Confounded by Ke$ha

For better or for worse, Ke$ha has managed to stand out amongst her pop peers at a time where they are manufactured, marketed and managed to where pretty much anything unique has been rung out.

Tunes and Tix: Raise the flag

The Ramones have become trendy with the last few young generations of punk appreciators.

Like a Rolling Stone

Referring to the Rolling Stones as the “Mt. Rushmore of Rock and Roll” takes on more than one meaning, depending on your point of view.

Newsted on the block

Jason Newsted’s tenure with Metallica may have lasted a decade and a half with tens of millions of albums sold, but his input was anything but prodigious.

Tunes and Tix: Nostalgia time, y’all!

Depending on what side of the fence you sit on, the upcoming 15th anniversary of Limp Bizkit’s first hit, a cover of George Michael’s “Faith,” is something to acknowledge or scour over.

Tunes and Tix: Another look at 1975

The year 1975,, in terms of the pop music landscape, doesn’t stand out in the way benchmark years such as 1963, 1977 and 1992 did, but its impact would be felt for years to follow.

Marr attacks

It’s quite possible that Smiths alumni have made more headlines in the quarter century since they called it a day than they did in their brief, but influential time together in the early and mid-'80s.

Spreading old ‘Rumours’

You’ve got to hand it to conglomerate music marketers. They sure know how to make a classic rock anniversary an event.

Reason to Bragg

Billy Bragg’s current stateside tour, which brings him to Chicago’s City Winery for a three night stand April 12-14, comes after a decade of little activity, new music-wise, from the beloved British songsmith.

Tunes and Tix: ‘Vivid’ recollections

Living Colour’s rise to hard rock royalty with their 1988 debut “Vivid” came with no small amount of unfortunate hype.

Tunes and Tix: Garbage collective

It’s common, in a music group of any genre, for a single member to emerge as its creative leader, but, in alt-poppers Garbage, all four members are truly forces to be reckoned with.

Tunes and Tix: Queen of Americana meets British six string king

Being deemed “living history up close” can be seen as an insult to many a veteran artist, especially those who are still pursuing their crafts with dignity.

Tunes and Tix: Cohen’s brilliant 'Old Ideas'

In the popular music strata, only a small handful of artists have remained relevant as they cross their 70-year threshold.

Tunes and Tix: Unsung Heroes

Like sports, popular music has its share of legends and all-stars, and is also choc full of support players who don’t get the recognition but are as worthy of the household named greats they backed.

Hot Tuna still scorching

When it comes to rock and roll’s all-time great bassists, many names are regularly bandied about.

Outlaw in ascension

While its place as a driving force in the popular music strata shows no sign of weaning, the last few months have found mainstream country music in a particularly odd place.

Zevon’s life to be celebrated at Mayne Stage

One wonders what Warren Zevon would think – or better yet, what wry quip he would spin – on musical celebrations in honor of his life such as Androgynous Moustache’s “Warren Zevon Birthday Bash.”

New light on the Darkness

Brit rockers The Darkness may have wowed audiences in the early '00’s, but they would’ve easily been as much of a smash three decades earlier.

Tunes and Tix: Husker Du diligence

Nearly three decades of hindsight has only solidified Husker Du’s place as alt-rock pioneers and a template for the genre’s early '90s boom but, it can be argued, all of the kudos has been one-sided.

Still Wailin’ away

Depending on what side of the fence you are sitting on, the Wailers are either keeping the music of their former leader, Bob Marley, alive, or banking on his legacy.