BY XAVIER JOHNSON At 80 years old and 50 albums deep, Neil Young continues to sound inspired and sharp, but he’s also so, so tired. On Second Song, that weariness turns out to be the point. The last time we reviewed Young’s music was 2022’s World Record, an outing with …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Melissa Auf der Maur hasn’t released any new music in the last 16 years, so it’s understandable you’d be surprised to see a new record come across your feed recently. Best known as the bassist for Hole and later a touring member of Smashing Pumpkins, she also …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Eleven years. It’s been eleven long years since Alabama Shakes, the Grammy Award winning rock trio, has released a record. During that hiatus, vocalist Brittany Howard set off on a multi-Grammy nominated solo career of her own. With how active each member was musically, fans were left …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Reggae excels in the margins. On the surface, many tracks can sound the same with very similar rhythms and timbres. To even a moderately trained ear suddenly the genre opens up to its true nature, a beautiful and diverse style that’s filled with life and meaning and …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Maintaining inspiration and performing chops later in life is one thing that separates great musicians from certified legends. In rock music, there’s no shortage of older musicians still releasing records and touring, but it doesn’t always work. It’s hard to maintain a consistent output when an artist …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Covers are an essential part of musical history. Different genres have distinct cultures that influence how a cover track manifests. Blues and country music have standards. Hip-hop has sampling. Rock music typically looks to transform the works it draws upon, offering a new perspective on a classic …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON It was a tough ending to another lackluster Cal Golden Bears season (4-8, 2-7) with a late fumble cementing a 35-28 loss to the #17 UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium Friday afternoon. Cal put up a fight entering the fourth quarter with a 28-27 lead, however the …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON Synth-pop, and by extension new wave, peaked in the 80’s with groups like Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys pushing the limits of electronic music and providing the soundtrack for all types of venues; from London dance joints to alleyway goth clubs. One of the pioneering artists …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON It’s pretty surprising that many of the hits the Red Hot Chili Peppers are known for are from the 90’s. Listen to “Under the Bridge,” which dropped in 1992, which still sounds completely fresh thirty years later. The pioneering funk rock band sounded like nothing else that …

BY XAVIER JOHNSON For decades Rock And Roll has historically been an avenue to speak truth to power from the opposition of post-9/11 jingoism to the anti-monarchy messaging of British punk rock. The fiery passion of youth powers rock music to push boundaries and fight against authority. On the other …