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Plug into ... Surfer Blood

Florida-based, guitar-driven indie rockers make some solid waves of sound

Anymore, a lot of artists in indie rock seem to clutter their music with instruments like synthesizers, ukuleles, accordians and glockenspiels or try to capture a tiny, intimate, almost cute vibe that wouldn't even wake the neighbors if it was played on their doorstep. So, it's almost refreshing to hear a group that wants to crank up their distorted guitars and lay down some rock that's catchy and anthemic. And for that, I would like to say "thank you" to Surfer Blood.

A guilty pleasure face-off

Entertainment Weekly conceives tournament of guilty pleasure music acts

What is the musical artist that you're ashamed to admit you like? Is it Journey? Hannah Montana? Ace of Base?

"Rock Band: The Beatles" commercial: Coolest music commercial ever?

A career-spanning trailer for the highly-anticipated game

Thoughts on Record Store Day

Step away from the iTunes and take in the vibe on April 18

Digital music is the future. Heck, who are we kidding. It's the friggin' present. But ironically enough, online is probably the one place where most people found out that Saturday, April 18 is officially Record Store Day.

CD Review: Dierks Bentley's "Feel That Fire"

Country songsmith sticks to his guns with more steadfast tunes

Arizona-born country crooner Dierks Bentley came along as one of several total-package male stars with good looks, talent and tunes in spades. While Bentley can't shred or sing like Brad Paisley or Keith Urban, his craft as a songwriter became his saving grace. It's that devotion to carefully crafted arrangements, structure and melody that mostly comes through on his latest "Feel That Fire," a safe continuation and showcase of Bentley's abilities.

CD Review: Eagles of Death Metal's "Heart On"

Sleezy garage rockers newest loaded with grooves, sex and hooks

Plenty of rock music that comes out today wants to break new ground or provoke thought. Then there's the L.A. outfit Eagles of Death Metal, who would just prefer to lay down some scuzzy-and-fuzzy guitar while tossing sexual metaphors and tongue-in-cheek choruses around like dollar bills at a strip club. They do that on their latest album, "Heart On," which is a fun dose of filthy-sounding seventies guitar grooves and glammy touches

Grammy Awards recap

Pleasant surprises, best and worst performances and my scorecard

Well, the Grammys are in the books and in my first attempt to predict the outcomes, I learned a few things. 1. I have a about a .500 batting average on these things. 2. In some cases, it turned out that much better that my predictions were incorrect. So from what I saw of the telecast, here are my the awards that caught me by surprise, the best and worst performances and the things that make you go "huh?"

Grammy predictions: The Big Categories

Artists from every generation have a shot at winning some of the Grammy's biggest honors

Well, after trying my hand at nailing down my picks for winners in a few specific genres, it's time to talk about the categories that seems to bring them all together. Whether it's epic bands, platinum-selling rappers, soulful songbirds, peculiar collaborations or Disney kids, all are represented this year. And I'm giving you my final call before the Grammy Awards air on Feb. 8.

Grammy predictions: Hard rock, Metal and Hip-Hop

If it rocks, thumps or bumps, I'm calling it

People may think that putting rap and rock together was a turn-of-millenium fad, but you don't have to look to Lil Wayne's upcoming rock album to see it's making a comeback. You can look at my predictions for hard rock, metal and hip-hop categories at this year's Grammy Awards coming up on two weeks.

CD Review: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals "Cardinology"

Prolific and singer/songwriter tight backing band finds great balance of looseness and restraint

Equal parts creative, prolific and erratic, singer/songwriter Ryan Adams recently announced he's retiring from music indefinitely. But considering his work with seminal alt-country act Whiskeytown and his 11 releases in nine years, it's not like he didn't leave behind his fair share of material. Thankfully, if his newest release with his capable backing band The Cardinals entitled "Cardinology" is his last album, it's good to know that he left listeners on a high note.

Zeppelin reunion takes stairway to heaven

Jimmy Page's manager says the group will not reunite with new singer or Robert Plant

In news that is either optimistic, devastating or inconsequential depending on how big a fan you are of Led Zeppelin, it was announced Thursday that there will be no plans for a Led Zeppelin reunion in any capacity.

Dead reunited, prolific Prince and Radiohead and Jay-Z collide

Happy New Year indeed for anyone who are fans of psychedelic icons, the Purple One and mix tapes.

Grammy predictions. Pop categories

Older artists and new divas battle for pop prizes

Considering that all of the biggest selling albums of the year weren't exactly pop (Lil Wayne, Metallica, AC/DC), some may say it wasn't the best year for pop music. But then again, there's plenty of these songs that you probably had stuck in your head all year. That's what makes it "pop," right? Anyway, before the Feb. 2009 Grammys come up, here's who I think will win and should win in Pop music categories.

Grammy nominations. B-Side predictions

Finally, the Grammys gets some things right

The nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday, and the biggest acts of the year got the most props. Hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne led the way with eight nominations, followed by Brit-rockers Coldplay with seven nominations. A diverse group of artists including Kanye West, Ne-yo, Radiohead and newcomers Adele and Duffy also received multiple nods, along with music veterans like Bruce Springsteen and the duet of Robert Plant and Allison Krauss.

R.I.P: Mitch Mitchell

Drummer from the Jimi Hendrix Experience was a star in his own right

The last member of one of rock's most important, powerful and groundbreaking bands died on Nov. 12.