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KISS Revisit Destroyer & Prepare to Unleash a Monster
KISS may have released their debut, self-titled album nearly 40 years ago but, it wasn’t until the release of 1975’s ALIVE! live album that the band received mass notoriety beyond being known as the...
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Will The South Rise Again? Lynyrd Skynyrd Return With Last Of A Dyin’ Breed
Lynyrd Skynyrd, or at least the group of musicians currently using the name made famous in classic rock circles back in the mid- 1970’s, have a new album titled Last of a Dyin’ Breed out this week....
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Fall Music Preview – Looking At New Singles From Green Day, Matchbox 20, Bob...
While August has been fairly lacklustre in terms of solid new album releases, there’s a ton of great material on the horizon for Fall 2012. Many artists have released singles from their forthcoming...
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BIFF BAM POP! Presents The Essential Back To School Playlist
It’s the time of year where parents rejoice and children across the country begin counting the days until summer. Somehow, the back-to-school season is upon us again, and summer 2012 is all but over....
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Exclusive Album Review – Bob Dylan`s Tempest Takes Us On A Dark Journey
Bob Dylan has spent the last decade-and-a-half criss-crossing the world on his ‘never-ending tour’ while releasing four critically-acclaimed albums and one head-scratching holiday record. Next week...
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My First Guitar – Tales of True Love and Lost Chords Reviewed
If you’re a guitar player, or if you’ve ever owned or purchased a guitar, you have a story. There’s something romantic about owning a guitar and especially about your very first guitar. It’s kind of...
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Pink and Richie Sambora? In The Same Article?
There have been a ton of solid new releases over the past few weeks. Green Day, Grizzly Bear, Band Of Horses, The Killers and Mumford & Sons all have new albums out there definitely worth checking...
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Back To The Future: Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes Reviewed
If you had the opportunity to catch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on their triumphant Wrecking Ball Tour in 2012/2013, you’ll recall that one of the show’s highlights was the reworking of the...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – Special Feature on Wilco’s The Whole Love
Halfway through Wilco’s eighth studio album, Jeff Tweedy proclaims, “I would love to be the one to open up your mind.” The lyric is found at the heart of “Open Mind”, by far the most straight-forward...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – Roots Rock Four Ways – Ryan Adams, Jim Cuddy,...
Alt-Country, Roots Rock, Americana, Folk Rock or Country Rock – whatever you call it, I’m a fan. There’s just something about the combination of great song writing, soaring harmonies and the perfect...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – How do you take your metal? Mastodon, Dream...
This week’s new releases weren’t all that exciting to me so I decided instead to take a listen to some recent releases on the harder side of things. While metal’s forefathers Judas Priest, Motorhead...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – Idol vs. Idol vs. Icon
Idol vs. Idol… A few weeks back I made mention of the first single from American Idol season 10 winner Scotty McCreery and how I found it less than impressive. I had no intention of listening to the...
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Live Review – Butch Walker and the Black Widows, October 19, 2011 MOD Club,...
Butch Walker hosted a basement house party at the MOD Club in Toronto last night and unfortunately, only a handful of people got the invitation. Walker, an incredibly talented...
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Villains and Monsters Week – Dexter: Hero Or Villain?
Sometimes, there’s a very fine line between good and bad. These days, the hero doesn’t necessarily wear white and the villain isn’t always the guy in the black cape. Nowhere is this more evident then...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – Stump Puts His Stamp On R&B While Joe Jonas...
There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the world today. So sometimes, music just needs to be fun. Forget about the deep lyrics and challenging melodies and just go for some good old fashioned pop music...
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Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – Kelly Clarkson Gets Stronger and Brian Wilson...
Not a particularly stellar week of new material to cover. At this time of year many of the new releases are compilations, greatest hits packages and holiday records. Nothing wrong with any of these...
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The Beach Boys & U2 Deliver Timeless Classics With 45 Years Of History...
Last week I said I wouldn’t be reviewing any compilations or greatest hits releases as part of the RDIO column, but after listening to U2’s incredible reissue celebrating the 20th Anniversary of...
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Paul Is Dead, The 27 Club and Faked Deaths – Rock ‘n’ Roll Conspiracies That...
Since its earliest incarnation in the 1950’s, rock ‘n’ roll music has long been dubbed the devil’s music by religious groups and fundamentalists who didn’t care for the effects the music was having on...
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Noel Gallagher Goes Solo, Hedley Grows Up and Etta James Bows Out in this...
Talk to anybody who’s been part of the music business in recent years and they’ll tell you artist development is a difficult thing. Major record labels find new acts, rush them to market, burn them...
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The Rolling Stones Unlock Their Archive With The Brussels Affair – Perry...
The Rolling Stones have spent the better part of the last few years reliving what many believe to be the band’s glory years – 1969-1974. In 2010 the band released a remastered version of the 1972...
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Nickelback, Chris Cornell and The Rolling Stones Bring A Rockin’ End To Perry...
Lots of new music out there this week as artists attempt to make their way on to everyone’s holiday wish list. Two releases that caught my eye (and ears) were solo/acoustic live records by Chris...
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It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year…Unless Your Name Is Beiber or Weiland
Just like David Lee Roth, James Caann, Kirk Douglas and the late Dinah Shore-ah, for me, this time of year is all about lighting the Menorah. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the spirit of...
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Perry’s Playlist: The Roots and Amy Winehouse May Have New Albums, But Blue...
Perhaps it’s the overindulgence of holiday food and drink, or maybe it’s just the stress of mall hopping and the shortening of daylight hours this time of year, but I found myself more confused than...
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A Few Last Minute Picks From Perry’s 2011 Playlist
As 2011 takes its final bow in the coming days, everybody and their brother will have a ‘best-of’ list to share with the world. I don’t put too much stock in these lists other than to use them to go...
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Van Halen releases “Tattoo”– What Do You Think?
The web is abuzz about the brand new Van Halen single, “Tattoo”. It’s the first song to feature David Lee Roth on vocals since 1996’s single “Me Wise Magic” and “Can’t Get This Stuff No More”, and...
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New Year, Old Artists, New Music – Reunions lead the way so far in 2012.
Late in 2011 the buzz started building around 2012 being the ‘year of the reunion’. Both Van Halen and The Beach Boys were rumoured to be getting back together and everyone figures the Rolling Stones...
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Leonard Cohen Returns with Old Ideas while Lana Del Ray Tries To Deliver Some...
A songwriting legend returns to the studio, while a Internet sensation tries to prove she’s more than a YouTube fluke. Add It To The Collection – At 77 years of age Leonard Cohen should be sitting on a...
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Van Halen Follows Up 1984 With A Different Kind Of Truth: 28 Years Late, But...
I was skeptical. I didn’t think it would be any good. I figured it was a cash grab. I was wrong. Well, it might still be a cash grab, but a darn groovy one at that. Add It To The Collection: We...
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CBC Jumps On The Digital Music Band(Width)Waggon
Still not a lot of interesting new music out there, so rather than review some pretty sketchy releases I spent the week checking out the latest player to enter the digital music space, CBC Music....
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There’s Prog Rock and now there’s Newgrass: Punch Brothers, Carolina...
Bluegrass and old-time traditional folk or string band music isn’t exactly mainstream these days, but acts like Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, The Band Perry and The Civil Wars have received...
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March Madness: Madmen Of The Studio – Brian Wilson and Phil Spector Bring The...
Rock ‘n’ roll mythology is filled with stories of madness. Most of these tales are less about mental instability and more an example of what happens when fame, fortune and indulgences in various forms...
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Bruce Springsteen Takes a Wrecking Ball To The American Dream
Somehow Bruce Springsteen has managed to do what thousands have been trying to do for months with very little success. Without occupying anything, Springsteen has created an album of new material that...
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Saturday At The Movies: Journey 2: Mysterious Island Is Pure Family Fun
Last week I took my two kids, ages 7 and 9 to see Journey 2: Mysterious Island. I’d heard good things about the film and I think Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is just about perfect at picking roles that...
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Big Wreck Return To Canadian Airwaves With a Big Sound
In the late 90’s, modern-rock radio was phasing out the sounds of grunge and embracing ‘alternative’ acts like Radiohead, The Verve, Blur and Oasis. On pop radio, electronic acts like Prodigy,...
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Hello…Is It Lionel Richie Doing Country You’re Looking For?
When I was a mere 10 years old I found Lionel Richie almost inescapable. I wasn’t a fan – was more of a pop/rock guy at the time – and it seemed like his music was everywhere. From Toronto Rocks and...
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The Shins Embrace The Beach Boys, Madonna’s MDNA Is A Let Down and More Music...
Some interesting new music out there these days, not the least of which is Port Of Morrow by The Shins. Upon hearing the lead-off single, “Simple Song”, I immediately thought of The Beach Boys. From...
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Alalbama Shakes and Jack White Make The Cut As April’s Best New Releases
Apologies to the Biff Bam Pop! readership for being M.I.A. for the last few weeks but I haven’t been in front of a computer or keyboard long enough to write my name, let alone a full column. That said,...
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What do Willie Nelson and Adam Lambert have in common? Nothing, but they are...
Add It To The Collection: Willie Nelson, the perennial country outlaw, highwayman and poster boy for the legalization of pot, is on the cusp of his 80th birthday – there must be something to that...
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Slash Returns To Form, John Mayer Transforms and The Hip are At Transformation
Add It To The Collection: Hot on the heels of being inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as part of Guns ‘n’ Roses, iconic guitar god Slash has released his second solo album, Apocalyptic Love....
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It’s Time To Shake Things Up at American Idol
With season 11 of American Idol all wrapped up and Phillip Phillips starting his reign as winner, this summer should be filled with rumours and speculation surrounding the Idol judging panel. Who’s in,...
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Neil Young And Crazy Horse – Americana Album Preview
Have you ever been to one of those music groups for little kids? If you haven’t, let me paint the picture for you. You have 5-10 infants in a room with a parent or guardian (usually a mom) and a hired...
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The Beach Boys, Joe Walsh and Chris Robinson Deliver Three Waves of...
Add It To The Collection: When I first heard The Beach Boys were getting back together to celebrate their 50th anniversary with an album and tour I accepted the news with mixed feelings. Having seen...
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Rush Rocks On Their 20th Studio Album, Jimmy Fallon Blows His 1st
Add It To The Collection: Canada’s greatest exports since hockey are back with their 20th studio album, Clockwork Angels, which sees the 38-year-old band delivering a new twist on the sound that can...
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The Smashing Pumpkins Return To Form With Oceania
There was a time when one could argue that The Smashing Pumpkins were the biggest band in the world. In the mid-1990’s, after the loss of Kurt Cobain and before Radiohead’s OK Computer and the...
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Stone Temple Pilots…Alive and Well On New Concert DVD/Blu-Ray
Stone Temple Pilots are set to release their first-ever live concert DVD/Blu-Ray this week featuring a blend of the bands’ greatest hits with new material from their 2010 self-titled album. Alive in...
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Maroon 5 Look For More Moves Like Jagger on Overexposed
Maroon 5 recently released their fourth studio album, Overexposed, which could be referring to a number of things when it comes to lead singer Adam Levine, who seems to be everywhere these days. From...
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Are You In The Club? How Some Rock n Roll Fan Clubs Reward Fan Loyalty
Last week’s new releases left me feeling completely uninspired, so instead I decided to take a look at the lengths some bands will go to make their fans feel special. The notion of a fan club is...
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Mariah Carey Joins American Idol, But Who Will Bring The Viewers Back?
Back in May when rumours started swirling about changes to the American Idol judging panel we made some suggestions for getting ‘AI’ back on top as the preeminent singing/talent reality shows. You can...
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Exclusive: Former Black Crowes Drummer Steve Gorman Discusses His New Book...
On February 13, 2020, Shake Your Money Maker, the debut album from Georgia rockers The Black Crowes celebrated its 30th anniversary. The album is an undeniable classic. Clocking in at forty-three...
View ArticleBBP!’s Album of the Week: “The Rising,” Bruce Springsteen (2002)
Confession: I experienced my first Bruce Springsteen concert in November 1992 on the Lucky Town/Human Touch tour and if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t enjoy it. Toronto’s SkyDome (aka Rogers...
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