By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor The Cranberries emerged from an unheralded Irish music scene to deliver many beloved records over the years. Beginning in 1989, the band did the usual maneuvers to gain ground in fairly short order. After initially being courted by indie stalwarts Rough Trade, a wider bidding war began, and […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Mellow Gold may have put him on the map, but it was Odelay that gave him control of the map! Released in June of 1996, it was Beck’s second major-label release. Songs like “Where It’s At,” “Devil’s Haircut,” and “The New Pollution” became staples on alternative radio and MTV, giving him […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor "Tamacun," the instrumental tune that kicks off the official debut from Rodrigo y Gabriela, startles as it shows off what this Mexican duo was all about. There is power in the acoustic side of music, and these two were dead set on proving that. Shards of classical, flamenco, […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Tattoos, piercings, heroin, dreads, distorted drum machines, noisy guitars, a gallon of angst and dirt all made up the Ministry that wandered out of the Lollapalooza Generation. But in the beginning, there was a "kinder, gentler" Ministry, much more in tune with the synth-pop sounds of the early ’80s. In […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Many a good story begins with the phrase, "seemingly out of nowhere," so, seemingly out of nowhere, Florence Welch came forth with her Machine and presented her debut recording in the summer of 2009. Welch, barely 23 years old at the time, had worked on various projects before […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor It didn't take long for Paul Westerberg to prove he was more than a drunk punk. From those very first Replacements records, songs like “Kids Don’t Follow,” “I’m in Trouble,” and “Color Me Impressed” all showed the guy knew how to write a good song. By 1984's Let It […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor The Bangles were, in many ways, a textbook example of a great rock and roll band who got sucked into the corporate system and drained of all that made them so special. Following the death of John Lennon in December of 1980, guitarist Vicki Peterson became fast friends […]
Read MoreBy Sarah Swirsky, MSW, LISW Here’s some fascinating news for music lovers: going to concerts regularly might actually help you live longer. A study led by behavioral science expert Patrick Fagan (in collaboration with O2) suggests that attending live music events every two weeks can boost your sense of well-being by 21%. That includes a […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor From where I stand, the less definable, the better, especially when it comes to music. When you hear one verse or half a chorus and you can already feel the bridge, you're all set to slap a label on it to define what section in the record store […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Some bands, it seems, make far too many albums — even worse in the CD era, when artists felt the need to fill up 79-plus minutes with their, um, art. Other bands, by design or happenstance, make one signature collection of songs and, to quote the ever-present George […]
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