Category: Music

Joe Jackson is another one of those artists that unbeknownst to many has continued making music over his 40+ year career. The English musician/songwriter that exploded onto the scene in 1979 with the hit single “Is She Really Going Out with Him” released his 20th album in 2019. That first album Look Sharp grouped him…

Let’s have a listen to some new songs by new(ish) bands. I’m not too familiar with any of the bands but heard these singles off their new releases and thought they all might be worth exploring. “Summer” implies bright, sunny, and care-free, such as light reading “beach” books. These songs aren’t necessarily that breezy, but…

You have to give it up for The Church. Did you know that they have continued regularly recording, releasing their 25th (!) album in 2017? (I have only three.) And as I just personally witnessed, they are still out on the road touring. (I had only seen them once before at the Ventura Theater on…

We had some fun with this on 1982 albums, so let’s look at 1992. What a difference 10 years makes. For one, every album photo of the 1982 post was from my LP collection, this time all CDs. The 1982 list has a new wave theme, whereas in the early 1990s hard rock is more…

Resist. There could not be a more apt title for a Midnight Oil album. The Aussie activist rockers have continually protested the treatment of indigenous peoples and our planet. Resist is a climate change treatise, a dire warning served up with a little hope. All accompanied by the band’s signature driving acoustic and chiming guitars,…

Full disclosure: I’m a big Pearl Jam fan, so by extension that makes me a big Eddie Vedder fan. His powerful baritone is one of rock’s treasures, from songs like “Black,” “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” and “In Hiding” to his energetic and passionate live performances. I’ll never forget him coming…

The early 1980s were an intriguing time in music. Classic rock of the 1970s was still thriving with new releases in 1982 from The Who, Springsteen, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Rainbow, and more. At the same time, The Damned and Dead Kennedys were punk veterans, and The Clash went commercial with Combat Rock.…

The main purpose of POPTRANSMISSION’s Music section is finding new rock n’ roll amidst the popular dominance of pop and hip-hop. I’ve highlighted new bands (Dry Cleaning, Spyderland), bands that have been around awhile (War on Drugs, Future Islands), and the still-bringing-it veterans (The Who, Pearl Jam). All have released new music recently and continue…

Aah, the good old days of buying a concert ticket the day they went on sale, counting the days until it arrived in the mail, putting it in a safe place until showtime, and leaving the show with a memento of the event. Ticket stubs have been on the way out for some time now…

Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour must be setting records…duration, number of shows, number of cities/countries, and number/duration of postponements. What began on September 8, 2018, in Allentown, PA is scheduled to conclude in summer 2023 after about five years and over 300 concerts. The tour schedule is mind boggling: September 2018 – March…

I’m checking out new music from three bands that I just recently discovered. One band, Turnstile, I mentioned earlier in my top songs of 2021 post (Top Songs of 2021: Rock and Indie Bands Still Making Noise). Two are newer bands exemplified by fuzzy lo-fi sounds, brightened up by vibrant female lead vocals. I thought…

The musical landscape of 2021 continued to be dominated by hip-hop, rap, and pop artists. Sorry regular readers, but here I go again. What’s a rocker to do? I made some nice discoveries, but this is where I need your help. I know there’s more out there. Please share some of your favorite new music…