Latest rock pick list, as always running the gambit of styles. Influences from the 70’s, 80’s 90’s 2000’s and today. So much fun putting these playlists together. Start receiving these directly by joining the website.
Listen to/Watch all the songs featured on this pick list on this YouTube Playlist.
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SHALLOW SIDE Stand Up
Alabama foursome who have endured a lot of pitfalls and setbacks in their fledgling career. Currently starting to make inroads on the Rock airplay chart with “Can You Hear Me?”
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WE ARE VESSEL Can You Hear Me?
Another song with the same title from neighboring Georgia’s Christian Rock outfit. This one is from 2014. “Holding On” and “The Broken One” are their most recent singles.
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CLANG BOOM STEAM Fort Saint Gabriel
I picked up this guy while Ubering the other day. He was in Boston for his brother’s wedding. Very Nick Cave-esque British indie rock.
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CALL IT OFF Scream Your Heart Out
Netherlands band born out of the Green Day playbook released their second album “Abandoned” in January.
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CREEPER Black Rain/Black Mass
AGAINST ME Transgender Dysphoria Blues
UK’s horror punk band formed in 2014 and released a series of EP’s between 14-16 and just released their first full length album “Eternity, In Your Arms”. “Black Mass” reminds me of Against Me, whose “I Was A Teenage Anarchist” was a #1 song for me back in 2010. Led by Laura Jane Grace, formerly Tom Gabel, who addresses her transition on last year’s ‘Blues’ from the aptly titled album “Shape Shift With Me”.
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THRICE Hurricane
California band led by Dustin Kensrue released their first album in 2000. They straddle the fence of Christian music based on the many Biblical references in their lyrics. 7 of their 9 albums have reached the Billboard top 50 and their single “Black Honey” from 2016 was their highest charting rock single, reaching #11 and their first charting single since 2005.
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BLACK MIRRORS Funky Queen
VUKOVI La Di Da
Two hard edged yet melodic female fronted bands from Belgium and Scotland respectively. ‘Queen’ sounds like it would fit into the rock radio landscape next to Halestorm and Pretty Reckless but with it’s own voice. I can easily see it as a Rock top 10. Vukovi describe themselves as noisy pop rock so decidedly more fun than Mirrors.
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JON STEVENS Hold On
This New Zealand native started his career as a teen idol in his homeland and had 3 top 5 singles i 1979-80. After that he went on to lead the Australian band Noiseworks from 1986 to 1992 and had a number of big songs on my perosnal chart including the #1 song “No Lies”. He also starred as Judas in the Australian production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and took over lead vocals for INXS in the early half of the 2000’s after the untimely death of Michael Hutchence in 1997.
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JIMMY BARNES Hard Working Woman
It’s seems a perfect transition to talk about another big voice from down under. The Scottish born singer-songwriter is a superstar in his Aussie homeland and his most recent album, last year’s “Soul Searchin'” hit #1 there, his 9th solo album to do so. Before his solo career started in 1984 he was the lead singer of the pub rock band Cold Chisel for a decade. He had a number of big personal chart hits for me including “No Second Prize”.
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AIRBOURNE Never Been Rocked Like This
If you like your Aussie pub rock more like AC/DC then this band might be for you. They’ve released 4 albums since 2007 including last year’s “Breakin’ Outta Hell”.
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BLACK STONE CHERRY Cheaper To Drink Alone
BLEEKER Where’s Your Money?
BASEMENT Promise Everything
ROYAL BLOOD Lights Out
COVER YOUR TRACKS Striking Matches
5 songs that are just starting to receive airplay in the U.S. and Canada. Black Stone Cherry always sound best when they don’t veer to far from their Southern Rock origins. The Kentucky band had #1 on my chart in 2011 with “In My Blood”.
Canada’s Bleeker is following the success of “Highway”, which recently reached #15 on my chart, with this new single. The video mix upgrades the song for me and it will debut high on my chart this week. They also do a cover of Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio”.