When looking at the career of Lesley Rankine, it’s difficult not to think about Shirley Manson. For one, they both hail from Scotland and have had earlier musical stints in bands with ‘fishy’ names (Lesley in the London punk band, Silverfish and Shirley in the Scottish band, Angelfish). And since then, both have gone on to make engaging electronica/pop music. Read more »

Before the MP3 revolution began, there was a time when I would walk into my favorite record store and simply buy an album without ever hearing of the artist. Sometimes the impulse was prompted by a review I had read or a simple recommendation. Other times, something as simple as an appealing album cover would peak my interest. In the case of Joan Jones’s Starlite Criminal, it was pure chance. Read more »

Drew over at Omnium suggested that I check out an Italian group called Fiamma Fumana, not even realizing how much of a fan I am of Italian music to begin with. Read more »

After spending years with her band Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh did what many frontwomen eventually do: she went solo. Read more »

Belonging to a genre most often described as alternative-country, I find Neko Case to be the perfect music for people who ordinarily wouldn’t find themselves listening to any sort of country. Read more »