optimist, gave the music industry a shake upon its arrival on Dec. 4. And surely a lot of it was born out of him searching deeper into […]

Christmas is quite possibly the most musically controversial holiday of the year. Not everyone digs the varying styles of seasonal music, though it’s a genre unto itself. You have the ancient carols, full of religious imagery, usually sung by hoary old choirs. The early 20th century’s awash with hokey Tin Pan Alley Christmas standards, sung […]

When foundational Brazilian death-thrashers Sepultura recorded “Rise Above” as a bonus track for their 2001 album, Nation, they understood the power of that call to arms. Black Flag have always been the rebel music of society’s rejects. The rock ‘n’ roll process has always been an intensification of whatever came before it. Elvis and Chuck […]

Photographer:  In 2017 so far, we've lost many great rock artists and icons. From Linkin Park's buoyant frontman Chester Bennington to Chuck Berry, one of the pioneers of rock & roll, we look back on those who have brought us so much joy through their music.  Read More: Tom Petty offered escapism through music and portrayed […]

Gene Simmons of Kiss delivered a tearful eulogy for Chuck Berry yesterday. Berry died on March 18 at the age of 90. The musician was long recognized as a founder of rock and roll music, influencing rock popularizers such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. Chuck Berry's memorial took place on […]

At their gig in London, Ontario, Green Day paid tribute to the late Chuck Berry with an incredible cover of Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Check out the iconic tribute performance below. Read more: Legendary musician Chuck Berry has died at 90 Rock legend Chuck Berry passed away on Saturday, March 18 after being found unresponsive […]

The legendary musician Chuck Berry has died at the age of 90. As reported by ABC News he was found unresponsive in his home in St. Charles County, Missouri. “Police said they responded to a medical emergency on Buckner Road at approximately 12:40 p.m. Inside the home, first responders found an unresponsive man, but despite immediately […]