Christina Aguilera

After Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera was the most popular female singer of the late-'90s teen pop revival. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Aguilera was a technically skilled singer with a genuinely powerful voice, belting out her uptempo dance numbers and ballads with a diva's panache. Born Christina Maria Aguilera on December 18, 1980, on Staten Island, her parents were of Irish and Ecuadorian stock and her father's military career meant the family moved quite a bit during her childhood. They eventually settled in Pittsburgh, PA, where Aguilera began performing in talent shows at age six, with considerable success. She appeared on Star Search in 1988 (though she didn't win) and in 1992 joined the cast of the Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club, which also included Spears, future *NSYNC members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, and Felicity star Keri Russell.

After two years, Aguilera moved to Japan, where she recorded the hit duet "All I Wanna Do" with pop star Keizo Nakanishi. Returning to the U.S. in 1998, Aguilera recorded the song "Reflection" for Disney's Mulan; her performance helped earn her a record deal with RCA. Her self-titled debut album was released in the summer of 1999, and with teen-oriented dance-pop all the rage, the lead single "Genie in a Bottle" shot to the top of the charts for five weeks; the album also hit number one on its way to sales of over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. The follow-up, "What a Girl Wants," was the first number one single of the year 2000 and Aguilera consolidated her near-instant stardom by performing at the White House Christmas gala and the Super Bowl halftime show, and winning a Grammy for Best New Artist. Further hits followed in "I Turn to You" and another number one, "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)."

In September 2000, seeking a place in that year's Latin pop boom, the part-Ecuadorian Aguilera recorded a Spanish-language album called Mi Reflejo, learning the lyrics phonetically since she didn't speak Spanish. It was followed quickly by the holiday album My Kind of Christmas; both sold extremely well, a testament to Aguilera's popularity. In the spring of 2001, Aguilera was featured -- along with Pink, Mya, and Lil' Kim -- on the chart-topping blockbuster remake of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" featured on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Aguilera was by now a fixture at music industry awards shows; as she enjoyed her celebrity, a collection of old demos -- recorded when she was 14 and 15 -- was released under the title Just Be Free, despite Aguilera's vehement objections.

Aguilera attempted to deter the mass media's expectations when she issued her second studio album in fall 2002. Stripped, which appeared in October on RCA, was quickly criticized for its adult yet confident approach. Aguilera's look had gone from glossy to gritty. She appeared topless on the cover of the album and went nude for a fall issue of Rolling Stone. Debut single "Dirrty" revealed her new sexual power and became a chart smash, while "Beautiful" showed her softer side. For her next record, however, Aguilera split from producer Scott Storch and went to work with DJ Premier and Linda Perry, among others, for the 2006 Back to Basics, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album, a two-disc set that explored her influences, mainly '20s, '30s, and '40s jazz and blues in the style of Etta James or Billie Holiday, portrayed a more mature, yet at the same time provocative, singer. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

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Agony Scene , the or The Agony Scene

Agnostic Front

At the dawn of the '80s, New York City was mired in debt and crime, grappling with one of the most trying periods in its history, yet ironically (or perhaps fittingly), its underground music scene was seething with activity like never before. Still reeling from the violent inception and subsequent implosion of punk rock, hundreds of underprivileged kids living in Manhattan and its outlying boroughs began forming rock groups to rail against the everyday trials, dangers, and prejudices of urban existence. As had been happening in other urban centers (most notably L.A. and Washington, D.C.) equally affected by the lean, recession-laced early years of Reaganomics, New York became a melting pot/hub for a flourishing hardcore scene -- a cultural phenomenon that used punk rock as a platform for politically charged, inherently regional musical catharsis.

And though it would eventually splinter into countless subgenres, at least initially NYHC (New York Hard Core) far superseded the original punk movement's ragged collective (known as much for art rockers like Talking Heads and Television as it was for "true" punks like the Ramones and Dictators) in terms of a cohesive creative vision. Among the bands at the forefront of this united, seemingly unstoppable army were Agnostic Front, whose frantic, minimalist assault and sociopolitical rants came to epitomize the essence of hardcore, New York f*ckin' City style.

Guitarist Vinnie Stigma was a first-generation punk rocker and an early-'80s skinhead who finally got around to forming his own band, Zoo Crew, in mid-1982, with vocalist John Watson. But Watson only lasted a few months before being replaced by Cuban-born Union City, NJ, native Roger Miret, a product of refugee parents with firsthand experience in social injustice and opinionated views about politics coursing through his veins. When combined with Stigma's primal rhythm guitar ferocity, Miret's charisma as a decadent urban messiah would come to personify AF's sound. Bassist Adam Moochie and drummer Ray Beez joined soon after and, after adopting the new name Agnostic Front (at Stigma's insistence because he thought it sounded like a movement), they recorded their first independent release, the United Blood EP, the following year. This was followed by 1984's career-defining Victim in Pain album, which contained a 15-minute blast of pure New York hardcore and saw the arrival of new members Rob Kabula (bass) and Jimmy Colletti (drums). It also confirmed Agnostic Front's brief status as leaders (along with precursors the Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law) of the already cresting movement, which found its weekly showcase via the now legendary Sunday matinees at favorite Lower East side haunts A7 and CBGB's.

But Agnostic Front were always on the verge of collapse due to Miret and Stigma's mercurial relationship and, like most of their hardcore brethren, were already tampering with their sound. Inevitably, as their musicianship continued to improve, the bandmembers (now including drummer Louie Beatto and additional guitarist Alex Kinon) began losing some of their raw hardcore spontaneity, and with heavy metal growing in popularity day by day, it was no surprise when they started experimenting with the tightly controlled velocity of thrash metal (i.e., buzzsaw riffing and double kick drums). Coincidentally picked up by the speed metal-friendly Combat Records, they struggled through the sessions for what would become 1986's Cause for Alarm album, today acknowledged as a crossover landmark alongside efforts by D.R.I. and Corrosion of Conformity. It was also considered a betrayal and a travesty by many of the band's early supporters, who couldn't have cared less that Cause for Alarm was teaching thousands of metal heads to appreciate hardcore.

Some saw 1987's subsequent Liberty & Justice For..., which featured an entirely revised cast of backup musicians in guitarist Steve Martin (no relation), bassist Alan Peters, and drummer Will Shepler and did away with the metal-style drumming to pursue a looser, less disciplined direction, as an act of compromise. Not that it mattered: the original hardcore scene had pretty much disintegrated by this time anyway, with growing dissension among the movement's many factions (straight-edge, skinheads, etc.) transforming most concerts into armed combat, and leading to many clubs being shut down. Released in 1989, Live at CBGB's (with new bassist Craig Setari) collected Agnostic Front's best-loved material as heard in the band's natural element and, in a way, symbolized the NYHC's official wake. As if to punctuate that fact, Roger Miret was arrested soon thereafter on serious drug charges and sentenced to nearly two years in prison.

In the interim, Vinnie Stigma and Agnostic Front carried on as best they could, undertaking their first European tour with new guitarist Matt Henderson and substitute singer Alan Peters, while Miret found solace writing lyrics about his predicament. These would comprise the bulk of 1992's comeback album, the overtly metallic One Voice, which was pretty much dead on arrival, since much of Agnostic Front's following had moved on to other things during the band's extended absence. A greatest-hits set entitled To Be Continued was also issued at this time, prompting Agnostic Front to call it a day following a farewell concert at (where else?) CBGB's. The final show was recorded for 1993's Last Warning, after which Stigma and Henderson formed Madball with Miret's younger brother Freddy Cricien.

Come 1997, however, Stigma and Miret began discussing a possible comeback for Agnostic Front. And when top punk label Epitaph Records showed interest, the band's long-rumored resurrection became fact, with former members Rob Kabula and Jimmy Colletti completing the lineup that recorded both 1998's Something's Gotta Give and 1999's Riot, Riot, Upstart in quick succession. The latter boasted an especially strong set of retro-hardcore, and featured guest appearances from M.O.D.'s Billy Milano and Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, among others. With the hardcore scene that they'd helped build effectively dead in the dirt, few listeners outside the band's New York stomping grounds seemed to care about their return, but Agnostic Front continue to perform and record occasional albums like 2001's Dead Yuppies (with new bassist Mike Gallo), 2003's Working Class Heroes, 2005's Another Voice and 2006's CD/DVD Live at CBGB's. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

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against me!

The roots of Against Me!'s rousing punk-folk sound lie in Tom Gabel's guitar-and-stool troubadourship around his native Gainesville, FL, beginning in 1997. The then 17-year-old Gabel performed as a solo act wherever anyone would have him, drawing much influence from early acoustic protest music. The band around him would eventually solidify by 2001 -- including guitarist James Bowman, drummer Warren Oakes, and bassist Andrew Seward -- and get considerably louder as punk bands often do. But there would always be some anarchism and Billy Bragg in the raucous braggadocio. After a few initial 12" and 7" releases, Against Me! issued the fan-favorite Reinventing Axl Rose through No Idea in 2002. The underground hit blended elements of punk, folk, and country into socially conscious and impassioned anthems for late-night basement shows and bars. Continuing their reputation of always being on the road, countless tour dates were played around the country. The slightly more polished As the Eternal Cowboy followed from Fat Wreck in 2003, and after a DVD (We're Never Going Home) and another 7", the band returned with their most mature effort to date, 2005's Searching for a Former Clarity. A subsequent headlining tour in support of the introspective and politically aggressive album saw the band proudly hitting every U.S. state. They signed to Sire Records in December 2005 and were back on the road by spring 2006 opening for the Alkaline Trio. That summer found Against Me! on the main stage at Warped Tour, their first time on the festival. Though the guys were officially now on the roster at Sire, they released the live album Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!! on Fat Wreck in August 2006. Recorded while on tour in London with Murder by Death, it harnessed the band's notoriously invigorating live show as well as any album could. Finally, in July of the following year, the band's major-label debut, New Wave, a decidedly more rock-oriented record produced by Butch Vig, hit shelves. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

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afters, the or the afters

The unlikely origin of the Texas-based rock quartet The Afters is steeped in caffeine.

Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua were working together at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas while playing for other bands. On slow nights, they entertained customers and themselves by playing a few acoustic songs. "I'm sure we weren't supposed to be playing music on the clock, but the customers liked it," Havens jokes.

They wound up playing an acoustic show together at a church conference, and were surprised when people came up to them after the show asking where they were playing next. "We thought it would be fun to play a show and then go back to our bands," Fuqua explains. "Instead we were overwhelmed with incredible feedback from people. We decided to keep playing together and see where it took us."

The road led to a series of acoustic shows at The Door, a legendary Dallas club. "We wound up with 300 people at our first show and the crowds got bigger every time we played," Havens recalls.

Agreeing to shift from acoustic to electric, Fuqua and Havens began looking for a drummer and bassist. Naturally they found what they were looking for at Starbucks. Dodd, a regular customer at their Starbucks, joined to play drums and Wigg, a Starbucks employee, signed up to play bass. The band's powerful performances earned The Afters a loyal following and for two years the band packed The Door consistently.

Wigg explains, "We were able to draw people in at our live performances initially through our onstage charisma. Especially Josh. He has that sort of dreamy, wistful look of innocent vulnerability while maintaining a degree of confident charm. But when you break the show down to its elements there's a great deal of variety to be found. Josh sings, I sing, Matt sings, we have pop songs, we have really dramatic rock-your-face-off songs, we have sweeping, melodic ballads. There really is something for everyone."

In 2000, The Afters went into the studio to record a six-song EP. They sold all 2,000 copies in a few weeks and earned enough money to return to the studio to cut their debut, When The World is Wonderful. Independently released in 2001 under their original name Blisse, the album sold more than 25,000 copies and became a staple on Dallas rock radio.

The band knew it was onto something, but it was a show on Halloween 2002 that convinced Dodd. "That was when I knew I was finally going to be able to quit Starbucks," he says with a laugh. "We were on stage and all of a sudden the parts clicked into place at the same time. It felt like nothing could stop us."

Two years later and with a new moniker, The Afters signed with Simple/INO Records to record their follow-up, I Wish We Could All Win. Based on the strength of the album, Epic Records agreed to sign The Afters and re-release the album in the winter of 2005.

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after the tragedy

Although After the Tragedy's members are only between the ages of 17 and 23, the Cabot, Arkansas quintet has set up do-it-yourself tours all across the Midwest, spreading their gospel of incredibly melodic hooks and passionate indie rock. Forming in August 2003, singer Joel, bassist Ron, drummer Kody and guitarists Jon and James independently recorded and released their full-length debut entitled The Beautiful Brand New in April of 2005.


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afroman

Born Joseph Foreman, Afroman may be the first artist to achieve a worldwide hit with the assistance of the Internet. Citing his influences as Too Short, Big Daddy Kane, and 2 Live Crew, he began his rap career in the eighth grade when he started making homemade tapes of his own songs and passing them out to his classmates. He got his start as a performer at church where he played drums and eventually moved on to playing guitar. For a while, he used to work as a baggage handler at an airport while trying to make an impression with his songs.

He was still living in East Palmdale, Los Angeles, when in November 1999 Afroman released his first album, Sell Your Dope, and played parties, sidewalks, and contests. Not finding L.A. to his liking, he moved to Hattiesburg, MS, where he teamed up with drummer Jody Stallone and keyboardist/bassist Daryl Havard. In the spring of 2000 he concocted his second LP, Because I Got High, with producer Tim Ramenofsky. He distributed it at shows and with the help of T-Bone Records in Hattiesburg. The more people he performed for, the more word of mouth spread, with not just a little help from the Internet's controversial music-file swapping service, Napster. Someone who got his hands on his music at a show posted the track "Because I Got High" to Napster and suddenly everything changed for Afroman. Then Howard Stern's radio show boosted "Because I Got High"'s popularity by playing the song on his show. The song "Because I Got High" was based on Afroman's inability to clean up his room. The song lists a number of activities -- cleaning his room, going to court, attending class -- that get derailed because of "reefer madness."

Afroman eventually also gained the attention of Universal Records, who signed him to a six-album deal. His first Universal album, The Good Times, was a compilation of his first two LPs and a few new ones. "Because I Got High" was also included on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. "Because I Got High" became a huge hit around the world in the last quarter of 2001. When he returned in 2004, he did so in a big way, with the double-disc Afroholic...the Even Better Times, albeit he did so independently. Free of Universal, he wrote, produced, and recorded Afroholic on his own, marketed it largely via the Internet (www.afromanmusic.com), and toured with a live band. The holiday album Jobe Bells followed in 2004 and then came Drunk'n'High in 2006. ~ Ed Nimmervoll, All Music Guide

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afi

Hardcore punk revivalists AFI (A Fire Inside) originally formed in 1991 when their members -- vocalist Davey Havok, guitarist Markus Stopholese, bassist Vick, and drummer Adam Carson -- were attending high school in Ukiah, CA. Vick was replaced by Geoff Kresge after several months, and the band played a few local gigs and released a split 7" titled Dork with fellow Ukiah natives Loose Change (a band that incidentally included future AFI member Jade Puget). An EP titled Behind the Times was released as well. The bandmembers then split up to attend different colleges, with Kresge temporarily moving to New Jersey to join Blanks 77, and all assumed East Bay's AFI was defunct. However, the band reconvened during a holiday break from school to play a one-off reunion show, and audience response was so positive that the bandmembers decided to quit school and concentrate on music full-time.

A couple of singles preceded a record deal with the Nitro label, which issued the band's second album, Very Proud of Ya, in 1996. Two LPs followed in 1997 -- a re-release of their 1995 debut, Answer That and Stay Fashionable, and Shut Your Mouth & Open Your Eyes -- and personnel shifts ensued; Kresge was the first to leave, being replaced by Hunter Burgan, and Stopholese departed in favor of ex-Redemption 87 guitarist Jade Puget, who then shared songwriting duties with Havok. The new lineup recorded an EP titled A Fire Inside in 1998, and issued a noticeably more mature full-length in 1999, Black Sails in the Sunset. 1999 also saw the release of the All Hallow's EP before The Art of Drowning followed a year later. Though already owning a fiercely loyal core base of fans, the latter album saw the band's music being received by an even larger audience, due in part to the moderate success of the single "Days of the Phoenix."

In the new millennium, AFI hooked up with Jerry Finn and Garbage's Butch Vig for some recording. The end result was the ambitious Sing the Sorrow, released in March 2003, their major-label debut for DreamWorks that showcased the band's significant growth from their early hardcore days. The record also marked AFI's crossover into the mainstream as their fan base considerably grew, national news publications praised them, and several singles found airplay on MTV. Working again with producer Jerry Finn (blink-182, Green Day), the band's next record was their most labor-intensive to date, resulting from two years of detailed songwriting. Decemberunderground, album number seven, surfaced on June 6, 2006, on Interscope. The album was an instant success, debuting at number one on the Billboard charts. AFI kept the momentum going on the road nationwide that summer, followed by a string of overseas dates in October. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

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afghan wigs

Evolving from a garage punk band in the vein of the Replacements, Dinosaur Jr., and Mudhoney to a literate, pretentious, soul-inflected post-punk quartet, the Afghan Whigs were one of the most critically acclaimed alternative bands of the early '90s. Although the band never broke into the mainstream, they developed a dedicated cult following, primarily because of lead singer/songwriter Greg Dulli's tortured, angst-ridden tales of broken relationships and self-loathing. The Afghan Whigs were one of the few alternative bands around in the late '90s to acknowledge R&B, attempting to create a fusion of soul and post-punk.

The Afghan Whigs were formed when the members -- vocalist/rhythm guitarist Greg Dulli, bassist John Curley, lead guitarist Rick McCollum, and drummer Steve Earle -- were attending the University of Cincinnati. Dulli, who was raised in Hamilton, OH, was studying film at the university, where he met fellow students McCollum and Earle. Unlike the rest of the band, Curley didn't attend the University of Cincinnati. He arrived in the city to intern as a photographer at the Cincinnati Enquirer, which his father -- who published USA Today -- arranged for him; for the next few years, Curley continued to shoot pictures for the paper, quitting only when the band's schedule became too busy for him to work both jobs. Dulli happened to meet Curley when visiting a friend's apartment building. Eventually, the pair formed the Afghan Whigs in 1986, along with McCollum and Earle.

In 1988, the Afghan Whigs released their debut album, Big Top Halloween, on their independent record label, Ultrasuede. The album received good word-of-mouth in underground music publications and college radio. A copy of the record worked its way to the influential Seattle-based independent record label Sub Pop, and the label arranged for the Whigs to release a one-off single. The single led to a full-blown record contract with Sub Pop. Up in It, their first Sub Pop album, was released in 1990. For the next two years, the Afghan Whigs toured America consistently, occasionally heading over to Europe and England. In 1992, their third album, Congregation, was released to very positive reviews. After its release, the band was courted by a number of major labels. The band released one more record on Sub Pop, an EP of soul and R&B covers called Uptown Avondale, and signed to Elektra Records.

Gentlemen, the band's major-label debut, was released to considerable critical acclaim in the fall of 1993. "Debonair," the first single pulled from the album, received major play from MTV, and all of the reviews were positive. Nevertheless, the band wasn't able to ascend past cult status and all the critical praise even engendered a backlash, most notably in the form of an anti-Whigs fanzine called Fat Greg Dulli. In the summer of 1994, the band released the What Jail Is Like EP to coincide with their American tour. Upon the completion of their international tour in the fall of 1994, the band took an extended break. Steve Earle left the band in the spring of 1995; he was replaced by Paul Buchignani, just before the band entered the studio to record their fifth album. Black Love, their second album for Elektra, was released in the spring of 1996. Again, the album received positive reviews but the band failed to break out of their cult status. 1965, their first effort for new label Columbia, followed two years later. However, with the bandmembers living in different states, it would prove to be their last; in February of 2001, the band called it quits, citing geographical separation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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aesop rock

Building on the rapping style of eccentrics Kool Keith and Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Def Jux headliner Aesop Rock became one of the hottest MCs in the post-millennial underground. After a pair of self-released LPs (Appleseed, Music for Earthworms), he recorded Float for Mush in 2000. The former Ian Bavitz then issued a pair of singles -- "Coma" and "Boom Box" -- for another underground rap label paragon, Definitive Jux. His second full-length, 2001's Labor Days, earned positive reviews and featured production from El-P and Blockhead. The Daylight EP kept his name in the papers, and his Def Jux follow-up, Bazooka Tooth, was released in September 2003. A seven-track EP, Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives, followed in early 2005. In early 2007 Aesop Rock composed a 45-minute piece for Nike's Original Run series, a continuous track meant to be listened to while jogging (other artists included LCD Soundsystem and the Crystal Method), and by September his much-anticipated full-length, None Shall Pass, which included guest appearances from El-P and John Darnielle (from the Mountain Goats), came out. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

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Aerosmith

Perry Project. Night in the Ruts performed respectably, climbing to number 14 and going gold, yet it was the least successful Aerosmith record to date. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies. The new lineup of Aerosmith released Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Peaking at number 32, it failed to match the performance of Night in the Ruts. Perry and Whitford returned to the band in 1984 and the group began a reunion tour dubbed Back in the Saddle. Early in the tour, Tyler collapsed on-stage, offering proof that the band hadn't conquered their notorious drug and alcohol addictions. The following year, Aerosmith released Done with Mirrors, the original lineup's first record since 1979 and their first for Geffen Records. Although it didn't perform as well as Rock in a Hard Place, the album showed that the band was revitalized.

After the release of Done with Mirrors, Tyler and Perry completed rehabilitation programs. In 1986, the pair appeared on Run-D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way," along with appearing in the video. "Walk This Way" became a hit, reaching number four and receiving saturation airplay on MTV. "Walk This Way" set the stage for the band's full-scale comeback effort, the Bruce Fairburn-produced Permanent Vacation (1987). Tyler and Perry collaborated with professional hard rock songwriters like Holly Knight and Desmond Child, resulting in the hits "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Rag Doll," and "Angel." Permanent Vacation peaked at number 11 and sold over three million copies.

Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes." Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. Like Permanent Vacation and Pump, Get a Grip was produced by Bruce Fairburn and featured significant contributions by professional songwriters. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years that fulfilled their contract with the label; it went double platinum shortly after its release.

While Aerosmith was at the height of their revitalized popularity in the early '90s, the group signed a lucrative multi-million dollar contract with Columbia Records, even though they still owed Geffen two albums. It wasn't until 1995 that the band was able to begin working on their first record under the new contract -- nearly five years after the contract was signed. The making of Aerosmith albums usually had been difficult affairs, but the recording of Nine Lives was plagued with bad luck. The band went through a number of producers and songwriters before settling on Kevin Shirley in 1996. More damaging, however, was the dismissal of the band's manager, Tim Collins, who'd been responsible for bringing the band back from the brink of addiction. Upon his firing, Collins insinuated that Steven Tyler was using hard drugs again, an allegation that Aerosmith adamantly denied.

Under such circumstances, recording became quite difficult, and when Nine Lives finally appeared in the spring of 1997, it was greeted with great anticipation, yet the initial reviews were mixed and even though album debuted at number one, it quickly fell down the charts. The live A Little South of Sanity followed in 1998. Three years later, Aerosmith strutted their stuff on the halftime special on CBS with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Nelly, *N Sync, and Britney Spears, just prior to issuing their heart-stomping Just Push Play in March 2001. Next up for the band was a blues album, Honkin' on Bobo, released in 2004, along with two live album/DVDs, You Gotta Move and Rockin' the Joint. Another greatest-hits collection, Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith arrived in 2006. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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aeon,xavier or xavier aeon

adema

Adema formed in the California Central Valley that spawned Korn and Videodrone. The melodic hard rock band consists of guitarist Mike Ransom, guitarist Tim Fluckey, bassist Dave DeRoo, drummer Kris Kohls, and singer Mark Chavez, the younger half-brother of Korn's Jonathan Davis. Adema consists of former members of Bakersfield bands Juice and SexArt, which included Davis and Ryan Shuck of Orgy. The lineup had been together for a year before ever performing live. The demos they wrote in that time secured them a deal with Arista after a major-label bidding war, created undoubtedly because of Chavez's family lineage. Their debut self-titled album was written in a northern California cabin where tight quarters and a little cabin fever resulted in productive (and slightly aggressive) sessions. Adema recorded the album in Los Angeles with producers Bill Appleberry (7th House) and Tobias Miller (Wallflowers guitarist). Adema was released in August 2001 and was considered by the music industry to be a test of hitmaker and new Arista president Antonio Reid's ability to succeed outside of the R&B genre. That success led to a coveted main stage spot on the Ozzfest tour and certified gold record the following year. Adema released a six-song EP, Insomniac's Dream, before unleashing their full-length follow-up, the Howard Benson-produced Unstable in 2003. The album was a success, but the collapse of Arista left the group without a home, a problem soon remedied by the indie label Earache. Besides losing support from a major, the band also lost guitarist Mike Ransom and lead singer Mark Chavez, who left the band to pursue other interests. After sifting through numerous other aspiring crooners, the group settled on fellow Southern Californian Luke Caraccioli and headed back into the studio, and the resulting Planets was released in April 2005. This particular lineup didn't last long, however. Caraccioli quit the band soon after the album came out, though he was replaced the following year by Bobby Reeves, who had previously sung in the L.A. band LEVEL, bringing along with him guitarist Ed Faris. Signed to Immortal Records, Adema issued Kill the Headlights in summer 2007. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide

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adem

British singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Adem Ilhan writes pastoral pop that's augmented by eclectic instrumentation and wistful and irreverent lyrics. He began recording in his teens as the bass player for the popular post-rock trio Fridge, recording four full-length records and releasing numerous singles and EPs. In 2003 he signed with Domino, home to a diverse group of artists including Franz Ferdinand and Juana Molina. He released his debut (Homesongs) in 2004, followed by Love and Other Planets in 2006. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

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adam,ryan or ryan adam

Mixing the heartfelt angst of a singer/songwriter with the cocky brashness of a garage rocker, Ryan Adams is at once one of the few artists to emerge from the alt-country scene to achieve mainstream commercial success and the one who most strongly refused to be defined by the genre, leaping from one spot to another stylistically as he follows his increasingly prolific muse.

Adams was born in Jacksonville, NC, in 1974. While country music was a major part of his family's musical diet when he was young (he's cited Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash as particular favorites), in his early teens Adams developed a taste for punk rock and he began playing electric guitar. At 15, Adams started writing songs, and a year later he formed a band called the Patty Duke Syndrome; Adams once described PDS as "an arty noise punk band," with Hüsker Dü frequently cited as a key influence and reference point. The Patty Duke Syndrome developed a following in Jacksonville, and when Adams was 19 the band relocated to the larger town of Raleigh, NC, in hopes of expanding its following. However, Adams became eager to do something more melodic that would give him a platform for his country and pop influences. In 1994, Adams left the Patty Duke Syndrome and formed Whiskeytown with guitarist Phil Wandscher and violinist Caitlin Cary. With bassist Steve Grothman and drummer Eric "Skillet" Gilmore completing the lineup, Whiskeytown (the name came from regional slang for getting drunk) released their first album, Faithless Street, on the local Mood Food label.

The album won reams of critical praise in the music press, and more than one writer suggested that Whiskeytown could do for the alt-country or No Depression scene what Nirvana had done for grunge. But by the time the band signed to a major label -- the Geffen-distributed imprint Outpost Records -- the band had undergone the first in a series of major personal shakeups; and in the summer of 1997, when Whiskeytown's Outpost debut, Stranger's Almanac, was ready for release, Adams and Wandscher were the only official members of the band left. Cary soon returned, but Wandscher left shortly afterward, and Whiskeytown had a revolving-door lineup for much of the next two years, with the band's live shows become increasingly erratic, as solid performances were often followed by noisy, audience-baiting disasters. Consequently, as strong as Stranger's Almanac was, Whiskeytown never fulfilled the commercial expectations created for them by others. In 1999, the band -- which was down to Adams, Cary, and a handful of session musicians -- recorded its third and final album, Pneumonia, but when Geffen was absorbed in a merger between PolyGram and Universal, Outpost was phased out, and the album was shelved; shortly afterward, Whiskeytown quietly called it quits.

Following Whiskeytown's collapse, Adams wasted no time launching a career apart from the band, and after a few solo acoustic tours, Adams went into a Nashville studio with songwriters Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and cut his first album under his own name, Heartbreaker, which was released by pioneering "insurgent country" label Bloodshot Records in 2000. The album received critical raves, respectable sales, and a high-profile endorsement from Elton John, and Adams was signed by Universal's new Americana imprint, Lost Highway Records. Lost Highway gave Whiskeytown's Pneumonia a belated release in early 2001, and later that same year, they released his second solo set, Gold, which displayed less of a country influence in favor of classic pop and rock styles of the 1970s. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the album's opening track, "New York, New York," was embraced by radio as an anthem of resilience (though it actually concerned a busted romance), and Adams once again found himself touted as the "next big thing."

Always a prolific songwriter, in a bit more than a year following Gold's release, Adams had written and recorded enough material for four albums. Adams opted to whittle the 60 tunes down to a 13-song collection called Demolition, which was released in 2002 as he went into the studio to record his official follow-up to Gold. A year later, Adams' concept album Rock N Roll was released alongside the double-EP collection Love Is Hell. Tours around the globe kept Adams busy into the next year as he maintained momentum writing songs and keeping his ever-changing presence in the music press. In May 2005, Adams released his first of three albums for Lost Highway, the melancholic double-disc Cold Roses. Jacksonville City Nights, a more classic-sounding honky tonk effort, followed in September, and 29 appeared in late December. Always prolific, in the interim period before his next album was released, Adams posted a large selection of tracks -- including hip-hop ones -- on his website, but fans were greeted with more straightforward material on 2007's Easy Tiger. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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adam sandler

Born September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, Adam Sandler was raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. At the age of 17, his brother dared him to take the stage at a Boston comedy club's amateur night and was surprised at how well Adam performed. That planted the seed for his career, though he first attended NYU, receiving a Fine Arts degree in 1989. Not long after graduation, Sandler gained a position with the NBC-TV sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live, and became one of the show's most popular actors during his five-year stint.

In 1993, Warner Brothers signed Sandler to a recording contract, and he delivered his debut album They're All Gonna Laugh at You that September. The LP became popular with college radio and sold well, earning a gold certification and a Grammy nomination. Sandler broke out in the cinema the following year, appearing in Mixed Nuts and Coneheads before his first starring vehicle, 1995's Bill Madison. His second comedy album, What the Hell Happened to Me?, was released in early 1996; it leapt into the Top 20 and eventually went platinum. By now one of the biggest comic stars in America, Sandler reeled off a string of blockbuster films including Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy and Big Daddy before releasing his third album, Stan and Judy's Kid, in 1999. The 2000s found Sandler trying his hand at less comedic rolls (Punch Drunk Love), animation (8 Crazy Nights), but the box-office results were mixed. In 2004 he released his fifth album, Shhh...Don't Tell. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

adam, bryan or bryan adams

With his distinctive vocals and blue-collar songwriting skills, Canadian icon Bryan Adams' take on rock 'n' roll basics found a niche that has lasted for over 20 years. Adams solo career was launched with the release of his self-titled debut album Bryan Adams in February of 1980 on A&M Records. Adams had already been touring, recording demos and working as a studio musician paying his rent for a few years, but it was when Adams formed a song-writing partnership with drummer Jim Vallance that things started to happen. The first album was not initially released in the U.S. (although "Hiding from Love" was issued as a single and reached No. 43 on the dance chart), so Adams assembled a backup band and embarked on his first Canadian tour as a solo act, spending four months playing clubs and colleges. The tour was to be the foundation for his second album, You Want It, You Got It, which was recorded in NYC in two weeks and released in the spring of 1981. The original album title was Bryan Adams Hasn't Heard Of You Either but that title was rejected by A&M as being too provocative. This 2nd album became Adams' first ‘official' release in the U.S. He toured America for six months, opening for the Kinks and Foreigner and by January of 1982 the album broke into the Billboard charts peaking at No. 118 in 13 weeks. The single "Lonely Nights" became his first Hot 100 entry at No. 84 and peaked at No. 3 on the mainstream rock chart. His third album, Cuts Like a Knife was released in January of 1983, with the single "Straight from the Heart", leading the way. It broke his career open, peaking in the Top Ten of the Hot 100 and setting up the LP, which followed. The album also reached Top Ten, selling platinum and spawning further Top 40 hits with the title song and "This Time". The album's success was stimulated by Adams' extensive touring in support of it, which began in Canada and continued into the U.S., where he opened for Journey. From there he toured Europe followed by dates in Japan and then back to Canada. Adams' fourth album Reckless was released on his 25th birthday, November 5, 1984, and was preceded by the single "Run to You", which reached the Top Ten. It was followed by no less than five Top 20 singles drawn from the album: "Somebody", "Heaven" (which hit number one), "Summer of '69" (Top Ten), "One Night Love Affair", and a duet with Tina Turner, "It's Only Love". Reckless reached No. 1 in the U.S. selling five million copies in America and a reported three million more in the rest of the world. Adams also earned his first two Grammy nominations, Best Male Rock Performance for the album as a whole, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for "It's Only Love". As per usual, Adams toured extensively in support of it. His "World Wide in '85" tour began in December of 1984 finally wrapping in November 1985. One of the highlights that year included being the first artist to open the American side of the Live Aid concert from Philadelphia on July 13th. Into the Fire, followed in March of 1987, prefaced by the single "Heat of the Night," which became Adams' fifth Top Ten hit in the U.S. The album reached the Top Ten in the U.S. and sold a million copies, with another million sold overseas. It also spawned the Top 40 hits "Hearts on Fire" and "Victim of Love". Adams' worldwide tour in support of the album went on for more than a year. One of the final shows, in Werchter, Belgium, was filmed for a television special, "Bryan Adams: Live in Belgium", broadcast in Canada the following year. Live! Live! Live! a concert album drawn from the 1988 Belgium show, was initially released only in Japan but later garnered a wider audience. In a departure from earlier years, Adams did not tour extensively but opted to spend his time in England with writer/producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, preparing for his next album. In June of 1991, Adams went back on the road in Europe co-headlining with ZZ Top. This coincided with the release of the single "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" which topped the U.S. charts for seven weeks - the longest any song had remained at No. 1 in eight years. Its international success was even greater; spending 16 weeks at No. 1 in the U.K., making it the longest-running chart-topper in the history of the British charts. Waking Up the Neighbours was released in September of 1991, and Adams once again hit the road – this time until July of 1993. The album featured two Top Ten hits "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" and of course, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You". Before it finished running its course there would be three more Top 40 hits, "There Will Never Be Another Tonight", "Do I Have to Say the Words?" and "Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven". Waking Up the Neighbours sold four million copies in the U.S. and another six million in the rest of the world. It also earned Adams a Grammy nomination and his first Academy Award nomination. Adams began to look forward to his next studio album, but in the interim released a hits compilation, So Far So Good, in November 1993 featuring the single "Please Forgive Me," a new Adams/Lange track. The song would also find its way into the Top Ten. Then came the Adams' theme song for the movie The Three Musketeers, "All for Love", recorded with Rod Stewart and Sting, which hit No. 1 in the U.S. in January of 1994. That same month, Adams embarked on an ambitious tour of the Far East, including countries like Vietnam that were rarely visited by Western pop artists. Throughout the better part of 1994, Bryan kept a low profile with the exception of a song called "Rock Steady" written for Bonnie Raitt's live album Road Tested. He performed the song as a duet with her, and the two soon shared a chart single. At the beginning of 1996 Adams released a new album 18 'Til I Die. The album featured the flamenco-tinged "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" from the Johnny Depp/Marlon Brando film Don Juan DeMarco. Adams was rewarded with yet another No. 1 hit, as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and his second Oscar nomination for Best Song. An 18-month world tour followed and the album soon went platinum in the U.S. The singles "Lets Make A Night To Remember" charted briefly in the Top 40 and the provocatively titled "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You" proved to do well outside of the US, but didn't dent the US charts, perhaps due to the fact that his record company (A&M) transferred his contract in the middle of the release to independent rap label, Interscope Records. Adams filmed an appearance for MTV's popular Unplugged series in the fall of 1997, and it was released as an album in December. It was a modest success, and served as a stopgap until the appearance of his next studio album, On a Day Like Today, which was released in October 1998. Overseas, the disc featuring the Melanie C duet "When You're Gone", reached the UK No. 3 spot in December of 1998 and spent 10 weeks in the Top 10. This was followed by the Top 10 dance re-mix of "Cloud Number Nine". The album also hit No. 3 in Canada. In November 1999, Adams issued a second hits compilation, The Best of Me, but the American branch of A&M/Interscope declined to release it. The title track "The Best Of Me" charted all over Europe and in Canada. Adams returned in the spring of 2002 collaborating with Hans Zimmer on his first full-length song score for a film, the animated DreamWorks feature Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. The soundtrack made it into the Top 40 and Adams and Zimmer earned a Golden Globe Nomination for their collaboration. His most recent work is entitled Room Service, which was released in September of 2004 where it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard European Top 100 albums Chart. Room Service is currently pending a US release in 2005. For more information go to: bryanadams.com


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adam richman

Adam Richman hated college biology. As eukaryotes wept for the boy who would never love them back, Richman, usually drumming on his faux-wood desk and drowning out the class lecture, was becoming immersed in a science of his own.

"It's as educational as it is expressive," says the indie pop whiz kid. "Beyond writing - exploring how to physically document every sound that I imagine is an articulation and a science unto itself."

The sound of Richman's recorded music is lush and layered as if there was an arsenal of rockers behind him. But there isn't. Instead, there is just one young, versatile newcomer, playing every instrument and performing the sonic experiments of producer, engineer and mixer -- in a suburban basement.

"I'm a mad scientist," says 22-year old Richman, who's played the guitar and piano since elementary school, and accompanied and recorded himself with computers since the age of 12. "Somewhere in my youth I had a vision of being frozen in front of a computer monitor with a lab coat and goggles, psychotically singing and staring, uninterrupted for weeks."

The story begins with a boy who was stricken with a severe case of pop culture fever. Growing up in the cultural vacuum of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Richman made it through the childhood and teenage years with one ear to the radio and the other to a multi-track tape recorder. In his formative years he drew his inspiration from the Monkees, Nine Inch Nails, Michael Jackson and Nirvana, among others.

After a year of college at the obsessively bureaucratic George Washington University, Richman began pursuing his music career and writing a ream of precociously catchy songs. With an acoustic debut album made in his apartment he quit school, packed up his Geo Prism and toured the country with axe in hand, playing mostly for small college audiences and building an active fan base of student programmers and their roommates, who were usually dragged to the shows.

"It can be demoralizing," Richman recalls. "You're in the student center, pouring every ounce of yourself into the performance just to try and reach out to a table of soon-to-be grade school teachers who are just trying to eat a sandwich and get out." Two hundred and fifty dates later, with a well-honed set, Richman sought to step it up.

It was only after a large financial investment and nine months of collaborating with a well-established production company and major-label session players that Richman realized he was passing on the reigns of so many of the creative aspects that the result was uncomfortably glossy and impersonal. The project was scrapped. At scratch again, that's when Richman imagined building his own studio and taking control over everything from arranging to drumming to mixing.

"There is only one successful method to record my exact vision and that is to eliminate any outside, corrupting interpretations between my mind, hands, ears, and the tape," he says.

Production aside, Richman's songwriting has always been powerful. Though characteristically friendly, his songs almost always control an accelerated bite, a roughness that's particularly exposed at his live shows.

"The way I connect with people when I'm playing live is by putting my balls to the wall and never letting up. It gets loud, raw, and honest," he says. "It's a rock show."

"I write about existing in a world where life is entirely encompassed by relating to people," he says. "I write about a state of emotion -- both momentary and constant."

Richman's devotion to creative independence has made his career a decidedly painstaking one, driven by the dangling carrot of musical euphoria. So it's not surprising that he doesn't plan to rest on any safe, well-groomed laurels.

"It sounds cliché, but I never want to make the same record twice," he says. "In the long run I don't intend my name to be synonymous with any particular sound."

Adam's music isn't going to fall into any absolute genre. With traces of pop, punk, and rock n roll, he makes records for listeners who steer clear from the skip button. Sure, any of his tracks are excellent on their own, but in series they invariably make up a perfected ebb and flow of mood and style from the frenetic to the tranquil.

Adam Richman still hates biology, but he's quite fond of the science of rock. Taking full creative authority and capitalizing on technological sophistication, Richman is half musician and half "mad scientist".

"I love pop music. I love rock music. I love them as much as I love life," he says, pushing the goggles up to his forehead. "Creating this music of my own is my inexorable passion."

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adam merrin

adam green

Singer/songwriter Adam Green is most known for his stint with the Moldy Peaches, but in the new millennium he also did the solo thing. His music is a sophisticated indie-folk mix, showcasing an appealing peculiarity similar to the likes of Leonard Cohen. In September 2002, Green marked his solo debut with the release of Garfield, followed by the next year's Friends of Mine, which contained the single "Jessica," about Jessica Simpson. In 2005 and 2006, Green released a pair of dynamic albums, Gemstones and Jacket Full of Danger, respectively. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide



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adam and ants

One of the seminal figures of new wave, Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) had several distinct phases to his career. Initially, he explored a jagged, guitar-oriented post-punk with his group Adam & the Ants before giving way to a more pop-oriented, glam-tinged musical direction that brought him to the top of the charts. After that had run its course, he refashioned himself as a mainstream singer, which enabled him to stretch his career out for a couple of years. Once it seemed like his musical career had evaporated, he made an unexpected comeback in the early '90s as an adult alternative artist. During all this time, he recorded several great pop singles and had a surprisingly large impact on alternative rock.

Adam Ant formed Adam & the Ants with guitarist Lester Square, bassist Andy Warren, and drummer Paul Flanagan in London in 1977. The group's approach was more theatrical than most punk groups, incorporating sadomasochistic imagery into their concerts. During this time, the group's lineup was fairly unstable, with Square being replaced by Mark Gaumont. The band released their debut, Dirk Wears White Sox, on the independent label Do It in 1979. Dirk was an ambitious and somewhat dark album, filled with jerky rhythms and angular guitar riffs, and elements of glam rock crept into Ant's vocals; Ant re-acquired the rights to the record in 1983, reissuing it in a re-sequenced and remixed form, with the tracks "Catholic Day" and "Day I Met God" replaced by "Zerox" and "Kick," as well as including a new version of "Cartrouble."

At the time of its release, Dirk Wears White Sox wasn't a critical or a commercial success and the band felt the need to rework their image. Ant hired Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols, to help redefine their image. McLaren dressed the band in pirate outfits and suggested a more accessible and pop-oriented rhythmic variation on punk. Adam & the Ants followed his advice, preparing material for a new album. However, McLaren persuaded all of the Ants to leave Adam, using them as the core members of Bow Wow Wow. Adam Ant immediately formed a new version of the Ants, adding guitarist Marco Pirroni, bassist Kevin Mooney, and drummers Terry Lee Miall and Merrick (born Chris Hughes). Pirroni, in particular, became very important in the band's musical direction, co-writing the majority of the songs with Ant, thus beginning a collaboration between the duo that would continue into the '90s.

Driven by a relentless driving beat and chanting melodies, the new band's first album, 1980's Kings of the Wild Frontier, became an enormous hit in the U.K., launching three Top Ten hit singles, including the number two "Ant Music." The band's success was helped by a series of visually enticing videos, prominently featuring the skinny, handsome Adam Ant decked out in pirate gear. Prince Charming, released the following year, retained the same formula as Kings of the Wild Frontier, spawning two number one singles, "Stand and Deliver" and "Prince Charming." Even though the album was a commercial success, the formula was beginning to wear thin.

After Prince Charming, Adam Ant ditched the Ants for a solo career, retaining Marco Pirroni as a songwriting collaborator and a supporting musician. Ant's first solo album, Friend or Foe, was released in 1982 and featured the number one single "Goody Two Shoes" and the Top Ten title track. Although his next album, 1983's Strip, had some highlights and hit singles, it marked the end of his reign as one of Britain's top pop stars.

Released in 1985, the Tony Visconti-produced Vive Le Rock had some fun moments, but the performance was too studied and the record didn't earn any hit singles, so Adam Ant pursued a surprisingly successful career in acting. In 1990, Ant made a comeback with the catchy hit single "Room at the Top" from the Manners & Physique record, but the album failed to produce another hit single. For the next five years, Ant concentrated on acting.

By the time Adam Ant returned to recording in 1995, echoes of his music could be heard in the spiky singles of Elastica, the neo-goth industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails, and the pseudo-glam of Suede. Instead of capitalizing on the burgeoning new wave revival, Adam Ant's 1995 comeback, Wonderful, had little to do with the stylish, intensely rhythmic sound he made in the early '80s. Instead, the album repositioned him as a more mature pop-rocker, with crafted songs that featured acoustic guitars as prominently as electrics. The album was a moderate hit in the U.S. and the U.K., as was the single "Wonderful." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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ac/dc

AC/DC's mammoth power-chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the '70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early '70s. AC/DC's rock was minimalist -- no matter how huge and bludgeoning the guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with Bon Scott's larynx-shredding vocals, the band spawned countless imitators over the next two decades.

AC/DC was formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young's band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus as lead guitarist, the band played some gigs around Sydney. Angus was only 15-years-old at the time and his sister suggested that he should wear his school uniform on-stage; the look became the band's visual trademark. While still in Sydney, the original lineup (featuring singer Dave Evans) cut a single called "Can I Sit Next to You," with ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young (Malcolm and Angus' older brother) producing.

The band moved to Melbourne the following year, where drummer Phil Rudd (formerly of the Coloured Balls) and bassist Mark Evans joined the band. The band's chauffeur, Bon Scott, became their lead vocalist when their singer, Dave Evans, refused to go on-stage.

Previously, Scott had been vocalist for the Australian prog rock bands Fraternity and the Valentines. More importantly, he helped cement the group's image as brutes -- he had several convictions on minor criminal offenses and was rejected by the Australian Army for being "socially maladjusted." And AC/DC was socially maladjusted. Throughout their career they favored crude double entendres and violent imagery, all spiked with a mischievous sense of fun.

The group released two albums -- High Voltage and TNT -- in Australia in 1974 and 1975. Material from the two records comprised the 1976 release High Voltage in the U.S. and U.K.; the group also toured both countries. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap followed at the end of the year. Evans left the band at the beginning of 1977, with Cliff Williams taking his place. In the fall of 1977, AC/DC released Let There Be Rock, which became their first album to chart in the U.S.

Powerage, released in spring of 1978, expanded their audience even further, thanks in no small part to their dynamic live shows (which were captured on 1978's live If You Want Blood, You've Got It). What really broke the doors down for the band was the following year's Highway to Hell, which hit number 17 in the U.S. and number eight in the U.K., becoming the group's first million-seller.

AC/DC's train was derailed when Bon Scott died on February 20, 1980. The official coroner's report stated he had "drunk himself to death." In March, the band replaced Scott with Brian Johnson. The following month, the band recorded Back in Black, which would prove to be their biggest album, selling over ten million copies in the U.S. alone. For the next few years, the band was one of the largest rock bands in the world, with For Those About to Rock We Salute You topping the charts in the U.S. In 1982, Rudd left the band; he was replaced by Simon Wright.

After 1983's Flick of the Switch, the band's commercial standing began to slip; they were able to reverse their slide with 1990's The Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Thunderstruck." While not the commercial powerhouse they were during the late '70s and early '80s, the '90s saw them maintain their status as a top international concert draw. In the fall of 1995, their 16th album, Ballbreaker, was released. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album received some of the most positive reviews of AC/DC's career. Ballbreaker entered the American charts at number four and sold over a million copies in its first six months of release. Stiff Upper Lip followed in early 2000. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Aborted

With a name like Aborted, it doesn't take a genius to file a band into the realm of grindcore; but since being formed in 1995 by vocalist Sven de Caluwé (aka Gurgloroth Sven), these Belgians have broken through stylistic limitations to also meddle in straightforward death metal and other metallic forms. So many musicians have moved through Aborted's ranks, however, that quorum enough for a first demo (the highly praised The Necrotorous Chronicles) was only achieved in 1998, after which a pair of uneven, self-exploratory albums (1999's The Purity of Perversion, 2001's Engineering the Dead) were interspersed with various split EPs recorded with other budding artists. Come 2003's Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage Done, though, Aborted had grown into the role of key contributors to the death-grind genres and, after issuing The Haematobic EP the following year, delivered what arguably represents their finest hour, 2005's The Archaic Abattoir album. Here, their lineup had stabilized (for the moment anyway) into guitarists Bart Vergaert and Tace de Cloedt, bassist Frederic Vanmassenhove, drummer Gilles Dellecroix, and the ever-present Caluwé. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

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Aberfeldy

full biography


Edinburgh indie-chamber pop quintet Aberfeldy, named after a small Scottish holiday town set deep within the heart of the Perthshire Highlands, utilize a blend of soft percussion, shimmering acoustic guitars, and boy-girl harmonies to create dreamy soundscapes for songwriter Riley Briggs' simple and honest lyrics. Along with Briggs, the group consists of Ian Stoddart, Ruth Barrie, Sarah McFadyen, and Ken McIntosh. They released their debut, Young Forever, in 2004 on Rough Trade in the States and Sanctuary in the U.K. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide


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Aberdeen City

full biography

Boston's Aberdeen City features Christopher McLaughlin (vocals/guitar), Robert McCaffrey (drums), Bradley Parker (vocals/bass), and J. Ryan Heller (guitar). The alternative rock foursome met in 2001, and together they create a swirling, hypnotic rock sound. In 2003, the band self-released the We Learned by Watching EP. Two years later, Aberdeen City issued The Freezing Atlantic, their first album for Dovecote. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide



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Abandoned Pools

full biography

Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Tommy Walter goes by the alias of Abandoned Pools. Walter picked up a bass guitar in grade school and by high school was a classically trained French horn player. He enrolled at the University of Pacific in Stockton, CA, where he studied and taught music theory (and such early 20th century, 12-tone and modal composers like Schoenberg, Bartók, and Stravinsky). But teaching didn't fulfill his desire to play rock music, as he sought other similar-minded musicians in the vast L.A. pop/rock scene.

A collaboration with area singer/songwriter E led to the band Eels, but Walter soon left the project despite the promise of Eeels' 1996 debut Beautiful Freak. On his own again, Walter holed up in his apartment and began writing and recording original material. Those tracks were the genesis of Abandoned Pools, which debuted with the Humanistic LP in September 2001. AP returned in 2005 with the Reverb EP and a full-length for Universal entitled Armed to the Teeth. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Aaron Carter

full biography

The youngest male solo artist to have four Top 40 singles, pop sensation Aaron Carter began his career in show biz at the tender age of seven. Over the next five years he made a name for himself as an energetic and charismatic performer, both onstage and on albums such as his 1998 self-titled debut and the following year's Surfin' USA, both of which were successful in Japan and Germany as well as in the States. A single on the Pokemon: The First Movie soundtrack, opening gigs for the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, a biography and video collection, and appearances on Nickelodeon set the stage for his third album, 2000's Aaron's Party (Come Get It). The party continued on Oh Aaron, which was issued in summer 2001. Successful tours with both the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears kept him busy into the next year, but by the spring of 2002 he was back in the studio again. Calling on several big-name pop producers, Carter put together Another Earthquake! during the year and released it that fall. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

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aaliyah

full biography

A star in the R&B world before she was even out of her teens, Aaliyah's promising career was tragically cut short by her death in a plane crash at age 22. Even with only three albums under her belt, she'd already earned a place as a talented trendsetter among the R&B elite. Following a successful transition to a more mature image, Aaliyah played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. Her work with Timbaland, especially, was some of the most forward-looking R&B of its time, even while the competing neo-soul movement was gaining prominence. Aaliyah's death came on the heels of her third and most accomplished album, making it especially unfortunate that she was robbed of a chance to continue her creative development.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, and named after a Swahili word meaning "most exalted one." Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was a manager and entertainment lawyer who was married to Gladys Knight for a time, and her mother, also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in voice lessons before she'd even started school. Still very young, she moved with her family to Detroit, where she sang in several school plays. At age nine, she successfully auditioned for the TV show Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine" (and lost). Two years later, thanks to her uncle Hankerson's connections, she spent five nights in Las Vegas performing as part of Gladys Knight's revue. In addition to his niece, Hankerson was also managing a rising R&B star named R. Kelly, and introduced the two in 1992. Kelly soon took Aaliyah under his wing and began writing and producing songs for her.

Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released in the summer of 1994 and quickly became a platinum-selling hit on the strength of two smash singles, "Back & Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (the latter an Isley Brothers cover). Both songs hit the pop Top Ten and went gold, and "Back & Forth" went all the way to number one on the R&B charts, while "At Your Best" fell one spot short. Late in the year, Aaliyah found herself at the center of controversy when rumors spread that the 15-year-old singer had married Kelly, who was more than ten years her senior. Although both camps were resolutely tight-lipped, documents later confirmed that the two had wed in the state of Illinois that August and gotten an annulment shortly thereafter. By the time the media buzz died down, the two had parted ways both personally and creatively.

In 1996, Aaliyah released her follow-up album, One in a Million, which signaled a newly emerging maturity. She worked with several different producers, most notably Timbaland, who co-wrote several tracks with his songwriting partner, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (soon to become a solo star in her own right). Several of these -- "If Your Girl Only Knew," "One in a Million," "4 Page Letter" -- became hits, with "If Your Girl Only Knew" going all the way to the top of the R&B charts. The Diane Warren-penned ballad "The One I Gave My Heart To" was also a Top Ten R&B hit, and One in a Million wound up going double platinum. In the meantime, Aaliyah graduated from high school (in 1997) and contributed several songs to film soundtracks. "Journey to the Past," from Anastasia, was nominated for an Oscar, and in early 1998 she had a major hit with "Are You That Somebody?" from Eddie Murphy's Dr. Dolittle (in which she also made a cameo appearance).

Aaliyah took her time recording a follow-up, and put the process completely on hold to start an acting career. She co-starred with martial-arts master Jet Li and rapper DMX in 2000's urban Shakespeare adaptation Romeo Must Die, and her accompanying soundtrack single, "Try Again," became her first number one hit on the pop charts that summer. Aaliyah subsequently completed filming on the Anne Rice vampire flick Queen of the Damned, playing the title role as a vampire queen, and was cast in a prominent role in the two sequels to The Matrix. Plus, she finally finished her long-awaited third album, with Timbaland again handling the most prominent tracks. Released in the summer of 2001, Aaliyah completed the singer's image overhaul into a sensual yet sensitive adult. The record received excellent reviews, and the first single, "We Need a Resolution," was a Top 20 R&B hit.

About a month after the album's release, Aaliyah traveled to the Bahamas to film a video for its second single, "Rock the Boat." On August 25, she and several members of the crew boarded a small twin-engine Cessna plane returning to the mainland. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, exploding on impact; Aaliyah and seven other passengers were killed instantly, and the ninth later died at a Nassau hospital. Investigations into the crash showed that the plane had been loaded far past its weight capacity, and that pilot Luis Morales had recently been arrested for crack cocaine possession (traces of which, along with alcohol, were found in his system); furthermore, the charter company, Blackhawk International Airways, had not authorized him to pilot the craft in question. Naturally, the R&B community reacted with an outpouring of shock and sorrow, and Aaliyah became the singer's only chart-topping album, eventually going double platinum. "Rock the Boat" and "More Than a Woman" were both posthumous Top Ten hits on the R&B chart, and Queen of the Damned was a commercial success upon its release in early 2002, topping the box office in its first week. As details continued to emerge from the plane crash investigation, Aaliyah's parents filed suit against Blackhawk Airways, Virgin Records, and several other companies. At the end of 2002, the posthumous album I Care 4 U entered the charts at number three; it mixed some of the singer's biggest hits with a selection of unreleased material. The title track was a Top 20 pop hit, and "Miss You" topped the R&B charts early the next year. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

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