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Jack White blazes his own trail on 'Blunderbuss'
After finally releasing his first solo record, the relief resided in how fearless and creative White can stand on his own, without one of his many bands behind him. May
To Levon Helm, goodbye and thanks
It would be impossible to overstate how much the Band means to me, and how much they changed my outlook when I truly discovered their music in college. Levon Helm was the center of that. April
Wild Flag own the stage, through sore throats and beer bottles
I cannot overstate how incredible this band was in that moment. Someone had chucked a Heineken onto the stage, and it barely registered. They just kept doing their thing. Inspiring. April
For better or worse, Mercer runs The Shins on 'Port of Morrow'
I was surprised to hear that James Mercer considered the Shins a project rather than a traditional band. And I would've felt better about it if this album had been as good as the other Shins records. March
Bruce Springsteen channels the 99 percent on 'Wrecking Ball'
I wasn't expecting to like any new Springsteen record that much, but this bucks the trend of his last few E Street Band projects a bit. A pleasant surprise, to be sure. March
The Black Keys work their tunes in an arena setting
So, how did the Black Keys adjust to playing in TD Garden instead of, say, the Paradise? By turning it up and rocking. Fantastic show, and they're going to be playing for a long time. March
The Black Keys grow up without selling out
A column chronicling my own thoughts on seeing this band graduate from clubs to small theaters and, ultimately, arenas. Includes a sidebar on Kings of Leon and how not to make that leap. March
'Last Words' captures the Screaming Trees' final chapter
In a return of the "New Classic" feature, this review looks at the lost recordings of Screaming Trees from 1998 and '99, just before the band decided to call it a career. March
Mark Lanegan recasts soul on 'Blues Funeral'
Lanegan could probaby sing the phone book and I'd enjoy it. As it is, he instead keeps writing interesting, captivating songs and putting his own smokey doom on all of it. February
Thurston Moore works out old ghosts with acoustics and noise
Apart from Sonic Youth, Moore showed that he's an amazing performer in his own right. Not a surprise, but still a thrill to see in person. February
Neil Young announces the likely return of Crazy Horse
I'm not sure what it says about me that a long jam on two old songs could get me this excited, but, here we are. Long live the Horse. January
Tracing the path of Neil Young's 'Helpless'
A simple ode to a song that I've strummed on the guitar for years and listened to for longer, and looking a little at where it measures up in Young's career. January
The Best of 2011: The Black Keys, again, own the year with 'El Camino'
This is the third time in four years that the Black Keys have recorded my favorite album of the year. Also included in this year-end wrap-up: debut of the year, single of the year, score of the year and more. December
Ticket stub memories: sorted, filed and treasured
I received a ticket stub album for Christmas, and had more than a fair amount of fun tracing my concert-going history through little pieces of paper I've refused to throw away. December
The Black Keys conquer genres, again, on 'El Camino'
Offering their take on a big, uptempo rock album, the Black Keys furthered the notion I have that they are almighty and can do no wrong. December
Noel Gallagher flies high on his own
Oasis had been going through a bit of a rebirth on their last albums, and Noel Gallagher keeps the inspired music rolling on his own. If you're wondering, yes, it's much better than Beady Eye. November
Revisiting the mechanical world of walkmans and cassettes
A broken iPod led me back to my tape player, a bunch of mix tapes, nostalgia and the like. It was a blast, though. November
Tom Waits is at his morbid, bizarre best on 'Bad as Me'
Waits always surprises me, and his willingness and ability to turn the ugliest sounds into something compelling is definitely admirable. Seriously, this rocks in the weirdest way. October
Ryan Adams writes another beautifully sad chapter
In a great week for music — I'd just discovered Wild Flag two days before — Ryan Adams floored me with an amazing record, Ashes & Fire. Somehow, after hundreds of songs, he keeps amazing me. October
Wild Flag debuts with greatness
I first heard this record on my iPod, driving home from Boston. I listened to it again after I got home, and again the next morning, and again, and again ... October
Wilco resumes the search for sound on 'The Whole Love'
For a few years, Jeff Tweedy and Wilco seemed content with writing and recording good songs. On The Whole Love, the band returns to using the studio as an experimental instrument. October
Cameron Crowe delivers the ultimate Pearl Jam mixtape
The thrill of listening to Pearl Jam Twenty for the first time will not be forgotten for some time. This collection is amazing, and I tried to do it justice in a 600-word review. And just one week after trashing "Olé," too! September
Radiohead holds another challenging masterpiece in 'The King of Limbs'
As far as I can tell, this is the first time I've managed to write an entire, coherent piece on Radiohead. Write about this band typically gives me fits. This either means I'm getting better, or I've just gotten boring. February
Goodbye to the White Stripes
I think it's pretty clear that the White Stripes are without peer when discussing the great bands of the 2000s. They changed so much. They were the White Stripes. February
Robert Plant hosts a Boston hootenanny
I might never see Led Zeppelin live, but with this show, I have now see all three living members live. Jimmy Page in 2000, John Paul Jones in 2009, and this. January
Springsteen outlines an alternate reality on 'The Promise'
I'm never amazed more than when I study prolific artists. How Bruce Springsteen managed to write this many great songs in this short a window is nothing short of amazing. January
Say goodnight to the bad guys
I caught two of the Black Crowes acoustic/electric shows before they made their hiatus official. Who knows when/if they're play again, but at least I got to say goodbye. October
Neil Young throws out the concepts with 'Le Noise'
It makes me ridicoulously happy that Neil Young just decided to try something new and make an album without some heavy-handed message or theme. September
Dark and rootsy, Lanois helped Dylan shine on 'Time Out of Mind'
Daniel Lanois' latest project is with Neil Young on Le Noise, so naturally, I went back and listed to Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind about a 1,000 times. September
Love and passion on the Backstreets
This has always been a true favorite in the Bruce Springsteen catalog, but around this time I really started to dive deep into the meaning and the passion of the song. Just beautiful, really. September
Keith Richards, in a moment of calm
Here, I take a look at one of my favorite photographs, Jim Marshall's shot of Richards recording in 1972, and how it can mean so much to the music and the man. August
Nothing saves the season like 'Waterloo Sunset'
To set the scene, it's a hot night on a weekend. I'm alone. So what do I do? If it's a good night, I'll put on Something Else by the Kinks, and I'll write. August
The Dead Weather arrive in time to save the summer
In the midst of a particularly uneventful and unproductive summer, I finally heard the Dead Weather's Sea of Cowards, and all was made right again. August
Even with a digital cleaning, 'Exile' oozes unchecked genius
The remastered version of the Rolling Stones' masterpiece walked that line between making the most of technology and keeping the original spirit of the record alive. That the Stones did something right, mind you, is huge. May
In the moment, Pearl Jam thrives
It was hard reconciling my dislike of the new record with their ability as a live band. As it turns out, that was silly. They rocked. May
Total immersion: Delving into Jimi Hendrix's home recordings
When a friend sent me the CD Jimi By Himself — The Home Recordings, I was obsessed immediately. It took a few days to articulate my feelings on the subject, but, here they are. January
Petty redefines the Heartbreakers' greatness on 'The Live Anthology'
I've long been a Tom Petty fan, and this four-disc box set blew me away when I got it for Christmas. It has completely changed my (already high) opinion of this band. January
It's not too late: 10 gems you might've missed this decade
Year by year, I round up some overlooked goodies from the musical sphere of the 2000s. And I got to revisit Boomslang, a pivotal album for me in 2003. December
Sonic Youth: Not to be taken for granted
Sonic Youth really is the greatest live band I've ever seen. There are a lot of fantastic bands, and I've seen plenty of amazing shows, but no one else compares. They're just amazing. Damn. November
How I was freed from the shackles of classic rock by 'Gold'
A column trying to explain how this particular album by Ryan Adams shook me so hard that everything I felt about music wound up changing. No, really, it did. November
'Embryonic' isn't just daring and inventive, it's stunning
The Flaming Lips have made a career of left-turns and surprise moves, but their latest album was a shock, even for them. Every time I listen to it, it gets better. Easily the best album of 2009. October
Them Crooked Vultures are more than just hype
Supergroups are typically terrible, or at best, underwhelming. Them Crooked Vultures are definitely the exception, and their show — before they'd even released an album — blew me away. October
The Beatles are finally given the treatment they deserve
My full, comprehensive review of the Beatles remastered albums, via the stereo box set. This tops 2,000 words, and I'm pretty proud of it. It was also a blast to write. October
What would another Beatles album have looked like?
A column where I put together the "next" Beatles album, based on solo recordings from 1969/70. It's a pretty fun game, and it's now a cool little playlist on my iPod. September
'Quadrophenia' lets the tide in
I'm fairly convinced that Quadrophenia is one of the five greatest albums I've ever had the pleasure of hearing, and everytime I drive out to the beach to write, it's always the first thing on my mind. July
The Black Keys grew up quickly in '08
Attack & Release was my favorite album of 2008, and I also run down the other things that made my year. January
Three albums can cure a bad day's hangover
Column. How three albums — namely, Nebraska, Time out of Mind and Into the Wild — took the sting out of a frustrating day. November
The Who are honored, not finished
A long piece reviewing the taping of the VH-1 Rock Honors: The Who special in Los Angeles, as well as a look at the Who's place in history. Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, the Flaming Lips, Tenacious D and Incubus are also covered here. July
Ryan Adams is holding me hostage
Sometimes, I go on kicks where I listen to nothing but one artist for weeks at a time. When I wrote this column, it was Ryan Adams. May
The Black Crowes reclaim their song
A review of the Black Crowes' album Warpaint. March
The argument for the Foo Fighters
A review of the Foo Fighters' concert in Glendale, Ariz. March
Wild call a quiet one for Vedder
A review of Eddie Vedder's soundtrack for Into the Wild. September
From the abyss: Rediscovering the mighty Zeppelin
In high school and the beginning of college, Led Zeppelin was my favorite band (other than Pearl Jam), but they took a fast and total fall off the cliff right around my 21st birthday. I got back into them in a huge way right around this time, centered on their live album, How the West was Won. August
All thrills and no frills: Marc Ford tackles his music with no pretense
Interview with guitarist Marc Ford, and a review of his concert in Phoenix. June
Killer Party: The Hold Steady lead a triple threat
The Hold Steady are one of the best live bands around, and they stepped up again on this night, leading a bill with Illinois and Blitzen Trapper. June
Icky Thump: How the White Stripes will one day save the world
As the title might've led you to believe, a very enthusiastic review of the White Stripes' Icky Thump. June
R.E.M. takes their place in the Hall
A column about R.E.M.'s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and how it made me feel as a long-time fan of their music. March
A cassette classic makes a comeback
I've always been a fan of concert bootlegs, and this is a look at one of my early live tapes, a Black Crowes recording from 1995. December
The Who breathes fire on stage in Boston
A review of the Who's concert in Boston. December
Gov't Mule gets down to business in Providence
Gov't Mule, on a weeknight, tearing the roof off the joint in Providence, R.I. Needless to say, this is an enthusiastic review. December
Ain't Talkin': Dylan lets his songs tell the story
Bob Dylan doesn't screw around when he's on stage. Also, the Raconteurs were a great opener. November
Endless Wire a mark of maturity for the Who
At the end of 2006, the Who got together and released their first album in 24 years and their best in 31, Endless Wire. November
Mudhoney crafted a rude debut with 'Superfuzz'
A look back at Mudhoney's classic 1988 debut, Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles. If at some point you ask me to make a list of my 10 favorite albums, it's very likely that I'll list this one. November
Uncovering the Beatles: A series of demos unlocks 'The White Album'
The Beatles 'Escher Demos' shows a united side of the band, who were otherwise extremely divided during sessions for The White Album. October
Petty paves the way for a late-night treat
A review of Tom Petty's fantastic album, Highway Companion. September
Free your mind with the Flaming Lips
I swear, I've never felt happier in my life than I did when I walked out of the Bank of America Pavillion after watching the Flaming Lips do their thing. Oh man. September
It's official: I finally get Bruce Springsteen
I didn't understand it for years, but when I did, Bruce Springsteen immediately became one of my favorite artists. He still is, too. July
Sonic Youth rips through another chapter
A review of Sonic Youth's latest album, Rather Ripped, coupled with a peek into their set at Bonnaroo that year. July
Sad songs and the fits they cause
I was exploring a feeling here in this column, and the result was one of my favorite pieces of writing to date. June
Return of the madness: A detailed glance at obsession, music and mental health through four Pearl Jam shows in three weeks
A very personal account of following my favorite band on the road, travelling with friends and getting turned on to new music. This one tops 4,000 words, and is one of my favorite pieces of writing. June
Neil fires back against Bush
Neil Young was furious at the Bush Administration in 2006, and he focused all of that anger into Living With War, which was recorded on the fly. April
The quest for the great, lost single
I spent years looking for Pearl Jam's "Off He Goes/Dead Man" single, and that journey came to an end in Berkley, Calif. March
Gilmour hones his craft with 'On an Island'
Former Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour shows how to age gracefully in this review of his album, On an Island. March
Temple of Rock
Of all the venues in which I've had the pleasure of watching rock shows, San Francisco's Fillmore easily tops the list. As far as acoustics, environment and history, nothing tops it. And Black Rebel Motorcycle Club certainly played up to that standard on this night. March
The Black Crowes say goodbye to 2005
A review of two amazing end-of-the-year shows by the Black Crowes in Springfield, Mass., and Providence, R.I., which were immediately followed by the band's gig at Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve. January
John Lennon's death, 25 years later
John Lennon was murdered about 18 months before I was born, but he's had a tremendous impact in my life. December
Do the rump! The Black Keys rock Boston
A review of the Black Keys concert at the Avalon in Boston, which was the first, and certainly not the last, time I saw the band.
Tell 'em Jack White sent ya — The White Stripes conquer Boston
This is, still, one of the five best concerts I've ever seen. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. September
Dylan matures and thrills on 'No Direction Home'
A review of No Direction Home, the seventh in Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. September
BRMC blows away all preconceptions
I don't know what I was expecting the first time I caught Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but I don't think I was expecting to discover one of my favorite bands of all time. September
Supergrass makes a giant leap forward on Road to Rouen
A review of Road to Rouen, which for my money is the best album Supergrass has made so far. August
Wilco spins arena rock on its head
Wilco put on a fantastic show at Agganis Arena in Boston, with My Morning Jacket opening. June
The Who smash on the ultimate rock scrapbook
A review of Jeff Stein's film The Kids Are Alright, a scrapbook and documentary of the original Who lineup. Honestly, is there a better rock movie? Maybe The Last Waltz. June
Queens pummel speakers and turn heads on Lullabies
A review of Lullabies to Paralyze, the then-new album by Queens of the Stone Age. At the time, this was probably the best record revew I'd written. May
Bob Dylan details the road less travelled in Chronicles
A book review of Dylan's Chronicles, Vol. 1, which, if you haven't read it, is superb. I'm still waiting patiently for Vol. 2, though. May
Sonic Youth steps up and shatters eardrums
A review of Sonic Youth's concert in Providence, R.I. April
An excercise in expanding musical horizons
A look back at Loose Fur's debut album, which sparked Jeff Tweedy into experimenting more with his main band, Wilco. This really is a fantastic record. February