Rock Music - Thrilling and Entertaining

Rock is an exciting and highly admired genre of popular music which mainly appeals to the young generation. This extremely famous form has attained great recognition and adulation amongst the music lovers for several decades. The most admirable aspect of this genre is its variety and unique style. This form uses several high tech instruments which give an attractive and interesting appeal to it. The instruments like synthesizers, mouth organ and piano etc are used while playing the melodies. Rock is the modern and advanced form of music that is comparatively faster and louder than the conventional genres like classic and folk. It gives the artists a liberty to experiment with variety of styles and express themselves with freedom. The soul of rock is the rock band or the group of musicians and singers who collectively play the songs.

The youth is simply crazy for this form of music; they are ardent fans of the various rock stars. The rock albums take you through the various aspects and emotions of life. The words of the songs simply enthrall the senses and thrill the listeners. In this kind of music the prominent vocal melody is accompanied with hard instruments like drums, brass and guitar etc, along with the mellotrans and other keyboard instruments.

Some rock bands also use the conventional instruments like harmonica, melodica, banjo etc. Some highly creative artists have experimented a lot with the less known instruments like sitar and mandolin. This gave their songs a completely different appeal.

Rock music evolved around 1940's and 1950's. This genre is highly influenced by the country music and blues which were very popular around that time. This style was basically a blue-based song with fast and peppy dance tracks. One can find the classic albums on various online music stores. You can search top rock music albums on the internet.

The rock reached great heights with several amazing rock stars that awed the audiences with amazing performances. Elvis Presley is the most admired and popular artist in the world of rock; his astounding style, classic dance movements and incredible songs entertained the music lovers. The Beetles is the most famous and highly applauded rock band. They had the most numbers of the chart topping hits.

Eventually by the late 1960's the various rock bands emerged which were famous amongst the music lovers at that time. The bands from United States and Britain gained immense popularity. Some of the most famous bands were Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Queen and Judas Priest.

By the 1980 the glam metal genre made waves in the rock music world. Bon Jovi, New York Dolls, Sweet, Guns and Roses, Twisted Sister and Kiss were the several most popular artistes of the 1980's. In the 1990's Rock soared new heights with emergence of some highly commendable forms like Grunge. This popular genre was associated with the fusion of various elements like hardcore punk and heavy metal sound to give amazingly enthralling melodies. The lyrics of the songs focused on the themes of social concern like entrapment and alienation. The Grudge had heavy and loud tunes with extensive use of guitar and fuzz. Several famous bands like Alice in Chains, Candlebox and Soundgarden, gained a wide audience applause and appreciation.

The Britpop and Indie Pop were few forms that gained immense adulation in the 1990's. In the 2000 several new styles of pop gained recognition and flourished with great adulation. Garage rock, Emo and Metal core are the most admired sub genres of rock. Various rock bands like the White Stripes, The Vines and The Strokes came with some thrilling and happening albums. These are very famous CD rock music hits.

With the emergence of MTV rock gained immense hype and recognition. Internet further enhanced the growth of this unique genre. The highly popular rock music CDs are available on the internet, you can easily find your favourite DVD for rock music on various websites.

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Rock Music Has Many Genres

Rock music is a popular from of music that is accompanied by instruments like drums, guitar and bass. Rock music in itself has many styles that were incorporated by musicians who loved this music. One can come across rock music where instruments like synthesizers, piano and organ is also used. Rock music began in the early fifties in United States and the United Kingdom and like all popular music has it own loyal fan following. Rock music was subsequently mixed with many other elements of music to give their own touch to rock music. Rock song subsequently over the years had many new genres added in its fold.

So in 1970s jazz was blended with rock to create jazz rock music, and then it was blended with folk music resulting in folk rock and later Latin, soul and funk music also had its influences on rock music at times. Today we have different categories under rock music and some of the popular ones are heavy metal rock, progressive rock, blues rock, soft rock, punk rock and techno rock among others. In the 1980's and 1990's many new additional genres of rock music such as Brit pop rock, Indie rock, alternative rock, hard rock and grunge style rock were introduced. The United Kingdom is another country where rock country flourished and British rock is also as famous as American rock music all over the world.

One of the greatest rock music band The Beatles is from Britain and they are famous worldwide for their songs and rock music. Through 1970 Pink Floyd was the most influential band in the rock music scene. This group had four artists and all of them were from Britain. The kind of rock music that Pink Floyd was sang was known as psychedelic rock. The folk scene combined with rock gave the new term folk rock. Here all the traditional songs were combined with the instruments that were traditionally associated with rock music. This genre of music was pioneered by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. Some of the other popular rock folk rock music artists include Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and The Band.

Progressive rock is one genre of rock music which went beyond the established musical norms and was more experimental in nature. Singers and musicians that were associated with this genre loved to experiment with different types of instruments, beats, musical forms of type of songs. Bands that played progressive rock music borrowed elements from jazz, folk, electronic and classical music to experiment with rock that turned out to be very successful. Some of the bands that were into singing progressive rock included Camel, Can, Barclay James Harvest, King Crimson, Magma and Yes among many others. Music be it of any kind rock music, house music, gospel music, folk music or country music each has its own touch and of course its own group of loyal followers.

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Country Western Music Is The Perfect Blend Of Two Regional Styles

A song can be the window to your heart and kind of music you like could very well map out your personality. But again there are many of us who do not stick to particular genre of music and have a taste that ranges across barriers of the land. Music indeed can be the perfect string that ties people of different country, religion and culture in a warm bond. Country Western music is one such genre that has evolved as a result of merging together of two regional styles that were born in America. The Southeast region had a unique style (country music) and so had the Southwest and West (western music). The two styles were merged together around the 1920's and were further consolidated as a result of the musicians of both styles mixing with each other during service in World War II.

The music lovers across the globe can get best of both the worlds through the form of Country Western music which has adapted the best points from both country and western music. The main distinguishing factor between the two styles is that country music is much simpler and stresses on the use of few instruments like the guitar, fiddle, banjo and harmonica. The Southwest style depends more on steel guitars and big bands, distinguished by a strong rhythm section, usually including double bass and drums with the tempo varying from medium to fast. Country Western music has managed to absorb the attractive aspects of the styles and emerge as a genre that has touched the heartstrings of millions of music lovers across the world.

The origin of the country western music is from folk songs, ballads and traditional music of the Scottish, English and Irish settlers with modern lyrics that describe and depict the story of the rural and urban-poor whites. The rural African-American like the Jazz and Blues has also left an impression on this particular style of music. The country western music has also played a significant role in the development of rock music. Over the last five decades or so, the genre of country western music has gained a worldwide audience. Bluegrass is also a style of this kind of country western music that is distinguished by each instrument like the fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin and upright bass taking a turn and improvising on it while the other instruments revert to backing. Bluegrass is also distinctively acoustic and rarely relies on electric instruments.

Country western music also has traces and influence of Celtic music, Gospel music, Hokum and North American old-time music. Country music in itself has produced two of the top selling solo artistes of all times - 'The King' Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks. Country western music has again undergone a revival phase with the influx of performers such as Tanya tucker, The Judds, Ricky Scaggs and Reba McEntire who have gained tremendous popularity. So music lovers across the world are in for treat with the revival of this popular genre that is country western music.

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Rock Music - The Popular Type of Music

Rock music is a well accepted form of music, which is a combination of drums, guitars and bass. This music uses keyboard instruments like piano, synthesisers, organ, etc. There is a band of musicians who focus only on rock music and they are called rock band. Rock music is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. Hard rock is specially liked by the western youth.

Today, people are crazy about music. They want to listen their favourite music whenever they have leisure time. Music is created to give you pleasure. The fascinating world of music lets you enjoy music in one form or other. There are various types of music these days: pop music, folk music, jazz music and rock music. All these type of music are enjoyable to hear. The songs take you through different emotions. Rock music is loud and fast than anything you've heard before.

In 1960, British and American rock bands became popular. Bands like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Queen, Black Sabbath, etc. are some of the famous bands. In 1980,the genre that was quite popular was glam metal. The various artists like Twisted Sister, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Queen, Kiss, Sweet and the New York Dolls were the artists of 1980's.

This type of music became popular in the 1950s in America and Europe. This famous music is mainly based on older musical styles like the rhythm and blues music originated by African American performers such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The music has a heavy focus on guitar, drums and powerful vocals. The most popular artist of rock music in the early days was Elvis Presley. His dance and powerful music can surprise anyone. "The Beatles" became successful in the 1960's. This group was inspired by Blues and rhythm.

Rock music is evolving itself and coming in a variety of styles. Other music forms like heavy metal are also a form of rock music. Some of the heavy metal bands include Metallic and Megadeth. Rock music comes in a wide range of forms like soft pop and heavy metal. This "Rock 'N Roll" type of music became popular in 1950s and 1960s. This new sound came from many musical styles.

In the initial days, this music was admired only in small clubs and on radio. Afterwards, it became famous with the programs like American Bandstand. Then, people could view their favourite bands on the television. Many people criticised about this type of music as they did not like the loud and fast lyrics.

Rock music began with jazz music, blues tunes, etc. It also featured electrically amplified guitars, drummers and harmonicas. By the mid-1950, performers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Joe Turner became famous with the white audiences. Radio disc jockeys named this music rock 'n roll.

One of the best musical album, "Sticks and Stones" has everything from fun to catchy guitar riffs. It covers a range of emotions and depicts the depth of their talent. The album grabs attention with the song "Cathedral.". The catchy rock beat combines with a variety of instrumentation. The title track "Sticks and Stones" is also worth listening. The hard to resist lyrics would make your day. The instrumental track "ZOZ" is a classic jam track with brilliant double guitar interface. Another noteworthy feature of this track is the striking beats. Another beautiful track is "All Roads Lead to Home". This track shows the fast and catchy style of the band. Lastly, there is a song that most college students can appreciate. "Raise a Glass", an old Irish folk song has people singing along in the background. The album is a mixture of a broad variety of the music in the history of rock. This rock album is definitely worth listening and deserves a space on your iPod.

You can find a variety of rock music videos online and find the top tracks in the rock music charts. Don't wait, just browse the internet to get your favourite rock

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Want to Know About What Bands Rocked the 90s? Bang Your Head to These!

Ever since the invention of the genre, rock music has always embodied rebellion and youthful energy. There are few other styles of music that are bolder, more militant and more energetic than rock music. And everyone from Elvis Presley's pelvis to Bob Dylan's poetry has changed the world in its own way. The nineties has also had its share of rocking rebels. From the aggressive advent of rap-rock and nu metal to the brash, unwashed and unapologetic style of grunge, the 90s was a rocking battleground and these were some of its most powerful warriors.

- Limp Bizkit: You can love them for their energy or hate them for accusations of selling out but undoubtedly Limp Bizkit became a household name in the late 90s. With the hits 'Nookie', 'Break Stuff', and 'Rollin'', Limp Bizkit ruled the charts with an iron fist. And admit it, you wore your red cap backwards for a few months, didn't you?

- Matchbox 20: The landscape of rock was never the same after the hit single 'Push'. Rob Thomas and his crew of rowdy rockers named after a nagging habit have been releasing smash hits for more than a decade now. Their combination of soulful songwriting and catchy alternative rock tunes have propelled them to the top and have helped them to stay there.

- Rage Against The Machine: If you thought that loud music was all about decadence and over the top sexual behavior, you haven't listened to Rage Against The Machine. Their lyrical output matches the aggressive delivery of their frontman, Zack de la Rocha. Politics, militancy, protest and leftist sympathies fill the song sheets of this band. This group embodied the rage and righteous anger of an entire generation milked by dirty capitalism and corrupt bureaucracies.

These are just a few of the bands that ruled loud and proud in the 90s. If you want to know the others who made the list, especially the one band that topped the list, go to: http://crunkish.com/top-ten-90s-rock-bands/

Download Rock Music

There are a number of websites that offer free and paid audio and video rock music downloads. Artistdirect.com was launched in 1994, and soon became one of the most popular online music destinations. Today, Artistdirect.com, Inc. operates the Artistdirect.com network, which averages 13 million visitors and 272 million page views per month. It offers free audio and video streams and downloads, up-to-the-minute music news, an online store, ringtones, ticket sales, album reviews and more. The section on Rock Music features various sub-genres including 1950's Rock, 1960's Rock, 1970's Rock, 1980's Rock, 1990's Rock, 2000's Rock, British Invasion, British Metal, British Psychedelia, Death Metal, Folk Rock, Freakbeat, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Hair Metal, Jam Bands, Kraut Rock, Mod Revival, Neo-Psychedelia, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Proto Punk, Psychedelic Rock, Pub Rock, Rap Metal, Rockabilly, Skiffle, Soft Rock, Southern Rock, and Speed Metal.

The sectionz.com network is a rock music aficionado's destination to download rock music on the Internet. The website provides an exciting network for rock music fans and musicians to share their music, learn from their peers, and listen to the works from a number of artists. This is geared more towards aspiring rock musicians rather than rock fans.

The Yahoo! Music Engine can be downloaded on to a personal computer in less than a minute on a broadband connection. Thereafter, rock music fans can import music from their desktop or CDs; the system will identify and import files. Listen to your own collection or choose from a number of radio stations. Buy downloads and share song samples with friends. Else, transfer downloads to portable devices. System Requirements include Microsoft Windows XP or 2000; Internet Explorer 6.0+; Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher; Pentium III 300 MHz processor; 128MB RAM; and Broadband connection for streaming and buying music.

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Why is Christian Rock Music So Popular?

"Christian Rock", a title often scoffed at by traditional rock artists, enthusiasts & critics alike is gaining popularity and stamping its place as a sort after genre for the young generation of head-banging, mosh-pitting gurus! Didn't Christian rock die a couple of years ago, you ask? Christian rock music is growing faster than ever before with Daily News of Christian Rock Music, new artists & albums streaming across the Internet and pumping the airways continuously every day. So where did this God Rock come from? I mean this is new right?

This type of rock music wasn't around 20 years ago, was it? Well I didn't think so until recently, the reality is Christian music or should I say Christian rock music has been around apparently from the dawn of creation! So why seeing it today all the time? Where were they hiding and what happened to the voice of damnation for those participating in anything other than a church hymn or Sunday school choir? Well the chastity belt of today's Christian rock is alive and well. There are many religious organizations who oppose this form of music, I will talk more about this opposition later.

Most Christians are in favor of this "movement" feeling that Christian rock music is another way to reach people with the importance of the Christian faith. So why the controversy?, what is so different about Non-Christian rock music in comparison to Christian rock? Many have asked this question and instead of quoting Mr. Bob Dylan "the answer is blowing in the wind", I thought I would look into this more closely and check out the facts and see why there is so much "opposition" to the sounds of "thumping grace". After reviewing many rock & heavy metal music bands and performances and then compared them to their Christian counterparts, I did see differences but not many! The stage performance was very similar with the exception of Non-Christian heavy metal revealing more of a dark or sadistic side at times in general there was little if any change in production or presentation from Christian rock to standard or Non-Christian music. The only real difference I could find was the lyrical content, with Christian rock music quoting words from the Bible and preaching family values.

So why was Christian rock music inward for so many years, seemingly hiding in the shadows from more conservative members of the Christian community? Well apparently they weren't seeking refuge in some dark cave at all, it's just that I like many people didn't even know they were around back then! Good old fashioned Christian rock bands like Petra, Stryper, Bloodgood, Whitecross and Tourniquet have been rocking Christians and secular music lovers alike for generations.

The voice of rock damnation is still screaming louder than ever in some Christian circles although seemingly falling on deaf ears of a Christian Rocker community that grows bigger every day. Who opposes this Christian liberation? Who else but other Christians! It seems some segments of who have not advanced to modern day sounds are Bible bashing these Christian rock music enthusiasts with eternal consequences for their "lack of understanding". The most dramatic example I came across was the seventh day adventist (SDA) church who proclaim that Christian rock music is quote "Devil music". The SDA church preach that all rock music has the "beat of the devil" borrowed from primitive heathen rituals, beating in time with the body's "natural rhythms". I found it hard to understand that anyone could think this way at first, but indeed it is true and they are very serious about stamping out any and all rock music, or anything for that matter that has a drum beat!

Sam J Wilkinson works as a volunteer webmaster of the Christian Rock Music Site [http://www.ColdandUgly.net], which has the latest information about the Christian Rock industry, as well as other Christian music scene news & events.

Heavy Metal Rock Is Still Alive And Well

Even if heavy metal is seen by many people as evil and destructive it is still very popular among young and old. It is pretty obvious that the thing teenagers today (and yesterday and tomorrow) are crazy about is music. Of all the musical genres the one with probably the most enthusiastic fans has to be heavy metal and all the hundreds of sub-categories, whether it is classic hard rock or grindcore.

Discordant heavy metal music struck a chord with many teenagers during the late '70s and '80s. The loud, fast, guitar-driven music has since languished commercially as successive generations have chosen newer soundtracks to fuel their rebellion against the establishment. Many of the original fans, however, never moved on, even as they aged, started careers, got married and had children of their own.

"If you're seeing a 40-year-old at a concert, you're quite sure at 18 you know what kind of music he was into. For so many people the music of the most emotional point of their lives is a touchstone that they return to for the rest of their lives, there keeping their own youth alive.

Heavy metal fans wear their passion on more than just the sleeves of skull T-shirts and black leather jackets. For many of them, the music--louder and faster than anything heard before--became a way of life. The mostly white, mostly male and mostly middle-class listeners found a feeling of power over their parents, over their teachers, over the jocks at school that treated them as outcasts.

Metalheads, or headbangers, as they called themselves, built up a community linked through underground tape swapping networks and conversations about Metallica lyrics while camping out on line for concert tickets.

A second wave of British and American rock bands became popular during the late 1960s to the 1970s, with groups that were more steeped in American blues music than their more pop-oriented predecessors. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Status Quo, Aerosmith, Queen, Black Sabbath, and Uriah Heep played highly amplified, guitar-driven hard rock that would come to be known as heavy metal. Heavy metal languished into obscurity in the late 1970s. A few bands including Kiss, Queen, Black Sabbath,AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith maintained large followings and there were occasional mainstream hits such as Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". Music critics overwhelmingly disliked the genre. This began to change in 1978 following the release of Van Halen's eponymous, self-titled debut album. The album helped to usher in an era of high-energy rock and roll, based out of Los Angeles, California.

One genre that was widely popular in the 1980s (c.1983) was glam metal. Taking influence from various artists such as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Queen, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, (all but Queen would eventually play glam metal at some point in the 80s), Sweet and the New York Dolls. The earliest glam metal bands to gain notability included: Mötley Crüe, W.A.S.P. and Ratt. They became known for their debauched lifestyles, teased hair and use of make-up and clothing. Their songs were bombastic and often defiantly macho, with lyrics focused on sex, drinking, drugs, and the occult.

By the mid 1980s, a formula developed in which a glam metal band had two hits -- one a "power ballad" (slow-dance tempo, with soft verses and bombastic anthemic choruses), and the other a hard-rocking anthem. In 1987 a second wave of glam metal acts, sometimes referred to as sleaze rock, emerged including L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat.

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Alternative Rock: Fiercely Iconoclastic, Anti-Commercial, Motivational Music

Music is the rhythm of life and possesses the power to revive stale heart, mind and soul. Music has that great power of expression of an artist's mind, his zeal, emotions and vivacity. Music can make the blood flow in opposite direction and that is why music plays a vital role in nurturing revolution by providing great motivation. Alternative rock is also that precious stone picked up from the sea of innovation. Alternative rock is essentially an umbrella term for underground music that has emerged in the wake of the punk rock movement since the mid 1980s. Throughout its history, alternative rock has been largely defined by its rejection of the commercialism of mainstream culture. The music now known as alternative rock was known by a variety of terms before "alternative" came into common use. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe this awesome music during the 1980s due to its links to the college radio circuit and the tastes of college students.

In the United Kingdom the term "Indie" was preferred; by 1985 the term "Indie" had come to mean a particular genre, or group of subgenres, rather than a simple demarcation of status. As a musical genre, alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have grown from the indie music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, Britpop, Gothic rock, and Indie pop. These genres are unified by their collective debt to the style and/or ethos of punk, which laid the groundwork for alternative music in the 1970s. Alternative bands in previous times used to play in small clubs, at that time there was no advertising medium so it was advertised through world of mouth as a result alternative rock became popular among youth. Alternative rock does not have any particular musical style but many performers have made up their own style by including distorted guitars. Sounds range from the dirty guitars of grunge and the gloomy sound scales of gothic rock is the specialty of alternative rock.

Lyrics in alternative rock songs typically address issues concerned with society such as drugs, depression and environment. Alternative rock has that approach that can awake youth and can make them realize their potential. Alternative rock performers differentiate themselves from their traditional rock predecessors as they want to sing it for a greater diversity and experimentation in music. Alternative rock performers produce catchy as well as motivational music. Though their music--with its emphasis on distorted guitars and ambiguous lyrics doesn't suit to commercialize society. Expressions explained by alternative rock songs are 3-4 minutes long, with catchy riffs and steady beats. Alternative rock aims to reach out to a new generation of youth with high energy, melodic music which spoke to contemporary social issues.

Defining music as "alternative" is often difficult because of the application of the word alternative. On one hand alternative describes challenging music that protest commercialization and mainstream values. On the other hand alternative word is used by music industry to mention available options. Whatever the meaning that word carries out, but the fact is that the alternative rock is exactly what present youth need to get motivated.

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The Beginning of Thrash Metal

Thrash metal is another genre of the metal music community. Metal with fast drum beats, guitar riffs and aggressive vocals is known as thrash metal. Having fast guitars, lots of distortion and loud singing is included in this genre. This genre was created by 4 different bands know as "The Big Four." The four bands that fit into this group are Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer. All of these bands are spin offs of British heavy metal which began the revolution of the genre thrash metal.

In the late 70's and early 80's there was series of popularity of British heavy metal music. Giving a hardcore metal or punk rock a more extreme vocal and a faster beat gives you the foundation of thrash metal music. This music introduced more distortion and bass, complex riffs and solos and more double kick bass drum and loud vocals.

Most songs played long introductions, high speed complex solos and long endings. The technique of high speed solos was called shredding. Shredding is a way to play notes quickly during your solos. Using techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs. For the metal community and having these new styles being played was a great movement for the typical styles.

It broke wide open in 1984 when Metallica, Anthrax, Overkill and Slayer all released top selling albums. All of these different bands brought something new to trash metal, usually competing in making the heaviest and fastest music. This began a new world in the metal community and opened the doors as a recognizable metal genre.

Through a couple of decades and into the 90's there was a small change in the music and in the bands. With bands changing their style of music and new age bands coming in, there was a change in thrash metal. Band slowing down and changing their styles brought Metallica's release of "Load" and "Reload." These two albums were more of a hard rock than a thrash metal. Not only did Metallica take a different route with their music, so did Megadeth. Megadeth's album "Countdown to Extinction" was a different style than their earlier releases.

To the year 2000 thrash metal isn't as popular as it was in the early 80's. There are still bands that make their mark in metal, Municipal Waste, Gama Bomb and Evile are to name a few. With a few handfuls of bands, "The Big Four" still lead the way for sales and tours for the thrash metal community. With popularity falling, it still isn't going anywhere anytime soon with "The Big Four" still rocking.

If your looking for more information about Metal Music Bands visit Metal Call-Out. Or come post on our Ultimate Metal Forum.

John Bonham - The World's First Heavy Metal Drummer

John Bonham was one of the world's most influential drummers, especially in the genre of hard rock and heavy metal. He was born in England in 1948, and from an early age he began banging on pots and pans, boxes, anything with a flat surface that would let him imitate the jazz and big band drummers who inspired him. He spent his teenage years working construction with his father and searching for bands to play with. This was how he ran into Robert Plant for the first time, and although the two only performed together in the same group for a brief time, they kept in touch throughout the years.

Bonham got his big break at the age of 20, when that same Robert Plant called him up to ask him if he was interested in joining a band that noted guitarist Jimmy Page was putting together. Bonham, or 'Bonzo' to his friends answered in the affirmative and history was made. With the addition of John Paul Jones, the lineup for Led Zeppelin was set.

Many musicologists and modern drummers agree that John Bonham was an absolute master of his instrument. He hit the drum skins very hard, and used extremely thick drum sticks. These sticks could be used to batter out the most brutal rhythm, or become incredibly agile to tap out a gentle sound no louder than that of the falling rain. He was famous for creating a groove where the drum sound seemed to occur just behind the beat, instead of hitting it exactly in the middle as was the tradition for rock drummers in his day. This playing style match very well the both Jones and Page, and Bonham was able to incorporate many complex drum patterns and fills into songs that most drummers wouldn't even attempt during a solo.

As was the case with so many rock stars in the 1970's, John Bonham was plagued by the demons of substance abuse, particularly alcohol. A great fan of automobiles, he also had rotten luck with them due to his drinking, and his hard partying had gotten completely out of control. On a typical morning for him in September of 1980, Bonham began his day with an extremely large amount of alcohol before being driven to and from tour rehearsals. He was left at home to 'sleep it off', and when Jones and the band's tour manager found him the next morning, he had choked to death in his sleep, a victim of the day's excessive drinking.

Bonham's tombstone to this day covered with respectfully stacked drum sticks left by those who have come to pay their respect. He is survived by a son and daughter, and his son Jason has become an excellent drummer in his own right.

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Modern Cello Music

The cello is the 3rd largest instrument in the modern violin family, after the violin and the viola. Its range is the most similar to the human voice, and for that reason is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and expressive instruments. It has a place in modern music today, but is still largely viewed as a classical instrument.

Cello's can be found in virtually every genre of modern day music. They have found their way into rock and pop arrangements, jazz, blues folk, indie, and even hip hop. Despite the presence of the cello in these genres, the instrument is still relatively obscure, and there are very few cellists that are prominently at the forefront of any modern musical genre.

Why is this?

The technique that most cellists learn is rooted in a long history of classical tradition. Because the instrument is very old, there is a long established tradition of 'proper' technique. Technique is very important because of the complexity, and relative difficulty of playing the instrument. The cello is bowed, and it is relatively difficult to produce notes with a bow, as opposed to picking a guitar, or hitting a note on the piano. Furthermore, the technique that is taught to cellists to play classical music is not necessarily conducive to the style that is used in modern music.

Rock and roll and hip hop, and most other styles of popular modern music have their roots in Jazz and blues of the late 19th and early 20th century. Rock and roll adapted blues structures to create something very different from the classical western tradition of composition and style. Rock was borne out of a spirit of rebellion and youthful anti-establishment sentiments. The electric guitar is a key element to this, because of the sheer volume of sound that it can create, but also the style of music that it allows. The guitar was originally a classical instrument, but the electric guitar gave guitarists an entirely new realm to explore. The style of playing that rock guitarists use is much different from the 'proper technique' that classical guitarists use.

Similarly, modern cello music employs different styles of playing that aren't taught in the classical tradition. The techniques used are adapted from similar roots, employing slaps and bends that are found in blues and jazz music. Pizzicato bass lines and percussive slaps allow the cello to sound very similar to a stand-up bass found in jazz. Brief arco-glissando's can be employed to sound very similar to the guitar bend technique, which is used to slide into the correct note from a lower note.

One of the last major hurdles to overcome for the adoption of the cello in present day music is singing and playing. The guitar is very widely used as an accompaniment to a singer. Singers that play guitar can play chord progressions to accompany the melody they sing. This is largely possible due to the frets on a guitar. Frets are the horizontal pieces of metal on a guitar neck that ensure that notes are played in tune. The guitarist must simply press his or her finger against the string behind the desired fret and the instrument will produce the right note, as long as it's in tune. The cello however leaves a lot more room for error. Without frets, the cellist must place his or her finger in the exact right place to produce the right note. There is very little room for error, and it's very easy to be out of tune. Add on top of this the difficulty of producing a note with a bow, which is more complicated than picking, and playing two or three simultaneous notes with other fingers, also without frets, and singing at the same time, and it's a much more complicated process.

Despite this added level of difficulty there are still cellists that are venturing into this realm. The incorporation of technology, in the form of loop pedals also opens up a lot of possibilities for cellists. With the use of loops, cellists can record a phrase, which is then played back over an amplifier, and then overdub new parts or harmonies on top of the original loop.

There are still many obstacles for cellists to overcome in order to branch away from classical music into more modern styles. Despite these difficulties there are more and more cellists doing it, and as a result more and more interesting and beautiful music is being made.

Nick Takenobu Ogawa is a cellist, singer, and composer. His music is modern cello music and incorporates a range of styles, including his own lyrics. He has produced one full length album, Takenobu:Introduction, and is soon to release his next album, Takenobu:Expositi. You can read more and listen to his cello music on his blog.

Alternative Rock Music Is Part of Who I Am

When I was growing up, there were all kinds of popular styles of music, from heavy metal to hip hop to country and western, but one that will always have a special place in my heart is alternative rock music. This was the music of my generation, and when people ask me what I listed to when I was growing up, I will always point to those special bands that made up this unique and wonderful musical genre.

I think the first time that I realized my great affection for alternative rock music was when I heard the song "Stand" by the group REM. There was just something about the song that drew me in and I was hooked. One of my all-time favorite songs is REM's "Everybody Hurts." I think it is one of the most poignant songs I have ever heard. I also loved "Losing My Religion."

Another band that epitomized that era was The Cure. The Cure really sort of helped pave the way for later bands, such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and had a number of great songs themselves. "Boys Don't Cry" was a song that I personally have always liked. I think it has a good message, and it one that I always took to heart.

Even though Nirvana and Pearl Jam can be considered grunge, I think it is important to remember that the grunge movement was an offshoot of alternative rock music. Pearl Jam seemed to put out hit after hit, and I always remember watching the video for "Jeremy" and being fascinated. I don't know why I found it so intriguing, but I would always stop whatever I was doing and watch it when it came on.

Of all the groups from that period, Nirvana, for me,was the band that made the movement. I was just starting high school when they came to prominence, and I bought every album they ever made.

I know that the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is routinely voted by music experts to be among the top 10 songs ever written. The best part for me is to hear younger people, or even older people, listen to a Nirvana song and talk about how much they like it and want to hear more. It always makes me feel good that a musical group from my generation is held in such high regard.

Sometimes I will think about my father and how he used to talk about "our music," referring to the music from his and my mother's generation. My wife and I have come to realize that alternative rock music is "our music."

Read more about author at: kitchen cabinet doors and car seat covers

Electronic Innovation Meets the Raw Power of Heavy Metal - Industrial Metal Music

Industrial metal blends a range of influences from heavy metal to electro-industrial and noise music, while typically remaining within standard rock conventions and song structures. Since its beginnings, the genre has been controversial among both fans of other industrial genres and metal fans alike; those who favor other styles of industrial music have denounced it as a "watered-down version of 'true' industrial music," and many fans of other metal genres object to the widespread use of synthesizers and electronic instruments. Despite this controversy, the industrial metal scene has spawned numerous platinum-selling artists and bands with millions of albums being sold worldwide and influenced artists from across the entire musical spectrum.

Musically, industrial metal combines heavy metal guitar riffs with synthesizer leads and production techniques commonly used for other genres of industrial music. Consequently, the music equipment used by industrial metal bands typically includes both hardware and software synthesizers in addition to electric guitars and guitar effects processors. Drums are often acoustic, electronic or a mixture of both. Somewhat uncommon in industrial music, it is usually performed live with a full band, following the standard "rock band lineup," including a lead singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist.

Combining guitar melodies with industrial elements was a big departure from the anti-rock sentiments of most early industrial acts of the 1980s. Bands who embraced this approach included Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory, Ministry and KMFDM. This more accessible sound soon found a large following in North America among fans of other guitar-oriented music.

Though industrial metal enjoyed a degree of mainstream success throughout the late 1990s, this would eventual fade by the turn of the century. A number of the genre's leading bands broke up or were dropped by major labels around this time. Today it has a considerably smaller audience, based mostly in the United States and Europe. Nonetheless, bands such as Nine Inch Nails remain popular today and continue to play sold-out shows around the world.

Taylor is a contributor at Alternative-Electronics.com, the most comprehensive resource online for the music equipment used in alternative electronic music. Read more about industrial metal bands.

The Best Electric Guitars For Hard Rock

If you search in Wikipedia for the style of music heavy metal you'll find that they have listed at least 3+ dozens of subgenres. From stoner metal to symphonic black metal, there's no shortage of mystic names.

Even though I like bands across the whole spectrum, the style that I seek as a guitar player and that I will always identify myself with is hard rock. But as times goes on this seems to be a style that is slowly fading.

Hard rock doesn't require the precision that heavy metal guitar playing has, super thin necks and active pickups are not a necessity But attitude, mojo and a good distorted sound, those are the main attributes I look for in a hard rock guitar.

There are many designs to choose from, but one thing is for sure, almost all are related either to the Les Paul or the Stratocaster. These have proven to be the best designs in electric guitars for hard rock music.

My favorite is the Les Paul, the combination of mahogany body, set neck and humbucking pickups produce the kind of sound that I very much prefer.

But I won't deny that the Stratocaster design is a lot easier to play and more ergonomic. That's why a very popular style of guitar for hard rock is the so called 'Superstrat'.

This style was mainly pioneered by Ibanez and very much influenced by the early guitars of Steve Vai. The main purpose is to adapt the regular Strat design to be even more appealing to heavier music.

The RG is probably the most famous Superstrat. The main attributes of any Superstrat is 1 or 2 humbuckers (Strats are known for single coils) and floyd rose bridges.

Another style that is very popular is guitars built in the shape of a Strat but with the ingredients of a Les Paul.

For a review of my favorite 10 guitars for playing hard rock please visit my Squidoo page --> Top Rock Guitars

What is Heavy Metal Music?

Classic heavy metal music is described as having a thick, massive sound that includes extended guitar solos, complex beats, amplified distortion and an overall loudness. The main instruments in most groups are the electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals and sometimes, keyboards. While most groups focus on a vocalist as their front man, heavy metal music, more often than not, uses the lead guitarist as the focus.

The guitarist in heavy metal music is key. They perform extended riffs and usually lead the group. While some guitarists use main power chords in their songs, most have studied classical music and have amazing abilities. Some of the techniques used are alternate picking, string skipping, tapping, legato, sweep picking and economy picking.

Heavy metal music developed in the late 1960's with groups such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. From the origins of this new style of music emerged a huge sub-genre of music. The lyrics tend to focus on dark or depressing subjects, including death, war, paranoia and personal trauma. Some extreme forms often focus on aggressive or gory lyrics, while others focus on more philosophical themes. A common theme in most metal is the idea of doing what you want, despite what the world says.

Genres of heavy metal music are as vast as the ideologies of each artist. The most popular styles include alternative metal, drone metal, funk metal, classic metal, grindcore, industrial metal, metalcore, neo-classical metal, nu metal, gothic, speed, post metal, rap metal, sludge metal and doom and death metal. Each sub-genre brings in elements of other styles of music such as blues, rap, rock, alternative, folk, punk, hip hop and classical.

Visual appearance has always been a strong factor in heavy metal music. Some groups, such as Kiss and Alice Cooper, have become known for their outlandish costumes and huge stage performances.

The classic dress of today's metalhead consists of long hair, past the shoulders, black t-shirt with a favored metal band logo, jeans, black boots and black leather jackets. According to journalist Nader Rahman, long hair gave the members of the metal community "the power they needed to rebel against nothing in general".

Heavy metal music is extremely masculine and, therefore, there is not the usual dancing at concerts. Most of the audience will engage in headbanging or just make arm gestures. Other displays may include "moshing", stage diving or crowd surfing.

Heavy metal fans have their own code of authenticity. The code demands that performers be authentic, devoted to the sub-culture and the music and they must never sell out. Some performers have been shut out of mainstream metal because they lacked the authenticity the crowd was looking for.

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The Psychology of Music

In a previous post, I mentioned how text messaging can be a very distracting tool for students. From my own experiences, I've seen people at the library and in class text message continuously, distracting them from what's really important. I've seen the same thing happen with music. Practically every student has an MP3 player and/or laptop with music downloads. Using these devices while studying, or in lectures, has proven to be a threat to school performance. But for others, music stimulates the brain and allows one to focus. At the workplace, many employees are listening to music at their cubicles.

A study at the University of Windsor studied the effect of music on software engineers. The researchers collected data from 56 participants (male and female) and observed their work performance over five weeks. The results indicated that when music was absent, quality of work was the lowest and projects were taking a lot longer to complete. The researchers concluded that music promoted a positive mood and improved acuity.

There is one potential flaw to this study - were the projects the same difficulty when comparing presence of music to the control? If easier projects were assigned to the subjects when they were listening to music, then no practical conclusions can be made from the study.

However, other analysis demonstrates that music has a positive effect on how our brain functions. A study was conducted to test the ability of mice to learn new things. When the mice were exposed to heavy metal music, they actually all started attacking each other. When mice were exposed to classical music, there was a clear observable improvement in perception. This experiment poses an interesting question, how do different types of music affect our performance? Are there significant differences between music genres when assessing quality of work?

Music is a lot more powerful than we think. In fact, music has been used as a means of therapy. Researchers observed that patients who listened to calm, classical music experienced significantly less post-surgical throbbing than those who did not. Exposure to music helps autistic children stay calm and maintain composure during stressful situations. Even in plants, studies demonstrated that plants exposed to jazz or classical music grew healthier compared to those exposed to rock music, which grew droopy.

But music has also demonstrated negative effects. Music can be a distraction tool for many while working, walking, running, driving etc. Just like text messaging, it makes you unaware of the environment around you. Having an impaired perception of what people are saying around you could be very dangerous. The American Psychological Society found a strong correlation between violence and music. Youths who listened to music with violent lyrics were linked to more aggressive and dangerous behavior. A study by a sociology professor found that higher rates of suicide were present among those who listen to old country music.

Although I have mentioned a variety of conclusions that have been formulated by analysis of music studies, there are a few points to consider that could potentially question the validity of these results. Many studies use small sample sizes that do not reflect the population. In addition, there are many other variables that could be present that skew the data. Thus more research is required to accurately develop conclusions regarding the effects of music. However, many of these experiments have been reproduced to provide very similar results.

I've noticed that the link between work or school performance and music generally varies from person to person. Although studies do show that there is a general positive correlation, data should be dug deeper. For example, what types of music have the best and worst effect? Are there any specific professions that music has an overwhelmingly positive or negative effect? We have already seen a few studies that demonstrate opposite effects when comparing classical to heavy metal music exposure.

However, funding a study of such nature would be very worthwhile because this could provide a lot of value to educational and work institution policies. Permitting the use of music could improve employee output and productivity. It wouldn't even cost the company anything because of the free accessibility of online radio. Even then, who doesn't have a mobile music device these days? Perhaps we may even see universities allowing the use of personal music during examinations (of course these students would have to be closely monitored). After all, exams technically are supposed to test our knowledge and ability to apply concepts in real world situations (what they actually do is another topic of debate). And in real world situations, we would probably be listening to music, so why can't we during exams?

Original article found at http://www.FitTheModel.com.
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Metal Guitar Lessons - Learning the Guitar With Heavy Metal Music

Although heavy metal is distinctive as a genre of music, it's also known for having numerous sub-genres (and in some cases, sub-sub-genres!). In particular, many of these sub-genres play out their differences in the guitar parts.

As you progress in your guitar lessons, it can be fun to explore the varying elements in these styles. Below we'll go over a few of the most well-known kinds of metal.

Classic Metal - Originally, this was the only kind of metal! Bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest really helped to define metal as its own kind of music. Although influenced by blues and psychedelic rock, early heavy metal was defined by distorted guitar sounds, gruff, heavy vocals, and complex dual guitar work. It's a great genre to explore as a student of the guitar, as it provides numerous classic and popular songs to explore.

Thrash - The key element of thrash metal is SPEED! Thrash music is known for being incredibly fast paced, and therefore might not be the best choice for beginner musicians. Look for bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Testament for great thrash songs.

Power Metal - Although it grew out of early heavy metal, power metal now has its own distinctive sound. Many elements are separate from the guitar, including high pitched vocals, double bass drumming, and fantasy lyrics. However, there's still plenty to offer for the guitar. Chord changes are somewhat less frequent compared to other styles of metal, although complexity is far from lacking in this genre due to fast guitar solos. Power metal is a great place to look for long, exciting guitar solos that are at times missing from other kinds of music.

Extreme Metal - Somewhat of a catch-all of term for non-traditional styles like death metal, black metal, and doom metal. Every element of metal sees exaggeration in these kinds of music. It might be the slow, dirge-like sound in doom metal, or the highly distorted melodies in death metal. Although not for everyone, excellent musicianship can be found in this kind of music.

There are many more styles of metal music to be found! As you progress in your guitar lessons, a great way to add some variation to practicing chords and scales is studying and learning popular metal songs.

Constantine Walker is a life-long metal fan and musician. He wants to make learning to play music as fun as possible!

Metal Guitar Lessons

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1990s Rock Tragedies and Misfortunes

When I think of the 1990's, several memories come to mind: the Tech Boom, the Gulf War, the era of Michael Jordan and the beginning of alternative music as we know it today. The 90's founded the grunge scene, and with it came bands that will never be forgotten (although others already have been). But like every decade, the 90's possessed tragedy and misfortune. This article is dedicated to exactly that; the tragedies and misfortunes of 90's rock and roll.

10. Metallica visits Supercuts

It would be an understatement to say "...And Justice for All" and "Master of Puppets" are exceptional albums. But unfortunately, in 1996 Metallica unleashed their fresh, more polished do's, which was accompanied by their new conservative sound. Although "Load" and "Reload" may have some redeeming qualities, we wish these albums were released by a band other then the "Godfather's of Metal". Metallica may be back on track with their latest release, Death Magnetic, but the bands attempt to create a more mature sound in the 90's may have led metal into an immature era (see Nu Metal).

9. The Toadies Remain Underwater

We were first introduced to this Texas based alternative band in 1994 with the release of "Possum Kingdom". The bands edgy lyrics and muddy guitars influenced many of us to dash to the stores and purchase their debut album Rubberneck. From start to finish, Rubberneck exuded a fiery energy that perfectly complimented the alternative sound and left the listener yearning for more. Unfortunately our anticipation was never fully satisfied, as Interscope records put the axe on the Toadies second album Feeler (which was scheduled for release in 1998, therefore earning them a spot on our list). We were left empty handed until 2001 when the Toadies finally came out with the very under appreciated Hell Below/Stars Above. The seven year wait caused many to move on, and left a record label to blame for a talented band's demise. Maybe Interscope was right and the Toadies second album would have been utter garbage, but it is fair to say that this band deserved a timely second release. Imagine if Nirvana's career ended after Bleach or Radiohead's with Pablo Honey! Instead Interscope dedicated its time and energy to a band that would eventually popularize the Shrek soundtrack- thanks guys!

8. Refused Are Dead

We're certainly not experts when it comes to Swedish Hardcore, but when we got our hands on the record, The Shape of Punk to Come by Refused, our thoughts of what music could encompass changed forever. This LP was beautifully crafted for such an aggressive sounding collection. Dennis Lyxzen's vocals/screams can compete with any in the genre, and the arrangements were unlike any hardcore album before it. Unfortunately this album would be their last effort, for the band disbanded shortly after completing this work of art. Unless you were deep into the hardcore scene of the 90s, you probably missed out on seeing Refused live. Even though they have influenced many bands after them (and are one of the main catalysts of progressive music as we know it today), most of this bands fame has come after their breakup. If you prefer the louder side of rock music, chances are you will love this band and this album... that is if you don't already.

7. The Emergence of Rap Rock

We're all aware that Aerosmith and Run DMC first mixed rap and rock in the mid 80s, but this was more of a novelty act at the time. It wasn't until the 90s that rap rock truly came to be. Even bands like The Offspring succumbed to the pressure of trying to please the hip hop crowd. Not to say that "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" is literally rap rock, or loved by hip hop fans for that matter, but it definitely can be viewed as a spineless attempt at expanding their fan base. Now, we can't fault Rage Against the Machine for this, because they were outright excellent. Our qualm lies with most of those that followed in their footsteps. Rap & Rock? How about we keep the two separate until someone (other than Rage or perhaps Linkin Park) figures out what the heck they're doing.

6. Nu Metal

If you know someone that really loves music, there's a good chance that they hate the music and bands that are topping the charts. Why is this? We don't really know who lead to the start of the new metal sound, and quite frankly we don't care that much either. However we do know that since its inception, this genre has been polluting the airwaves. When you look back on it, some of nu metal's forefathers were actually solid (Korn, Tool, maybe even Pearl Jam & Soundgarden). Much like our problems with rap rock, it's how people interpreted this style, and what they then decided to do with the sound that's gotten under our skin. Radio rock of today is typically lazy and weak (partially due to the rise of nu metal), and that's why most of the best bands lurk in the underground or stay undiscovered.

5. Hoon's Demise

Once upon a time, when MTV wasn't just a dating/reality network, a band released a memorable music video that featured psychedelic colors and dancing bumblebees. Of course, who could forget the "No Rain" video. But Blind Melon was so much more than this bizarre outcast's anthem. They released their self-titled debut in 1993, which showcased an eclectic array of excellent songs. Shannon Hoon's vocal stylings were like no other, and it's hard to pinpoint a more distinct rock vocalist. This is why Hoon's overdose in 1995 was such a brutal blow to rock music as we know it.

4. NKOTB Pave the Way For Boy Bands & Pop's Reign:

We'd be lying if we claimed to never tap our toes to MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice, but in the early to mid 90s we were forced to take a stance against pop music. During this time, pop dealt a serious blow to rock n' roll, and one group in particular stands out as the reason: the New Kids on the Block. NKOTB are one of those groups that we can love to hate... girls went wild for them, they didn't play instruments, they were accused of lip syncing; you get the idea. Now, we're not saying they're all bad (we've actually come to enjoy Donnie Wahlberg as an actor; check out Band of Brothers and tell us he's not respectable), but there's no denying that they can be faulted with the partial collapse of good music radio. The rise of the New Kids on the Block has forever shifted the charts and fans away from rock music in favor of pop. We can further link this to the popularity of shows like American Idol, which help discover talented singers, but don't necessarily help further the rock band community.

3. The Death of Brad Nowell

From "40 oz to freedom" to "Boss DJ", many of us grew to love this Long Beach based band. Often categorized as one of the most innovative groups of the 90's, Sublime used hints of reggae & ska to liberate the sounds of punk. Saturated in drug abuse, we know Sublime's story to be ill fated and tragic. On May 25th 1996, singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell was found dead in a San Francisco Hotel Room from a heroin, valium and alcohol overdose. Nowell's death occurred only (almost one year after the birth of his son) & two months prior to the release of the band's self-titled third album, which would soon lead to multi platinum sales and the pinnacle of the group's success.

2. The For Squirrels Accident

For Squirrels were a grunge band that many of us remember and miss, and others never heard. In 1995, the band released their first and last major label album titled, Example. Example was a powerful album showcasing the raw vocals of John Vigliatura, and a diverse lineup of songs that make this album enjoyable from cover to cover. The album featured a track titled "Mighty K.C.", which ended up being the only single ever released by the band. On September 8, 1995, while returning home from a show in NYC at the highly regarded venue C.B.G.B., the band was in a tragic accident killing frontman Jack Vigliatura, bassist Bill White and tour manager Tim Bender. The end of this bands music career was certainly premature, but we are just thankful that when the quench for some good old fashion 90's rock strikes, we can turn to tracks like "Stark Pretty", "Under Smithville" and "Disenchanted".

1. Kurt

This wouldn't be a legitimate list without the inclusion of Kurt Cobain's passing. The Foo Fighters are making "decent" music these days, but our minds are too busy envisioning what else Nirvana could have done. Need we say more?

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Find New Indie Pop Music First - An Inside Look at New Music Artists For 2010!

Recently I got in touch with some friends and new indie music anoraks that were able to tell us a bit from the 'inside' - so here are the new indie pop music names that are expected to have a huge impact on our ears this year, organised into three neat little categories for your reading pleasure.

New Indie Music with a Touch of Electro

You will have heard teasers of this genre, set for explosion, within the more classic indie and pop songs of 2009. If you liked it, get to know names like:

Free Energy - inspired by late 1970s-early 1980s classic rock, they'll give you the type of song you'd go on a road trip to. Think AC/DC, and Thin Lizzy
Two Door Cinema Club - a young new indie pop music trio who've toured with well known names like The Wombats
French Horn Rebellion - a great new electro-pop threesome featuring two brothers from Milwaukee, who've managed everything from recording to releasing themselves
Wild Beasts - they've been compared to the brilliant Maccabees and already raved about for their crazy and playful sounds, plus they're amazing live.
Delphic - from Manchester in the UK, these guys have already had numerous appearances in top festivals and on TV. And they deserve it - creating sounds you can play over and over again, Delphic really stand out amongst the genre.

Indie Music Pop Folk - A New Genre

Again, more 'traditional' folk styles were even creeping into mainstream music in 2009, but is set to feature heavily throughout new indie music pop and some rock in 2010 and beyond. Hurry up and and get listening to these people for great new indie pop music with folky undertones:

Owen Pallett - previously going by the name Final Fantasy, Owen Pallett is a composer, a violinist, a singer, and an all-round great artist when it comes to fusing folk music with new indie pop music sounds
Dan Mangan - Itunes named this guy "Best New Artist" in 2009, and now Vancouver's newest and favourite indie folk-rock artist is going global - we can't get enough of his music.
Vandaveer - Check out the song Marianne, You've Done It Now. A great song on a great album, inspired by Dylan (who you'll probably agree is one of the unofficial founders of new indie music!)
Twilight Hotel - a Canadian duo producing exciting and varied new indie pop music within their genre. From the slower songs to the more fast paced vibrant tracks, don't miss their stuff.
Lindsey Thompson - more of a gentle sound, Lindsey's clear vocals blend perfectly with soft melodies, and her lyrics complement her style perfectly.

New Indie Pop Rock and Punk

If the slower paces of new indie pop music don't appeal, or your love for indie music stems from straight up punk rock, metal, and rock and roll, make sure you keep an eye on these bands: Screaming Females - although there's actually only one Female in the band, these guys can deliver a brilliant performance consisting of passionate wailing and Jimi Hendrix inspired guitar playing

Dinosaur Feathers - you'll definitely find something unique and lovable in new indie music if you listen to Dinosaur feathers, a trio who simply love experimenting with sound.
Evan Voytas - a young singer/songwriter from Pennsylvania, this multi-instrumental solo artist has perfected out an EP of rich and classic songs.
Internet Forever - female lead new indie music with slight rock undertones, this trio is probably the 'gentlest' option of the list - check out their single 'Cover The Walls'.

So Who Is The Favourite?

I asked the indie experts who their favourites were. Although they were actually pretty protective over giving away their top choices, I managed to get one favourite new artist out of them...

Ziggiville - A playful yet passionate and energetic new indie pop punk sound comes from this British female artist. You won't see Ziggiville in the shops yet, but you can listen to all of their new indie pop music online before your friends and download it straight away.

The experts I interviewed offer exclusive indie pop music news at ReachingMorePeople, a blog supporting new music artists, and sharing quality music.

To Be Or Not to Be - The Great Christian Music Debate

What does it mean to be a Christian band or to play Christian music? Of course there are artist who readily produce music that have obvious Christian overtones or are unashamedly praise songs. And they can range from alternative rock styles to heavy metal to even country. And then there are others who are avowed Christians but produce music that isn't as obviously Christian in theme as their counterparts elsewhere. Some even have songs that have absolutely no Christian references and speak about romantic love, are protest songs, or even very angry songs. So where do we draw the line on what is to be considered to be Christian music?

The primary consideration perhaps when selecting people or groups to be included in this select list would most definitely boil down to one of the most important things in every song: the lyrics. No matter how heavy that guitar riff may sound, no matter how sexy the beats may get, and no matter how out of control the vocal style may be, as long as it is truly Christian in subject matter, it passes the test. A lot of people would say that Christian heavy metal or electronica is essentially impossible because those two genres are known for their less-than Christian habits as much as their music. But truth be told, as long as the lyrics as Christian, the overall message will be more or less so as well, no matter what the medium may be.

And what of those artists that are confessed Christians but do not write explicitly Christian songs? Some things may just boil down to matters of interpretation but I believe songs become much larger and become distinct entities apart from the people that wrote them. So a song about something completely un-Christian even when it comes from a practicing artist cannot be considered Christian music because of the lack of anything linking the song to the religion apart from the personal beliefs of the singer/writer (which are probably not reflected in the song anyway).

This debate rages on even today, and has probably made Christian music better, more diverse and stronger than ever. If you want more information on Christian music, visit:

[http://heavenlychristianmusic.com/Spreading+God%27s+Words+through+Music%3A+Writing+Songs+of+Praise.13445.htm]

Music to Echo Your Mood

In what way do the kinds of music (rock, rap, classical,

instrumental, etc.) change or alter our mood and in what way

do our moods effect what music we listen to?

Music has been present throughout the history of man. Of

course musical styles change but the power and popularity of

music never changes. But why is music so popular? What is it

that music offers us and is it just a sound to drown out

others?

Our emotions and thoughts are altered and influenced by

music. Music can influence our emotions and our behaviour to

a great degree, it relaxes us, it energises us, it can make

us sad, or happy. Of course music isn't some type of mind

control but it studies have consistently shown the link

between music and our moods.

Slow music calms down. Ballads, some forms of classical

music and New Age, as well as meditation music create a

peaceful atmosphere that is good for relaxing after a busy

day or for a romantic dinner. For most people slow music is

de-stressing. It allows them to sit down and relax.

If the music is slowed below approximately 50 beats per

minute it can create an atmosphere of sadness, even

depression. The slow rhythm of certain music can make induce

feelings of powerlessness and desperation.

This kinds of slow music is often found in jazz and

classical music, many people listen to it when alone, at

night usually, when it seems to suit their mood.

In general, instrumental music (excluding military marches

with their fast tempo) is also a way to isolate oneself from

the people around. The rhythm is calm and steady, the tune

is clearer, since there are no voices interfering.

Faster music (such as rock, heavy metal, and dance music)

tends to uplift us. It energises us, and awakens us in a

very real way, making us feel full of life.

Dance music is light and yet fast, it fills us with energy

and relaxes us but it is not complicated by intellectual

overtones. So it allows us to liven up and unwind without

having to think or listen very seriously. For this reason it

is very popular at parties.

Rock and pop music and rap are also often played at parties,

when large groups of people gather together. This is music

for socializing and being together. Most rock, pop, and rap

songs also do not involve special efforts for listening to

and are also suitable for parties.

Rock music is often used to accompany physical labour, its

heavy fast tempo speeds up the heart and one almost works in

time to the music making the work more enjoyable.

Some people think that rock music can cause road accidents,

it is not difficult to see why, it is easy to become 'caught

up in' rock music, drivers could become excited by the speed

of the music and drive too fast. But on balance there are so

many sources of driver distraction that it does not make

sense to blame rock music. Nevertheless studies have shown a

definitive link between music and mood.

Some kinds of music, like techno, are produced using

computers and almost constitute an escape into an alternate

virtual world, the music is reminiscent of sci-fi,

technology and the futuristic world we imagine.

World music allows a different type of escape - into another

country. Often people bring home CDs from holiday and when

listening to the music it evokes the spirit of a nation or

area and seems to take them back there.

The best music information can be found online at FBX Music [http://www.fbxmusic.com/]. Devon Rynders is a senior writer and you will find articles, resources and a free newsletter at: FBX Music [http://www.fbxmusic.com/].

Aerobic Workout Music Ideas

Making a choice about which aerobic workout music to choose will depend on whether you're working out with yourself, or a small to large group. For those of you out there looking for something to jazz up your home sessions; upbeat music that gets you inspired will be all that's required. Choosing music for a crowd requires a little forethought, as you may be dealing with a group of mixed gender and more than likely -- a generation gap.

Power-mix Compilations

Any kind of mixed CD you can find with the word "power" in the title will usually have a mixture of inspiring ballads, typically ranging from the early 80's to modern day. Most power-mix CD's make for great aerobic workout music and will have something for all musical tastes, including upbeat: dance, country, rock, metal, jazz and R & B tracks.

Rock Compilations

Rock compilations, particularly from the 80's and early 90's are a hit regardless the age of the crowd. Not all types of music are a hit for everyone, but rock music from this time period was romantic, wholesome and upbeat. Bands such as Whitesnake, Guns and Roses, Wilson Philips, Shania Twain -- and many more all had great inspiring tracks that inspire all generations.

Dance Music

How could we discuss aerobic workout music without mentioning dance music? Many modern dance tracks are normal re-mixes of country, soft rock and hard rock ballads. Other hit dance tracks include modern artists like Rhianna, Justin Timberlake, Ashanti, Kanye West, Timberland and many more. Most aerobic exercises work well with a dance beat to keep their rythm.

*Whichever type of music you choose, don't be afraid to mix it up with a bit of everything. As long as the music is upbeat (not slow and dull), very few people will focus on the artist or genre.

Learn more about aerobic workout music at our fitness tips website.

What is Progressive Metal?

Progressive metal emerged as sub-genre of progressive rock which have instrumental playing like progressive rock with heavy metal twist with powerful guitar driven sound. It is a very technical genre of music. Most of the guitar players, drummers, pianist and other instrument players listen to them because progressive metal songs improve technicality and dexterity of instrument playing. Covering progressive songs increase the knowledge about music. Like progressive rock songs, prog metal songs are usually much longer than standard metal songs, and they are often thematically linked in concept albums. As a result, prog metal is rarely heard on mainstream radio and video programs.

Prog metal got introduced in 1980s when bands which were influenced by 60s and 70s progressive rock bands such as Rush, Yes, Pink, Atomic rooster, Focus, Queen etc took elements of these progressive rock groups primarily the instrumentation and compositional structure of songs and merged them with heavy metal styles associated with early Metallica, Megadeth and Iron Maiden. Bands such as Fates Warning, Queensryche and Dream Theater were first to define this genre of music. The three flagship bands for prog metal of the time each had somewhat different sounds. Queensryche had by far the most melodic sound of the three and was ultimately the most commercially successful. Dream Theater have more traditional progressive sound and also built much of their earlier career on the band members' instrumental skills. Fates Warning were the most aggressive and heavy with the thrash and extreme metal sound of that time.

Now the band such as Pain of Salvation, Tool, Opeth, Threshold, Symphony X and the project Ayreon are also in progressive metal genre with their own signature sounds. It was started as progressive rock sub genre but now it is a completely different ball game. Now prog metal can be broken down into countless sub-genres corresponding to certain other styles of music that have influenced prog metal groups. For example, two bands that are commonly identified as progressive metal, King's X and Opeth, are at opposite ends of the sonic spectrum to one another. King's X are greatly influenced by softer mainstream rock and in fact, contributed to the growth of grunge, influencing bands like Pearl Jam. Opeth's growling vocals and heavy guitars often see them cited as progressive death metal.

Most of the time people are misinformed that progressive metal and avant-garde metal are same. Yes they both favor experimentation and non-standard ideas, but there are rather large differences between the two genres.Prog metal experiments with complex rhythm and song structure with traditional instruments. While avant-garde metal experiments with the use of unusual sounds and instruments. Progressive metal gives more emphasis technicality and theoretical complexity like in jazz. Where avant-garde metal is more unorthodox and tends to question musical conventions.

Progressive metal is great music to listen. So try it out.

To find out more about progressive metal bands and to watch and listen to their songs CLICK HERE.

The Influence of Blues Singers on Modern Rock N' Roll

Ever since the rumors first spread of Robert Leroy Johnson's fabled Faust-like pact with the dark side, the blues seized the attention of society with personal lyrics, touching emotional intensity, and compelling pentatonic chord progressions. However, the howls, growls, and moans of blues singers have influenced vocalists from subsequent genres inside the tradition of rock music.

Blues Music Introduced the Scream to Rock N' Roll

Screaming vocals have become the newest cutting edge in rock music. Kids love the angry, anxious, or frustrated screams of new artists. Bands from genres as diverse as hardcore, punk, metal, and modern rock use varying degrees of harshness in their voice to display raw emotion.

What would Kurt Cobain's vocals have sounded like without the scratchy drawl of B.B. King? Would Marilyn Manson have emerged without the shock-rock antics of Screamin' Jay Hawkins? A brief glance at the history of blues music shows the blueprint for what eventually became rock music.

Bending Notes Chromatically to Build Tension

Bending notes in blues style has become a mainstream tactic on guitar. However, so many singers rely on this same technique. Start on a consonant low note and bend up to the highest point in the key to fill the room with energy. This was a technique first made mainstream by blues vocalists, and it made it all the way into modern rock, soul, and funk vocals.

The use of these chromatic differentiations from the pentatonic rule set almost shows a kinship between blues and jazz. Both styles existed in the underground of pop culture in the first half of the 20th century. Some musicians drifted between the two, and both styles have had significant influence on modern rock as well. Chromatic note relationships can create a sense of anxiety that is relieved when the note lands on more consonant footing.

Emotionally Pure Performances Began with Blues Singers and Continue with Rock Vocalists Today

Iggy Pop flails about like a man possessed. Punk singers wail and beat their chests like people suffering from the loss of a loved one. These intense, dramatic emotional live performance styles draw heavily from the blues singers of yesteryear.

Purity of emotion is often considered the primary benchmark of a rock vocalist's stage presence. In the early 20th century, blues singers were thought to be possessed by evil spirits when their bodies seized up with the awesome power of the blues. Teary eyes and scratchy voices conveyed the truth about the world around them in ways previously disallowed by pop culture.

Rock music took this same spirit and supercharged it. High energy emotional displays incorporated more than just sadness; rage, happiness, and anxiety might be palpable in a live performance by a rock vocalist. The steady back beat still remains in place. This telling ghost of blues' dark past still lurks on stage when any rock singer grabs the microphone.

To perfect modern rock vocal technique, it is important to understand its legacy in the context of its relationship to the blues. We owe much to our forefathers who wailed against oppression from the dark and muddy deltas of the American South.

Mike Barry from Gazzmic writes articles about new media technology, music theory, and the music industry. For individuals interested in investigating the latest in online technology for bands and musicians, please visit: http://www.gazzmic.com

Gazzmic is a revolutionary new content management system for bands that seeks to reinvent the music industry entirely. Gazzmic is currently seeking artists to participate in an invitation-only closed beta program. Participants will be given the opportunity to promote their music over a free custom mobile app platform for the iPhone and Android Market. Musicians can apply for the closed beta by contacting Gazzmic on the company's website.

Overlooked and Over Simplified; Why The Stooges are Rock and Roll Cultural Icons

In the late 1960s there was a change in rock music occurring that would alter the course for the next 40 years. With the dawn of punk music, the face of rock and roll and the artistic community would be forever changed. The Stooges, appearing in the late 1960s, represent the pinnacle of this change. Often overlooked and over simplified their work represents not only the epitome of the budding punk genre of its time, but also its driving force and it remains the driving force behind much of rock and roll to this day.

The Stooges debuted in the late 60s following the trend of rock and roll artists at the time. Harder rock sounds being developed at the same time by Led Zeppelin, the Who, Cream and Jimi Hendrix, were becoming popular as were fuzzed out guitars, and outrageous stage antics. The Stooges took these elements and combined them for the first time with raw aggression and avant-guard ideas. Similar artists of the time included The Velvet Underground, the MC5 and The Doors but none match what the Stooges possess. "The Velvets" are more intellectual, philosophical and rooted in the east cost drug scene while the Doors present the same emotions as the Stooges at times but had a more typical rock and roll exterior to wrap it up in. The MC5 are the closest relative of the Stooges musically and in fact both bands were signed at the same time when the Stooges opened for the MC5. The MC5 though, has a distinct political slant that would separate them. The Stooges are a unique act that for their brief stint and little popular success would change rock and roll's future.

The Music:

The music of the Stooges is hard to describe as they are one of those bands that has to be heard to be understood. It's raw, aggressive, honest and artistic. Unlike the psychedelic scene of the west coast where drug references were more often covered with imagery and subtly, the Stooges were honest and raw. Lyrics are realism based like The Velvet Underground but where the "Velvets" tend to be more journalistic, the Stooges tend to be more direct. The guitar work is rough and raunchy in both sound and playing style and lacks the subtly of the hard rock blues artists like Cream, Led Zeppelin and Hendrix. The focus of any given song is on immediacy and the particular emotion of that song. Its an aggressive style that can be grating if you're used to the more polished sounds of modern music, or even typical 60s and 70s records. The music does have a lasting impact though. The first Stooges song I ever heard was off their second album: 1970s "Fun House". "Down on the Street", a slow starting rocker that has a simple but effective riff that builds into a fuzzed out, pounding chorus, only to pull back and build again before fizzling out. A great song that immediately sparked my interest for this band.

This song seemed to represent them in a nut shell; loud, aggressive, emotional, and on the edge at all times. Although having the same sound and song style, the Stooges first album seems to lack some of the intensity made them an amazing live act. Still, both give good representations. I think that the only band of that time to come close to what the Stooges were doing emotionally is the Doors. The Doors, however, had a more mainstream and psychedelic sound and so received significantly more recognition. They relate to some of the Door's more artistic ventures as well but not the psychedelic movement.

With songs on "Fun House" that border on progressive rock (the title track especially) and the noise rock of "L.A. Blues" the Stooges took art rock in new directions but still remaining firmly rooted in reality. This art rock is not the psychedelic movement of the west coast at all. Instead its more rooted in the east coast drug scene of bands like the Velvet Underground but without the high intellect and with a far more primal feel. A kind of hybrid of art scenes that coincides with new movements in performance art, and shock art. Its also a perfect picture of a band living on the edge. Plagued by hard drug problems and internal strife for their short career their music is an accurate and honest portrayal of a band on the brink of self destruction on any given day. This is part of what makes the music great. Its almost like listening to a machine shake itself to pieces and collapse as its parts give way.

The Impact on Music:

Back when I first heard "Down on the Street" just a year ago at most, I knew immediately what impact that song and album had made on rock and roll. It is a song that could easily have been written by the late 70s early 80s punk movement, or the garage rock revival bands of the 2000s. One of the first rock and roll songs to strip away nearly all elements of the blues and leave only the stomping hard rock that would become the staple of punk and heavy metal for years to come. For a song that was written and recorded in 1970 it surely was ahead of its time. Black Sabbath would debut the same year but their pinnacle "Paranoid" album wouldn't arrive until 1971 further laying the groundwork for heavy metal although they still retains some blues elements. Considered to be the first completely metal band, Judas Priest would not arrive until 1974. The punk movement would begin primarily with the Ramones but they would not arrive until 1976. Although the album doesn't reflect the same intensity, the first Stooges album released in 1969 really pioneered this sound. Through the 1960s rock and roll always retained elements of blues even through its psychedelic phase, with blues beats, back beats and blues shuffles. The Stooges let loose and eliminated a lot of the blues feel. Whether this was because minimalistic viewpoints, lack of technical playing skills, or lack of being able to play while on drugs is debatable but the results were staggering. This beat and this style is the beginnings of multiple rock and roll movements to come including heavy metal, punk, grunge, garage rock, thrash, hardcore and more. More recent garage rock movements have spawned bands that are closer to the Stooges than ever. The White Stripes certainly draw on the Stooges for their sound and bands like the Kills capture their raw intensity nearly perfectly.

The Impact on Performance:

Although musically the Stooges should be receiving far more credit than they receive, their most visible impact is on the performance of rock and roll. Taking some of the performance art elements that were occurring at the time the Stooges produced more of an experience than a stage show. Although the psychedelic scene was doing interesting things with lights and color, and the Velvet Underground was pioneering the multimedia show earlier with Andy Warhol and the "Exploding Plastic Inevitable", the Stooges were doing something entirely different. These shows were the forerunners of the modern mosh pit and Iggy Pop (lead singer of the Stooges) is often credited as inventing the stage dive. Rock and roll shows were changing with harder rock coming around and Led Zeppelin was certainly pioneering the hard rock show, but they didn't offer the same aggression as the Stooges did in a live setting. Having never seen the Stooges live its hard for me to say exactly what a show would be like but I imagine it was like an animal let loose to run wild to attack and pounce, or pause and recline at will.

A pure primal release of aggression and emotion to music. This combined with their performance art and shock tactics (Iggy Pop was known to smear himself with peanut butter and blood as well as cut himself on stage, release primal screams and play a vacuum cleaner as an instrument) they developed the modern aggressive stage show and performance atmosphere. After listening to the Stooges I find it hard to not relate modern rock concerts directly to this period. The music lends itself perfectly to a high energy highly aggressive show that, although I don't know for sure if it ever happened, would be capped off perfectly with instrument smashing, hardcore mosh pits, and rioting. This might sound like a bad thing, but it paved the way for heavier artists and new concert ideas with far more interaction between the audience members and between the band and the audience. It also allowed the audience and the band an outlet for emotions that may be bottled up. A kind of primal scream therapy set to music.

The impact of these shows can be seen in the hard rock and metal shows of today that have huge mosh pits, stage diving and primal scream vocals. These shows represent the same outlet for emotion that was pioneered in 1969-1970 by the Stooges.

There was also a budding primal trend in the art community. Whether the idea was developed in the art community and the Stooges translated it to music or was taken from the increased aggression in music and translated to art is debatable. Either way both sides certainly impacted the other and helped bring these new ideas to the mainstream or at least a wider audience (the Stooges were never considered mainstream).

Unfortunately the shows also related themselves to the hard drug scene and hard drugs would eventually spell the downfall for the Stooges. This is a problem that exists to this day with hard rock, metal and aggressive music often having a relation to the hard drug scene.

Remembering the Stooges:

Whether you listen to their music or not it is important to acknowledge this band for their work in only a few short years. Serving as one of the starting points for so many rock and roll movements and for the aggressive, primal stage shows of modern metal, hard rock and punk, the Stooges have spread their influence everywhere in rock history. A band should not only be measured by their commercial or popular success but by their influence on future musicians and artists. The Beatles and Led Zeppelin made great music, but their work is timeless because of how many people they have influenced. The Stooges work has the same timeless quality and if you know rock and roll you can hear that influence from the very first listen.

If you're interested in the Stooges check out http://www.allmusic.com as well as their second album "Fun House" as it is my favorite.

References include http://www.allmusic.com for dates and timelines and my personal music collection.

D.A.N. (Dave Nuzzo) is the owner, editor and primary writer for an online magazine called The Sights and Sounds from the Fifth Column, a new publication dedicated to new ideas in all facets of society. It deals with topics ranging from music and art to politics and world events all while upholding ideas of freedom of speech, free thinking, creativity and human rights. This site is also dedicated to serving as a public forum for artist, musicians, writers or regular people to showcase their creative work ranging from traditional artwork, through writing and music to more recent digital media. It is the hope that the larger audience of this publication will help some of these lesser known artists or ideas reach the public.

Sights and Sounds of the Fifth Column, found at http://www.fifthcolumnmagazine.com