Soft Machine　

Soft Machine were never a commercial enterprise and indeed still remain unknown even to many listeners who came of age during the late ’60s and early ’70s, when the group was at its peak. In their ..more

Tortoise　

Tortoise revolutionized American indie rock in the mid-’90s by playing down tried-and-true punk and rock ＆ roll influences, emphasizing instead the incorporation of a variety of left-field music ge ..more

Hearts2Hearts　

The Charlatans (UK)　

For many years, the Charlatans UK were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didn’t capture the Zeitgeist like the Stone Roses, or that failed to match the mad genre-bending o ..more

Art Blakey / Jazz Messengers　

EXILE ATSUSHI　

Sky Ferreira　

Precocious synth pop singer/songwriter Sky Ferreira had built up a huge online following, worked with Britney Spears’ producers, and become friends with Michael Jackson, all before the age of ..more

Creedence Clearwater Revival　

At a time when rock was evolving away from the forces that had made the music possible in the first place, Creedence Clearwater Revival brought things back to their roots with their concise synthes ..more

Amorphis　

Lead guitarist Esa Holopainen and drummer Jan Rechberger formed the band Amorphis in Finland in 1990. To complete their lineup they recruited vocalist/guitarist Tomi Koivusaari and bassist ..more

Julian Lage　

Jazz guitarist Julian Lage is somewhat of a child prodigy -- playing his instrument at the age of five and performing in public a year later. Shortly thereafter, Lage began playing with such ren ..more

Hank Mobley　

One of the Blue Note label’s definitive hard bop artists, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley remains somewhat underappreciated for his straightforward, swinging style. Any characterization of Mo ..more

Jamiroquai　

Active since the early ’90s, Jamiroquai have amassed a steady stream of hits in their native U.K. and experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world, with an irresistible ble ..more

DEEN　

Randy Newman　

An anomaly among early-’70s singer/songwriters, Randy Newman may have been slightly influenced by Bob Dylan, but his music owed more to New Orleans R＆B and traditional pop than folk. Newman d ..more

The Smiths　

The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the ’80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the ’9 ..more

Art Pepper　

Despite a remarkably colorful and difficult life, Art Pepper was quite consistent in the recording studios; virtually every recording he made is well worth hearing. In the 1950s, he was one of the ..more

Cream　

Although Cream were only together for a little more than two years, their influence was immense, both during their late-’60s peak and in the years following their breakup. Cream were the first t ..more

Richard Ashcroft　

As the frontman for the epic British drone-pop band the Verve, Richard Ashcroft proved himself the spiritual descendant of rock ＆ roll icons like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison -- rive ..more

DIR EN GREY　

Masaru Imada