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Bruce Springsteen is getting some unfavorable comparisons to John Mellencamp following the latter's meltdown at a recent show. The musician walked off after getting into it with a heckler. Now, fans are saying Springsteen and Mellencamp are cut from the same cloth. Taking to social media, several critics blasted Mellencamp and also brought Springsteen into the conversation. Critics claim that both Mellencamp and Springsteen are out of touch with the fanbase that once propped them up. One person wrote, "I have seen JCM five times. Just like Springsteen, these guys used to be in touch with the common man. They...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has responded to the dozens of bands who have pulled out of this year’s SXSW Festival in protest of its sponsorship deal with the U.S. Army. “Bye. Don’t come back,” Abbott wrote Tuesday in a post on X. “We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.” Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t...

Yes, this is a vanity, because in these times we all need a break, and thats why I come here sometimes. So...who do you choose?

I'm feeling like hearing some interesting music that I've never heard before, so I thought I'd start a thread on FReeper's favorite underrated bands. Post several good examples of their music and why you feel they're underrated. Should be fun.

When Foster the People's anti-gun violence anthem, "Pumped Up Kicks," was released in 2010, it quickly went viral. But not everyone immediately noticed the cautionary tale about gun violence that lead singer Mark Foster relates in the lyrics: "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks/ You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun." Although its tone is jubilant and upbeat -- prompting some fans to blast it during celebratory times -- "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a boy named Robert, who fantasizes about shooting up his school. SNIP With emotions raw after Vegas, Foster said that he and...

These eight bands may not have the Christian Rock label but biblical themes and their Christian faith are at the root of much of their music. 1. Lenny Kravitz American rock singer-songwriter, Lenny Kravitz is a devout Christian and his spirituality transcends not only in the spiritual themes of his music but also in his personal life – he committed to remain celibate for years and has a cross tattoo on his back as a reminder of his faith. Did you know Kravitz’s song “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” is about Jesus? 2. U2 From the Bono led Irish...

It was 50 years ago today that The Beatles landed in America for the first time. Could any other group ever hope to top the talents of these beloved moptops? Well ...Yeah, yeah, yeah! Check out 11 bands that I think took the Fab Four’s pop revolution and made it even better, way beyond compare

Down the Road a Piece is a boogie-woogie-style jam written by Don Raye. In 1940, a version was put to vinyl by the Will Bradley Trio that went on to be a Top Ten hit in the US. The song was subsequently recorded by a variety of jazz, blues, and rock artists. British band Manfred Mann -a beat/R-n-B group- released their cover version of it in 1964, on the album 'The Five Faces of Manfred Mann', a critically-acclaimed record that has been called "one of the great blues-based British invasion albums; it's a hot, rocking record that benefits from some virtuoso...

Watertown - Back when "The Star Spangled Banner" was simply a patriotic song, when community bands marched off to war together and drummer boys died on battlefields still clutching their drumsticks, a group of young men from a small Wisconsin town played the soundtrack of the Civil War. They left behind no recordings. But their music can still be heard. Through the efforts of another hearty band, the tradition of young musicians whose patriotic fervor spurred them to join the Union Army and leave behind their families continues in Wisconsin. The 1st Brigade Band is a group of around 100...

On April 14, 1865, after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender, President Abraham Lincoln said: “Now Let the Band Play Dixie; it belongs neither to the South, nor to the North but to us all."

...Adapted from Pamela Des Barres' bestselling book... the doc follows Des Barres... as she travels across the country reconnecting and reminiscing with the women who lived up to their reputations. ...“Rock 'n’ roll is art, but it also means sex, so it’s just the perfect combination -- especially for the young teenage girl. I remember when Mick Jagger lit me up when I was 15, and I thought, 'OK, I want some of that.' [But] our relationship was purely sexual.” Des Barres was motivated to log her experiences, and those of her pals, because she felt the word "groupie" had...

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates frequently makes the point that Congress funds Defense Department personnel far more easily than it does State Department employees. "There are about 6,000 FSOs," or Foreign Service officers, he told an audience in San Francisco this month. He drew laughter when he added that former secretary of state "Condi Rice used to say, 'We have more people in military bands than they have in the Foreign Service.' She was not far wrong." Well, maybe Gates should take a closer look at those military bands during his campaign to trim defense spending. My interest was triggered...

The chorus of artists against Arizona continues to widen because of the state's upcoming immigration law. The Sound Strike announced on its Web site that Nine Inch Nails and Maroon 5 are the latest acts to skip Arizona in response to the passage of SB 1070. The Sound Strike says a boycott is the most effective form of noncompliance with a law that threatens the civil and human rights of everyday people living within the state. The group says it has become clear that to perform in Arizona, with this divisive and unjust law on the books, is no longer...

Just hours prior to his death, Sarah Palin, extended her get well wishes to one of her personal heroes: former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden. Coach Wooden passed away last night at the age of 99.

There's a bit of a trend brewing this summer concert season -- put together a couple of big-name acts for a nationwide tour, then record a song together to promote the event. Members of Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey in 2003. Styx and REO have teamed up for a song and tour. Members of Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey in 2003. Styx and REO have teamed up for a song and tour. It started with classic rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx, with their "Can't Stop Rockin' " tour and single of the same name. Now Chicago and Earth, Wind &...

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 – As a group of leading diplomats, military officials and scholars made its way into the Russian Embassy here March 17, none of them quite knew what to expect. They had been invited to see a joint performance by brass quintets from the U.S. Army Band and the Russian National Orchestra. The U.S. Army Band's brass quintet performs for a group of leading diplomats, military officials and scholars at the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., March 17, 2009. They were joined by the brass quintet from the Russian National Orchestra. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for...

A colleague of mine and I were discussing great groups that would be ideal for entertaining at the Republican National Convention, and I thought why not see if any of the many brilliant freepers might have a bit of wisdom in this matter. I'm a little older so not too up on all that hip music the kids are listening to, but some good ideas were: 3 Doors Down Switchfoot Sara Evans and my favorite: Hall & Oates (I told you I was old) I appreciate any constructive ideas. Thanks in advance. C6P

We had an extended debate at the office today....what was the best "MTv Unplugged" performance? Me? Hands down....Alice in Chains! Before any reasons are discussed ..... I was curious as to anyone else's opinions or preferences on the topic?

Like countless parents before him, Steven Tyler is shocked at the music that's been blaring out of his fifteen-year-old son's bedroom lately. But the Aerosmith frontman can hardly disapprove. "I walk by at night and my son is listening to Zeppelin stuff, like 'Black Dog,'" Tyler says. "He's turned all his friends on to Cream, and they're all into [Aerosmith's] Toys in the Attic. I told him, 'I can't believe you're listening to this.'" Though classic rock is in no danger of edging out emo and hip-hop on most teenagers' playlists, a growing number of kids are also making room...

"It's been two and a-half years now. The vow is over, but I wanted to keep cruising." Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has vowed to remain celibate, even though he has beaten his original goal to not have sex for two years. The rocker, 35, found celibacy helped his songwriting skills and vowed to give up sex as he wrote Weezer's current album 'Make Believe.' The singer has now spent 30 months without intimacy, and insists it's becoming easier to resist temptation. He tells Blender magazine, "It's been two and a-half years now. The vow is over, but I wanted to...