Diffuser.fm » Original Features

8 Artists Who Have Bled for Their Music

Carl Pettit — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:28:30 +0000

Emotionally and spiritually speaking, plenty of artists will bleed for their craft, but few are willing to actually let the plasma fly. We can’t help but be captivated by those rockers that have literary shed blood for the sake of their music. While some of our heroes have injured themselves during live performances, succumbing to [...]

10 Best Big Star Songs

Michael Gallucci — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:46 +0000

An entire legion of fans consider Big Star one of the great lost groups of all time. They're right. All three of their albums are worth owning, but we've broken down the 10 Best Big Star Songs for your playlist.

10 Bands That Owe the Smiths a Round

Will Levith — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:24:08 +0000

Smiths lovers and haters alike would agree that the band has been extremely influential for modern indie and alternative rockers. They have that je ne se sais quoi that has been passed down to countless disciples, 10 of which appear on this list of Bands That Owe the Smiths a Round. (If not of beer, maybe tea with a spot of whiskey.)

L7 Singer Donita Sparks Discusses Forthcoming Documentary, Possible Reunion + the Absence of Women In Rock

Shauna Farnell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:00:30 +0000

Remember L7, the all-girl rock band from Los Angeles that made its way into the ’90s grunge scene and spearheaded Rock For Choice? Surely you recall some of their hookiest hits: ‘S—list,’ ‘Pretend We’re Dead’ and ‘Stuck Here Again.’ Fifteen years after L7′s breakup, frontwoman Donita Sparks — infamous for throwing her tampon into the [...]

10 Best Albums From 2001

Michael Gallucci — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:00:05 +0000

The year 2001 was divided into two parts: the one before 9/11 and the one after. Even though every single record released after the tragic events of the day that make our list of the 10 Best Albums From 2001 was recorded before 9/11, it’s hard not to read parallels and significance in the music. [...]

Then & Now: Soul Asylum

Michael Gallucci — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:00:30 +0000

Soul Asylum Then

Soul Asylum were kicking around the Minneapolis punk scene since the mid '80s. But in 1992, thanks to alternative music's new domination of the mainstream, they scored a major hit with their sixth album, 'Grave Dancers Union,' which just missed the Top 10 and spawned four modern-rock hits, including 'Runaway Train,' their only Top 10 pop hit. They followed up three years later with 'Let Your Dim Light Shine,

10 Things You Didn't Know About the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Michael Gallucci — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:00:54 +0000

You probably know that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have had more guitarists than Guitar Center has guitars, but did you know that they recorded one of their best albums in a haunted house? It’s one of the 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Hulton Archive, Getty Images Their first show consisted [...]

Best Songs of 2013 So Far

Kenneth Partridge — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:02:18 +0000

It’s mid-June, the year’s halfway point, and with that comes the inevitable Best Songs of 2013 So Far list. This 10-song tally was a real bear to compile, and that’s because 2013 has been a great year for music. Picking the year’s top 10 songs required a lot of soul-searching and quiet contemplation. At [...]

15 Awesome Rock Dads

Joe Robinson — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:22:29 +0000

Father’s Day is almost upon us, and this year, we’re taking the opportunity to show our appreciation to a segment of the parental population that doesn’t often get the respect it deserves: the awesome dads of the rock ‘n’ roll world. Rock stars are often celebrated for their immense musical talents, their uncanny ability to [...]

10 Best Radiohead Lyrics

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:33 +0000

Radiohead's best songs are a combination of lyrics and music. In fact, it's often hard to separate the two. But as the band's confidence swelled during the making of 'OK Computer,' so did their flights of lyrical abstraction, which makes it hard to pinpoint the 10 Best Radiohead Lyrics. Their greatest tracks -- especially those on th

10 Modern Bands Defined By Single Beatles Songs

Will Levith — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:38:46 +0000

Everything John, Paul, George and Ringo did was new -- and many have imitated them, with varying degrees of success. In this list, however, we're not simply calling out imitators. We're digging deeper and highlighting 10 Modern Bands Defined by Single Beatles Songs.

Instant Expert: The White Stripes

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:00:09 +0000

Each Thursday, we pick an artist and provide a quickie career overview, highlighting both prevailing critical opinions and the inevitable contrarian counterarguments. Even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the music, you’ll be able to bluff your way through conversations and defend your indie cred. This week: the White Stripes.

'Arrested Development' Playlist: Songs the Bluth Family Would Love

Beth Kellmurray — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:12:53 +0000

In honor of the much-ballyhooed 'Arrested Development' revival, we've come up with a playlist of Songs the Bluth Family Would Love. That's right: We go Bluth by Bluth, picking tunes we think this kooky clan would dig. Enjoy.

Bonnaroo 2013: 5 Rising Acts You Need to See

Michael Mehalick — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:25:00 +0000

As this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival approaches, you’re likely already familiar with the big name headliners. Paul McCartney, Mumford and Sons and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are all set to lead a

L.A. Rockers Nico Vega Discuss Their Growing Fame, Surprisingly Low-Budget 'Beast' Video + Upcoming Tour Plans

Carlos Ramirez — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:16:16 +0000

Nico Vega recently finished touring with Imagine Dragons, and according to singer Aja Volkman, the trek was like "a bubble of craziness" she couldn't see out of. That makes sense, since Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds happens to be her husband.

“Things are happening so fast for them, and we feel like our heads our spinning," Volkman tells Diffuser.fm. "It’s great, but I’m getting to see how that kind of fame can get overwhelming. In a way, it makes me appreciate the fact that Nico Vega is on a different pace, and it’s not overwhelming me right now."

10 Best Broken Social Scene Songs

Philip Cosores — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:37:36 +0000

Most discussions of Broken Social Scene revolve around Metric, Stars, Feist and the various other projects related to the collective. But over the last couple of years, the Toronto band’s extended hiatus has highlighted just how vital a presence they themselves have been. Through long concerts filled with spontaneity and a sense of community, bandleader [...]

Rainbow Jackson: The Crucial Cut Interview

Kenneth Partridge — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:24:01 +0000

Bo Jackson was great at two things -- three if you count selling sneakers. The first and only athlete to make the all-star team in two major American sports (football and baseball), Jackson was one of the most famous athletes of the early '90s. According to TV spots popular at the time, "Bo knows" how to do just about everything. It's from this multi-talented running back and outfielder that Rainbow Jackson get their name, and while this L.A. foursome may only excel one thing -- playing "scuzzed-up power-pop," as their bio puts it -- it's a skill that won them Diffuser.fm's latest Crucial Cut of the Month contest.

10 Misleading Band Names

Beth Kellmurray — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:06:26 +0000

In rock, there is a long tradition of perplexing band names. For example: What exactly is a Neutral Milk Hotel? We may never know. While such nonsensical monikers tell us little about the music or the musicians behind it, other names do, in fact, lead us to make assumptions about what we can expect after we press play

10 Best Albums From 2000

Michael Gallucci — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:00:37 +0000

So the world didn’t crumble after all. After all of the Y2K fears, 2000 came (and eventually went) without the big bang so many conspiracy theorists had predicted and prepared for. But the new era did unveil a rush of great music that sounded like it was part of a reboot. From electronic whirs and [...]