Heart helped to break important ground for the wave of female artists and bands who followed in the wake of their success. But at the core of the Seattle-bred group’s beginnings, it was all about the music. “When we started out, [it] was not a gender-specific story,” Nancy Wilson shares in the latest episode of […]
Elvis Costello understands great songwriting, and he sees a similar trait between the works of two other acclaimed artists: Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift. During an appearance on the Rockonteurs podcast, Costello discussed his 1986 LP King of America. The album was a notable departure for the English rocker, as he delved into folk, country, […]
The albums covered in UCR’s review section include new releases by legacy bands, reissues of classic albums by some of the genre’s biggest names and, occasionally, records by more recent artists we think are worth hearing. Below are highlights from more than two dozen albums reviewed by UCR during 2024, listed chronologically – from January’s Green Day release […]
Jethro Tull singer and flutist Ian Anderson makes a guest appearance on Opeth’s new song “§4.” The track – featured on Opeth’s new album, The Last Will and Testament – runs more than seven minutes in length and includes a flute part and spoken word vocals from Anderson. In a press release, Opteh frontman Mikael […]
Mike Pinera, the singer and guitarist who wrote the 1970 hit “Ride Captain Ride” for his band Blues Image, died on Nov. 20 at the age of 76. Local news outlet the St. Pete Catalyst confirmed his passing at home in Tampa, Florida, after a long illness. Blues Image added Latin rhythms to their heavy […]
Sammy Hagar shed light on the schism between him and Alex Van Halen, telling Rolling Stone that he “want[s] to be friends” with his former bandmate even if they don’t play music together again. “It’s on my bucket list that I will not take this to my grave, and I don’t want Al taking it […]
It’s been a fruitful year for music books. For fans of memoirs, a few highly anticipated releases arrived via Cher and Alex Van Halen, not to mention Chris Stein, Kathleen Hanna and Michael McDonald. Not that it was an easy process for those people. “It was a bitch,” Cher freely admitted on The Tonight Show in […]
Alice Brock, the woman who gave Arlo Guthrie’s classic Thanksgiving tune “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” its name, has died at the age of 83. It was Thanksgiving 1965 when Guthrie, then just 18-years-old, visited Brock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She and her husband were converting an old church into a home, and Guthrie and his friend […]
Lou Gramm has thrown cold water and the possibility of a reunion with Foreigner during the band’s 2025 tour. When Foreigner announced they were extending their farewell trek into next year, they hinted that Gramm may be involved. During a recent conversation with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, the singer gave insight into the conversations he’s had […]
Early Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di’Anno was buried today in London, as his long-time manager offered a heartfelt farewell. “Let’s raise a glass for the last time for Paul Di’Anno,” said Stjepan Juras, who shared the below image approved by Di’Anno’s family of his cross-laden casket. Di’Anno died on Oct. 21. Juras had already revealed […]