What’s in a name? Well, for starters, a name gives you identity. It describes who you are. And for some, it even gives a glimpse at what’s inside. For recording artists, a name not only represents who you are as a group, but also as musicians. A name can either be so intriguing that you immediately want to hear more of what the band has to offer or it can completely turn you off. In the case of Los Angeles rockers Egodog, there’s a lot in name!

Not since the late Stevie Ray Vaughan has anyone burned up the blues like Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The “Tornado” from Shreveport, LA, who has, with his long blonde hair and Stratocaster in tow, rekindled blues in the 90s much like Clapton, Page and Beck did in the late 60s and 70s. With his own band, as well as the additional support of Double Trouble, Kenny Wayne simmers, steams and rocks the blues so as to attract a crowd of serious concert-going fanatics. His unadorned guitar lines alternately caress and blister, easily whipping the unassuming into a mass frenzy. His sophomore album, Trouble Is…, continues the high-octane deluge he started on Ledbetter Heights by echoing the influences of B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, all the while updating the blues for a new generation of guitar fans.

The 60s revolution was a failure. If it had succeeded, we’d be buying pre-rolled packs of “smokes” at the corner liquor store and consenting adults would give “free love” a whole new meaning. Spectacular failures, however, tend to have interesting and lasting implications. As a result, the 60s gave birth to civil rights, moral irresponsibility and Lenny Bruce. With the new millennium just on the horizon, the 90s have seen a resurgence of provocative influences. Madonna’s Erotica album and Sex book made sadomasochism vogue, while RuPaul and The Crying Game helped propel cross-dressing into a worldwide rage. But influence is measurable only by a person’s subjective perceptions.

Over the last 25 years, Aerosmith has definitely enjoyed the fruits of their labors. With over 70 million records sold world-wide, never-ending tours, video arcade games, a CD-ROM adventure game and a ground-breaking collaboration with rappers Run-DMC, the bad boys from Boston demonstrate that they are truly multi-dimensional. At the center of this onslaught are five totally dedicated musicians.

Various Rock Format Song Reviews - Queensrÿche, Hair Of The Dog, Our Lady Peace, Type O Negative

Reading through the history of INXS, one of Australia’s most prolific bands can be rather time consuming. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: Over 20 million records sold, tens of thousands of concerts, numerous hit songs, MTV awards, Brit awards and several Grammy nominations – all by the same six men over the last seventeen years!

In spite of all their success as a touring band and at Adult Rock Radio, Widespread Panic has been able to maintain a very down-to-earth philosophy: emphasizing heavy rhythms with often inspiring musicianship. Listening to their music, one can’t help but be swept into a musical sanctuary. “Our songs are like musical getaways. They provide a path for the music to take off by itself,” is how guitarist and vocalist John “J.B.” Bell describes it. Renowned for their intense live shows before S.R.O. crowds across the country, as well as a back catalog of albums that continue to sell well, Widespread Panic has earned the respect of fans and fellow musicians alike. Their newest offering, Bombs & Butterflies, captures the raw energy that has helped propel them into being one of America’s most compelling live bands. “The studio is very different from a live show. We’re still trying to capture a sense of power” adds J.B., “but it’s more like a polished poem instead of seeing somebody ranting and raving on the street.”

With all the diverse musical influences and genres that are streaming out of the left coast, down South and back East, growing up in the Midwest can sometimes be a little overwhelming. When it comes right down to it, except for the dynamic music scene prevalent in Chicago, there really hasn’t been an identifiable Midwest rock sound – until now.

For over 25 years, ZZ Top has been playing rock & roll with various shades of blues for fans around the world – sometimes, with raw street-corner passion and sometimes with the polished licks that modern technology can provide. Over the years, the only rule has been that there are no rules. Whichever direction the trio heads has been governed by its collective gut, rather than some sort of organized master plan. Drawing from mean rhythms, Rhythmeen is full of tough, funky grooves and gritty electric guitar stylings – music derived from the earthy blues of Elmore James and the forward-thinking adventurous grindings of Jimi Hendrix. Call it modern barroom music; ZZ Top mixes traditional sensibilities with the raw power and energy of a band that is still (or just now?) hitting its stride. It was from these humble beginnings that ZZ Top are able to do what they do best – play their own interpretation of this art form that some cal funk or Texas blues and yet others simply refer to as good ol’ rock & roll. No matter how you classify it, the rough and tumble nature of Rhythmeen is evident from the first guitar blast serving as a useful reminder that this little ol’ band from Texas can still produce a mighty large sound.

‘…band members wanted: Must be into the Beatles, Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds…‘ This ad, placed in Los Angeles The Recycler, a classified newspaper used to sell cars, pets, stereo equipment, etc., was the instrumental ingredient that helped launch the career of the then soon-to-be singer/guitarist for the Bengals – Susanna Hoffs. Combining an avant-garde mélange of pop and rock, the band was to become one of the most popular precursors of the “riot grrl” movement. Despite their success, the constant threat of being taken more seriously for their appearance than their music and over-exposure by FM radio and the video channels caused the Bengals to disband in 1989. Subsequently, Susanna Hoffs moved on to pursue a successful solo career as a singer as well as an actress.