Alternative Musick

Along with many alternative rock bands that emerged in the ‘90s, LIVE was one of the best. This Pennsylvania-based rock outfit led by Ed Kowalczyk (vocals, guitars), Chad Taylor (guitars), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), and Chad Gracey (drums). They are said to be disbanded after a two year hiatus and lawsuits against band mates. Their legacy started when the four original band members performed as a group at a talent show in their hometown. After the said performance, their group remained intact, as they played in gigs and clubs, playing songs from new wave bands of that time. Afterwards, they decided to make their own songs and release an EP entitled ‘The Death of a Dictionary.’ They used different names before they decided to use LIVE as their official band name. In 1992, they released a single ‘Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition),’ off their debut ‘Mental Jewelry’ which made its way to the rock charts. After that, their second album ‘Throwing Copper’ was a huge suc...

What will happen when you put Soundgarden vocalist/guitarist Chris Cornell and Rage Against The Machine’s guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk together in a band? It is called a formation of a superband called Audioslave. Since its inception in 2001 and its untimely disbandment in 2007, the band has been the apple of the eye of critics, with balanced doses of positive and negative comments came their way. However, the best part about all the ruckuses is the fact that the band proved everyone that Audioslave is a different band; Audioslave is not a fusion of two bands but a single and different entity. The secret to Audioslave’s own musical style is the fusion of old school rock and alternative rock, mixing it all together with their own influences and musical styles to come up with an exceptional sound only they can come up with. However, some critics say that they still sound a bit like Rage Against The Machine due to the guitar playing styl...

He was the Oscar nominated composer who wrote the haunting song for the movie 'Good Will Hunting.' He was also the one who trashed his performances due to his alcoholism and drug addiction. He was also the one who allegedly took his own life because of severe depression and mental instability caused by drug abuse. He is none other than Steven Paul 'Elliott' Smith. He was born in Nebraska but he spent most of his life in Portland. He was a renowned musician, as he was very skillful in playing different kinds of instruments such as harmonica, drums, acoustic and bass guitars, piano, keyboard, and clarinet. Before he started focusing on his solo career, he started an alternative rock band in Oregon named Heatmiser together with close friend and classmate Neil Gust. The band recorded and released three albums and an EP. Smith was also working on his solo project during his stint in Heatmiser. However, the steadfast growth in his solo career's popularity caused p...

There is a band that many people may not know – but I sure know this band very well. They have influenced my taste in music in such a way that I can’t explain. This Florida-based alternative rock band has made several critically-acclaimed albums and gained many fans because of their distinct sound and heartfelt lyrics, delivered by a genius songwriter named Aaron Marsh. This band is known as Copeland . Marsh, together with his long time friend and bandmate James Likeness (bassist), started out as an indie rock group back in 2001. After several band member changes, the band have decided to stick with Bryan Laurenson (guitars), Stephen Laurenson (guitars), and Jonathan Bucklew (drums). This move has been very instrumental as it made their sound very unique. Copeland released their first album titled ‘Beneath Medicine Tree’ after they have signed a recording deal with The Militia Group (an indie record label), which was released in 2003. The theme of this album was said to be ...

Many music lovers and alternative rock junkies might be aware of this band. The group responsible for creating ' Mr. Brightside ,' The Killers is the band from Nevada led by Brandon Flowers on lead vocals/keyboards, Mark Stoermer on bass, and Dave Keuning on guitars, with Ronnie Vannucci Jr. on drums. The name of the band was from a music video titled 'Crystal' by New Order, which was one of their early influences. The word 'The Killers' can be seen at the bass drum of a fictional band on the said video. The band was formed in 2002, after Flowers decided not to go with his bandmates at Blush Response, a synthpop group, as they moved to California. He chose to form his own rock group after he saw Brit rock icons Oasis at a performance. Afterwards, Flowers talked to Keuning after he saw an advertisement that the latter posted in the local newspaper. Additionally, the two other band members was added to the group and they started rehearsing some of t...

If you ask some of the Indie pop/rock bands of today who their influences are, the band The Smiths will most likely come up. Ever wonder why? This is because they are one of the most influential bands of the ‘80s. Beg to differ? You cannot argue with success. They are the group that has influenced many indie bands of recent years and some of mainstream rock acts such as Belle and Sebastian, Modest Mouse, Oasis, Cranberries, Blur, and Suede. The band consists of Morrissey on vocals, Johnny Marr on guitars, Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums. According to many music historians, critics, and reviewers, The Smiths is the best thing that came out of the British music scene in the ‘80s. During their stint, most of the songs were created by the tandem of Morrissey and Marr. Rourke and Joyce were mere musicians and did not contribute much to the creation of songs; they only served as musicians to complete the overall sound of the band, which is not a bad thing. Their soun...