Out of all the artistic touchstones in David Bowie's mercurial career, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars remains one of his most celebrated and accessible bodies of work.
Tag: Classic Artists
Lyric of the Week: JAY-Z – Cashmere Thoughts
In observing all of JAY-Z's achievements, all roads point back to his seminal debut album, Reasonable Doubt, a landmark record for East Coast hip-hop that embodied the mafioso ethos which fueled many of New York’s great rap releases in the 1990s.
Classic Artist of the Week: Slick Rick
Often credited with introducing storytelling and narrative to rap music, Slick Rick is the most successful British-American rapper of all time.
Classic Artist of the Week: Stevie Ray Vaughan
This week’s Riffs & Rhymes Classic Artist is the leading light of the second coming of American blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Vaughan is often credited for the revival of blues in the 1980s.
The Lasting Influence of Gram Parsons, Country Music’s Greatest Connoisseur
Gram Parsons and his inner circle of country converts forever altered how roots and rock music intermingled. We retraced the work of Parsons' contemporaries to explore how they borrowed from and expanded upon the framework of his Cosmic American Music.
Top 20 Gram Parsons Songs
For his tragically short career, Gram Parsons churned out a bounty of memorable songs. Our picks for 20 of his very best.
Examining the Music That Made Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Offspring
Explore the wide range of influences that informed Gram Parsons and his jambalaya of American music.
GP: The Essential Gram Parsons Playlist
Get hip to the Grievous Angel's cosmic country with a comprehensive playlist of his best tracks.
Week of Gram: Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Country-Rock Pioneer Gram Parsons
This week, in honor of what would have been his 73rd birthday, Riffs & Rhymes is celebrating the musical legacy of country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.
Classic Artist of the Week: Roberta Flack
Hailing from Black Mountain, North Carolina, this week’s Riff’s & Rhymes Classic Artist is revered singer Roberta Flack.
Classic Artist of the Week: Big L
One of the most inherently gifted MCs of all time, this week’s Riffs & Rhymes classic artist is legendary Harlem rapper Lamont Coleman, aka Big L. Emerging from Harlem, NY in the early 1990s, Coleman became well known in underground circles for his freestyling ability. He once showed off his rhyme skills for renown producer … Continue reading Classic Artist of the Week: Big L
Classic Artist of the Week: Al Green
Often touted as one of the last of the great soul singers, this week’s Riffs & Rhymes classic artist is “The Reverend,” Al Green. During his upbringing, Green set a new standard for an entire genre that went far beyond his ability to top charts. His incomparable voice could be described as the perfect mix … Continue reading Classic Artist of the Week: Al Green