http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=315&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rssTop Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody OnlinePost-Punken720Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:20:14 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=315&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5497&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:55 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5497 art.5497 Modest Mouse art.5497 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5497&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5497&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.153&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Alt/Punk Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:54 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.153 art.153 U2 art.153 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.153&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.153&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2 had revived its straight-ahead approach. U2 has maintained not only its massive popularity but also its status as one of the most adventurous and groundbreaking acts in pop music.

The band members began rehearsing together while students at Dublin's Mount Temple High School (the city's only nondenominational school). None was technically proficient at the beginning, but their lack of expertise mothered invention. The Edge's distinctive chordal style, for instance, stemmed largely from the guitarist's inability to play complicated leads, while bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. provided a rhythm section that was mostly pummeling ardor. The novice musicians quickly developed a following in Ireland and found a manager, Paul McGuinness, who remains with them to this day. They recorded independently before signing to Island Records in 1980.

U2's 1980 debut album, Boy, was produced by Steve Lillywhite. On it, the group earnestly explored adolescent hopes and terrors, rejecting hard rock's earthy egotism and punk's nihilism. Bono, U2's lyricist, was (and still is) a practicing Christian, as were the Edge and Mullen, and on their second LP, October (1981, also Lillywhite-produced), the singer incorporated imagery evoking their faith. Boy and October generated the respective singles "I Will Follow" and "Gloria," which got some airplay in the U.S. An American club tour generated further interest, thanks to U2's incendiary live performances.

War cemented U2's reputation as a politically conscious band; among its themes were "the troubles" in Northern Ireland, addressed on the single "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Another single, "New Year's Day," went to Number 11 in England and Number 53 in the U.S., while War topped the British chart and hit Number 12 Stateside. The group commemorated its 1983 tour with the live EP Under a Blood Red Sky, recorded at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.

U2's next studio album, 1984's The Unforgettable Fire, was the first of several fruitful collaborations with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album generated the group's first American Top 40 single, an ode to American Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., called "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (Number 33, 1984). The album hit Number 12 here, and the Irishmen supported it by headlining arenas around the world. In 1985 U2 was proclaimed "Band of the '80s" by ROLLING STONE and made a historic appearance at Live Aid. The following year, the group joined Sting, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed and others for the Conspiracy of Hope Tour benefiting Amnesty International.

U2 entered the pop stratosphere with 1987's The Joshua Tree, a critical and commercial smash that topped the albums chart that year and spawned the Number One hits "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," as well as "Where the Streets Have No Name" (Number 13, 1987). The LP, which was produced by Eno and Lanois, won the group Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance. In 1988 U2 wrapped up a triumphant world tour by releasing Rattle and Hum, a double-LP that combined live tracks with new material, and featured guest appearances by Bob Dylan and B.B. King. Rattle and Hum seemed bombastic to some critics; an accompanying film documentary also garnered mixed reviews. The LP nonetheless shot to Number One, and produced a Number Three single, "Desire" (1988). The band's next LP, Achtung Baby, reached Number One and received rave reviews. The LP marked a stylistic departure, featuring more metallic textures, funkier beats, and intimate, world-weary love songs. (Bono was fond of saying at the time that the album was the sound of "four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.") Hit singles included "Mysterious Ways" (Number Nine, 1992), "One" (Number 10, 1992), "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (Number 32, 1992), and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" (Number 35, 1992). Another track, "Until the End of the World," was featured (in differently mixed form) in Wim Wenders' 1991 film of the same name. Lanois, who produced Achtung Baby with support from Eno and Lillywhite, won a Grammy for his work.

In 1992 the band embarked on its Zoo TV tour, a flashy multimedia extravaganza that juxtaposed the rugged simplicity of its previous shows. Bono adopted a series of wry guises — the leather-and-shades-sporting Fly, the demonic MacPhisto — that he'd use for encores and, in the Fly's case, press appearances. In 1993, as the tour wound down, the band reentered the studio and made Zooropa, a quirky, electronics-drunk affair co-produced by Eno, the Edge and engineer Flood. The album reached Number One but yielded only the minor hit "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (Number 61, 1993), which was also on the soundtrack to Wenders' 1993 movie Faraway, So Close. Johnny Cash sang lead on the track "The Wanderer." In 1993 the band renewed its contract with Island for an estimated $170 million. U2's contribution to 1995's Batman Forever soundtrack, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," was a Top 20 hit. Also in 1995 the group collaborated with Eno as Passengers on a largely instrumental album called Original Soundtracks I; the only track to get attention was "Miss Sarajevo," on which Bono shared vocals with opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. Proceeds from the single's sales went toward war relief in Bosnia. The same year Bono and the Edge cowrote with Irish folk singer Christy Moore a song about the peace process in Ireland, "North and South of the River."

In 1996 Clayton and Mullen recorded a rock version of the "Theme From Mission: Impossible" for the film starring Tom Cruise. It went to Number Seven on the pop chart. The following year saw the release of the electronica-heavy Pop; the album debuted at Number One in 27 countries, including the U.S., and garnered hit singles in "Discotheque" (Number 10, 1997) and "Staring at the Sun" (Number 26, 1998). U2 embarked on its next stage extravaganza, the PopMart tour, from 1997 to 1998. With a supermarket theme that played upon the concept of commercialism, the tour was even more grandiose than Zoo TV had been, with immense props that included a giant olive with a 100-foot-long toothpick, a 35-foot-high lemon, and a 100-foot-tall golden arch. At the tour's conclusion, U2 released a greatest-hits compilation with a remixed version of "The Sweetest Thing," previously the B side of "Where the Streets Have No Name." This time the song was released as a single (Number 63, 1998).

Bono returned to political activism in 1999, with much of his focus on fighting world poverty. He met with President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as the Pope, as a representative of Jubilee 2000, a nonprofit group devoted to convincing nations to forgive third-world debt in the new millennium. He also co-wrote a song, "New Day," with Wyclef Jean of the Fugees; the single's proceeds benefited relief efforts in Kosovo and the Wyclef Jean Foundation. The pair performed the song at the United Nations, as well as at NetAid, a concert held simultaneously in London, Geneva, and New Jersey's Giants Stadium, while being simulcast live on the Internet, to benefit several causes, among them third-world debt relief and global poverty.

In early 2000, the Wim Wenders movie The Million Dollar Hotel, based on a story co-conceived by Bono, was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and released in many countries. Bono coproduced the film, made a cameo appearance in it, and U2 recorded three new songs for the soundtrack, one of which, "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," was written around lyrics by controversial author Salman Rushdie. In addition, Bono recorded tracks with Lanois and Eno as the Million Dollar Hotel Band. U2 released an album of new material in late 2000: All That You Can't Leave Behind (Number Three), featuring the single "Beautiful Day" (Number 21), which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Number 52, 2001) became something of an anthem for Americans recovering from the shock of the September 11th terror attacks. The band's Elevation Tour featured a heart-shaped catwalk in front of the stage which provided fans with close-up contact with the musicians.

In 2002, U2 performed at the halftime of Super Bowl XXXVI and issued a second greatest-hits collection, covering the 1990s and All That You Can't Leave Behind; it yielded a minor hit in "Electrical Storm" (Number 77, 2002). U2 released How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in late 2004, which entered the charts at Number One, proving U2 one of the few sure things in the uneasy rock marketplace of the new millennium. The single "Vertigo" was featured in an iPod ad, and the group released a special-edition iPod loaded with all of its albums.

Bono's political-activism profile continued to swell, with ongoing African relief efforts on his part landing him on the cover of Time with fellow millionaire-philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates. In 2005 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen. The following year came the self-explanatory U218: Singles package. While the band worked on another studio album with Eno and Lanois, they released the concert movie U2 3D, which was filmed during their 2005 Vertigo Tour. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5242673&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:17:26 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5242673 art.5242673 The Killers art.5242673 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5242673&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5242673&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Hot Fuss, appeared on Island in mid-2004, they were already selling out headlining shows in England. Named for a fictional group in a New Order video, the Killers practice a tense, stylish brand of rock in the vein of U2 and Bruce Springsteen, with lyrical left turns that recall classic Bowie. With their roots in glam and new wave, and their undeniable talent, the Killers have helped breathe fresh air into the '00s alt rock scene. - Jaan Uhelszki]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43119&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Dream Pop Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:16:42 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.43119 art.43119 Smashing Pumpkins art.43119 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43119&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43119&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Gish, Siamese Dream, and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness -- in addition to the myriad songs released as non-album tracks during that time -- were chiefly characterized by Corgan's vocals that could whisper one moment and wail the next, Corgan and James Iha's overdriven, buzzing, these-go-to-11 guitars, and Jimmy Chamberlin's propulsive, overwhelmingly powerful drum work that thrust "Silverf*ck," "Bury Me," and "Geek U.S.A." into fifth gear. Lineup changes and an electronica-embracing sound muddled the band's late '90s efforts, and the Pumpkins called it quits in 2000. After years of near-constant speculation, Corgan and Chamberlin partnered to reform the group in 2007, releasing the bombastic Zeitgeist and returning to the world stage. - Charles Hodgkins]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1179&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Goth Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:53 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1179 art.1179 The Cure art.1179 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1179&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1179&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss
Robert Smith grew up in working-class Crawley, Sussex, a suburb of London. He recalls his childhood years as difficult, a time of run-ins with his parents and the law. At 17 he formed the Easy Cure with childhood friends Laurence Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey as a sort of catharsis for his feelings of frustration. The group's music has remained therapeutic for Smith.

The Cure made its initial splash in the U.K. with the 1979 single "Killing an Arab," which stirred controversy when it reappeared on the mid-'80s retrospective Standing on a Beach: The Singles. Some U.S. radio DJs used the song, which was inspired by Albert Camus' The Stranger, to advance anti-Arab sentiments; the group included a disclaimer with subsequent pressings stating that the song "decries the existence of all prejudice and consequent violence."

While the Cure toured in 1979 as the support act to Siouxsie and the Banshees, the headliner's guitarist quit the band. Smith was recruited to fill in on the tour, beginning an active collaboration with the Banshees. He ultimately devoted much of 1983–84 as a full-time member of the band, recording both the live Nocturne and a studio album, Hyaena. In 1983, he also joined Banshees bassist Steve Severin for a side project called the Glove, releasing one album, Blue Sunshine.

When Smith once again devoted himself to the Cure, the music evolved from the sparse punk pop of that song and other early singles ("Boys Don't Cry," "Jumping Someone Else's Train," "The Lovecats") to the dirgy, moody music of Faith and Seventeen Seconds, to the more focused hits on the later albums Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Disintegration, and Wish.

While the Cure had been a top hit-making indie band in the U.K. since the early-80s, it wasn't until the release of Standing on a Beach (and its CD-only counterpart, Staring at the Sea) (Number 48, 1986) that the band moved beyond its cult status in the U.S. The double-album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (Number 35) debuted in June 1987, spawning the minor hits "Why Can't I Be You?" (Number 54, 1987), "Just Like Heaven" (Number 40, 1987), and "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (Number 65, 1988). In 1989, Disintegration reached Number 12 and included the group's biggest hit yet, "Love Song" (Number Two). Wish is the band's most successful album to date, reaching Number Two and including the surprisingly upbeat "Friday I'm in Love" (Number 18). The subsequent tour was documented on record and a film, both titled Show (an additional live collection, Paris, culled from the same tour was also released in 1993).

In 1996 the Cure released Wild Mood Swings (Number 12), which attempted to broaden the band's sound to include a track of Latin-flavored pop, earning mostly negative reviews, and with "The 13th" (Number 44) its highest-charting single. Another best-of, Galore (Number 32), followed in 1997. Three years later, Smith unveiled the Cure's best-reviewed album in years, Bloodflowers (Number 16, 2000), the third part of a trilogy they began with Pornography and Disintegration. That same year, the Cure launched a world tour by announcing it would be the band's last. But Smith soon began to hedge on that promise, saying all the subsequent attention and sudden acclaim made him strangely...happy.

In 2001, the band released a greatest hits album and DVD on Polydor and toured extensively, doing a series of performances of Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers for a set of DVDs, The Cure: Trilogy, released in 2003. The following year, the band released a four-disc, seventy-song boxed set, Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years) (Number 106, 2004). Meanwhile, the Cure signed with Geffen Records and began its new life on the label with an album titled simply The Cure (Number 7, 2004). That year, MTV honored the band with its Icon award. In 2005, the Cure recorded a version of John Lennon's "Love" for an Amnesty International charity album. In October 2008, the Cure released their thirteenth studio album, 4:13 Dream. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56565&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:51 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.56565 art.56565 Yeah Yeah Yeahs art.56565 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56565&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56565&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Flashdance-style of dress, not to mention her vocals, which could moan and shriek with passion and suffering. The band itself ran from dance-oriented 4/4 beats toward choppy post-punk; songs are clunky, spastic and melodic. Their debut album, Fever Too Tell, came out in 2003 and features the hit "Maps." They followed up that success with 2006's Show Your Bones. For their third release, 2009's It's Blitz, the trio took a slightly different approach, washing their gritty guitar rock in a wave of synths and dance beats. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4049&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss New Wave Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:54 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4049 art.4049 Talking Heads art.4049 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4049&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4049&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Fear Of Music (1979), the band began to radiate a kind of somber power, as they beefed up their previously lean sound with African rhythms. Remain In Light followed in 1980, and remains one of the more striking albums of that decade or any other. The rhythms were meticulous and yet completely driving, while the production was highly experimental with enough conventional flourishes to make "Once In A Lifetime" a radio success. Their blueprint now set, the group became hugely successful over the course of the 1980s, and their 1984 concert film is widely considered one of the best ever made. Their music was so immediate that their world beat-inspired songs still sound unique in whatever context they're heard. The group gave official notice that it was disbanding in 1991, bringing an inevitable close to one of the most creative and experimental commercially successful acts in rock 'n' roll. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65584&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:15:46 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.65584 art.65584 Anberlin art.65584 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65584&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65584&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55993&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:57 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.55993 art.55993 Pixies art.55993 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55993&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55993&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Surfer Rosa, the Pixies' 1988 full-length debut of skronked-out, surf-damaged punk-pop, was a revelation to just about everyone who heard it. At first listen the remedial chord progressions, utterly nonsensical lyrics, and bizarre delivery sounded like the flailings of inept college rockers with a psychotropic casualty for a lead singer, but once the hooks were in, there was no escape. The Bostonians reminded everyone how to write a perfect, repetitive song that you knew by heart two seconds in. With wonder-twin powers Black Francis and Kim Deal writing paeans to sexually charged dementia, an idiosyncratic guitar sound, and what sounded like the Jolly Green Giant playing drums, the Pixies took the alt-rock world by storm, releasing four near-perfect records before self-destructing under the weight of their own talent, in 1993, after opening U2's Zoo TV tour. In their wake, Deal went full-time with her side-project the Breeders and began working on Last Splash, which would eventually go gold in the U.S., and Black -- as Frank Black -- starting penning a solo eponymous debut, which didn't fair so well. In 2004 -- with disparate and storied careers -- Deal, Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering reunited for a North American tour and several dates at European summer festivals. The group is currently rumored to be working on a new studio album, the first since 1991. - Mike McGuirk]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.746&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Jangle Pop Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:59 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.746 art.746 The Smiths art.746 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.746&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.746&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss
Son of a hospital porter and a librarian, Morrissey first expressed himself by writing; unemployed in the late '70s, he wrote a book on James Dean and another on the New York Dolls, whose English fan club he headed. He also played briefly in a band called the Nosebleeds. Veteran of such cult groups as Sister Ray and Freaky Party, Marr first met Morrissey at a 1979 Patti Smith concert, and by 1982 they decided to form a band. The pair eventually enlisted drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke for an eponymous debut that, on U.K. indie label Rough Trade (on Sire in the U.S.), entered the British chart at Number Two. An earlier single, "Hand in Glove," was then recorded with Morrissey's favorite female singer, '60s British pop idol Sandie Shaw, and scored Number 27 in the U.K. This coup, along with The Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (Number 10 U.K., 1984), established the band.

The meteoric rise continued with Meat Is Murder debuting at Number One on the British chart; the group also caused a stir with Morrissey's stage presence, the singer wearing a garland of gladioli in tribute to Oscar Wilde, a hearing aid in homage to '50s balladeer Johnnie Ray, and a ducktail haircut patterned after English rocker Billy Fury. Some critics sniped that the group's lyrics referred to child molesting, and Morrissey offended others with sharp comments about the all-star Band Aid benefit single for Ethiopian famine relief. His champions, though, hailed his oblique, angst-driven songs as latter-day examples of Ray Davies-styled social commentary. With ex-Aztec Camera guitarist Craig Gannon added, 1986's The Queen Is Dead (Number Two U.K.) fared handsomely, but a disappointing U.S. tour showed that the Smiths had yet to penetrate the American mainstream. Later that year Johnny Marr was involved in a serious car accident; during his recovery, Gannon was fired. A single, "Sheila Take a Bow," became a Top 10 U.K. hit in mid-1987, but later that year, with Marr deeming their musical approach exhausted, the Smiths disbanded. Strangeways, Here We Come and the live Rank were released posthumously.

Despite his prolific output — Viva Hate, Bona Drag, Kill Uncle, Your Arsenal, and Vauxhall and I — Morrissey's solo career hasn't quite matched his success with the Smiths, although the singer has attracted a rabid cult following in the U.S. He released 1995's Southpaw Grammar (Number 66) and 1997's Maladjusted (Number 61) to an ambivalent critical response. (My Early Burglary Years was a collection of B sides and rarities.) But a tour in 2000 enjoyed sell-out crowds without a new album or even a record deal.

Besides playing sessions with Bryan Ferry, Talking Heads, the Pet Shop Boys, and Billy Bragg, Marr served for a while with the Pretenders, The The, and Electronic without ever finding a permanent venue. Marr's low profile led to a reputation as British rock's most talented underachiever. But he reemerged in 2000 for the first time at the front of his own band, the Healers, which included former Dub Pistol keyboardist Lee Spender, bassist Alonza Bevan from Kula Shaker, and drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr).

Rourke and Joyce played with the Adult Net before backing up Sinead O'Connor; Joyce eventually joined the reformed Buzzcocks. In 1996 they both sued Marr and Morrissey, complaining over the unequal sharing of Smiths earnings; Rourke settled out of court, but in 1998 Joyce won his case, with a British judge calling Morrissey "devious, truculent, and unreliable." A reunion is not expected.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5237151&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:55 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5237151 art.5237151 Franz Ferdinand art.5237151 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5237151&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5237151&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Darts Of Pleasure came out, it was as though their lean, romantic, and often danceable form of post-punk fell right from the pages of a Smash Hits from twenty years prior. In their formative years, most of the band were students at the Glasgow School of Art and spent their time practicing music at a spot called the Chateau, a music/art space along the lines of Andy Warhol's Factory. The group's smart and slightly oily brand of angular pop was soon embraced by press and fans, whose appetites for a post-punk revival were whetted by the success of bands like Interpol and Hot Hot Heat. They finally released their first full-length in 2004. The LP's unorthodox but unstoppable single "Take Me Out" quickly took off all over the world. In the summer of 2005, Franz Ferdinand built on that success with It Could Be So Much Better, which actually lived up to its title by bettering their winning debut. The Scots then released their third album in early 2009. Stripping away some of their post-punk roots, the band opted to load Tonight with disco-punk beats and spacey synths, making it some of their most experimental and upbeat material to date. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5230944&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Rock Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:54 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5230944 art.5230944 TV On The Radio art.5230944 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5230944&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5230944&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Young Liars EP in 2003, which was met by unanimous critical praise. They toured throughout 2004 supporting their debut full length, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, which was similarly extolled. With dates opening for the Pixies and a fan in David Bowie, TV on the Radio's popularity outgrew their indie label, and in the summer of '06 they issued Return to Cookie Mountain on Interscope (featuring back up vocals from Bowie), which nabbed top spots on a number of year-end lists for 2006. They followed up with an equally solid album in 2008, Dear Science. - Nate Cavalieri]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39651&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:17:26 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.39651 art.39651 New Order art.39651 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39651&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39651&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Blade soundtrack pits raw electro sounds against bitter, fluid bass kicks. They have also maintained impeccable integrity keeping one foot in the mainstream and the other underground, generating colossal worldwide hits as well as disturbing, alienated tracks with depressive guitar echoes and sad synth melodies. Even their most elevated, ethereal moments are grounded in melancholy, but provide a vaulting spirit that gives solace to any wilted flower. - Marc Kate]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9468165&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:52 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.9468165 art.9468165 Band Of Horses art.9468165 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9468165&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9468165&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Everything All The Time, was released in 2006, and that's more than enough reason to start a stampede. - Michele K-Tel]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42624&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:17:26 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.42624 art.42624 The Strokes art.42624 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42624&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42624&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss
With a sound that evoked the flat rumble of late-Seventies New York rock but whose chewy tunes were rooted in the new wave candy of the Cars, the Strokes' appeal was immediate; they became the most popular club band in New York and when they issued their first EP, The Modern Age (2001), they became a press-fueled sensation in England, where their debut album, Is This It (Number 33, 2001), was released before America got it, with a slightly different album cover and track listing ("New York City Cops" — "they ain't too smart," Casablancas yowled — was deemed potentially offensive in the wake of 9/11 and was replaced by "When It Started"). Tight, lean, smart and almost subliminally catchy, It became one of the most acclaimed albums of its era, finishing second in the Village Voice's annual critics poll and setting a number of younger bands off in emulating their wiry sound.

The Strokes were lumped into the 2001-02 "rock is back" brigade — were often said to lead it, in fact — but they were such a sensation (in press terms, not in mass numbers) that they seemed stuck in a rut. Their second full-length album, 2003's Room on Fire (Number Four) offered a more polished version of the Is This It template. Originally the Strokes were going to make their follow-up with producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead), but instead went back to the debut's decksman, Gordon Raphael. It was around this time that Moretti's relationship with movie star Drew Barrymore came to light, earning the band extra, if not quite welcome, press. In 2005, Casablancas married the band's assistant manager; the following year, Valensi wed photographer Amanda de Cadenet.

For First Impressions of Earth (Number Four, 2006), they expanded their sonic palette, at times almost willfully, casting some doubt as to their direction. Later in 2006, Hammond Jr. released his debut, Yours to Keep, in the U.K.; it saw U.S. issue a year later and his second solo album, ¿Cómo Te Llama? was released in July 2008, shortly after Casablancas' single with Pharrell and Santogold promoting Converse dropped. In June 2008, a message on the Strokes' official Website announced the band would get back to making new music together in early 2009. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:14:10 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.63230 art.63230 Spoon art.63230 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63230&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss
Singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Britt Daniel formed Spoon — named for a song by the German experimental band Can — in 1993 along with drummer Jim Eno, guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire. The following year, the band released a seven-inch EP, Nafarious, on the small indie label Fluffer Records. Spoon caught the attention of the larger indie label Matador Records, on which the band released its first full-length disc, Telephono, in 1996. The album was hailed by critics and fans of indie rock, and the band soon found itself being courted by the major label Elektra Records. The group’s 1998 Elektra debut, A Series of Sneaks, was an artistic leap for the band and that album, too, was championed by critics. But Sneaks didn’t sell as quickly as Elektra wanted, and the label abandoned Spoon just four months after the album’s release. Disheartened by Elektra executives Ron Laffitte, who had signed the band, and CEO Sylvia Rhone, Spoon wrote two songs questioning their ethics: “The Agony of Laffitte” and “Laffitte Don’t Fail Me Now.”

Spoon’s major-label woes didn’t stop Daniel and company from continuing to write and record, and in 2001 the band signed with North Carolina indie label Merge Records. Spoon’s first Merge album, Girls Can Tell (Number 46 Top Independent Albums, 2001), and its follow-up, Kill the Moonlight (Number 23 Top Independent Albums, 2002), both outsold the band’s previous two discs. When one of Moonlight’s tracks, “The Way We Get By,” appeared in the popular teen TV show The O.C., Spoon got a measure of mainstream attention. Gimme Fiction (Number 44 pop, 2005), the group’s highly anticipated follow-up, was three years in the making and wound up selling 160,000 copies. The next year, Daniel co-wrote the soundtrack for the Will Ferrell comedy Stranger than Fiction. Also that year, Merge reissued the group’s first album together with its 1997 EP, Soft Effects. When Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Number Ten pop, 2007) came out to raves, Spoon went on the late-night TV circuit, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live where they performed the single “The Underdog” (Number 26 Modern Rock, 2007) and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.” A second single, “Don’t You Evah,” reached Number 33 on the Modern Rock chart in 2008. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39715&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:40 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.39715 art.39715 Interpol art.39715 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39715&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39715&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss
Guitarist Daniel Kessler and bassist Carlos Dengler (a.k.a. Carlos D) met while attending New York University in 1998; they eventually recruited singer Paul Banks and, after parting ways with their original drummer, hired Sam Fogarino, who had been playing with various Florida-based bands since the early Nineties. A series of limited-release EPs brought the band to the attention of Matador Records, which signed Interpol in 2002. The three-song Interpol EP (2002) introduced its brood-punk sound, creating a swell of interest for the band's debut full-length Turn on the Bright Lights (Number 158, 2002).

With propulsive numbers such as "Obstacle 1" (2003) and "PDA" (2003), Lights became a downtown-jukebox staple, and Interpol became a major draw on the international circuit, particularly in Europe, where the band members' tightly honed fashion sense (suits, shades, glares) made them stand out from the skinny-jean garage-revival circuit. Two more singles — "NYC" (2002) and "Say Hello to the Angels" (2003) — helped Lights approach gold status in the United States, where the group toured as part of the Curiosa festival in 2004.

Later that year, the band released its second album, Antics (Number 15). While not a stylistic leap, the band's songwriting had grown significantly, resulting in radio-play candidates "Slow Hands" (2004) and "Evil" (2005), the latter of which came close to being downright jaunty at times. A third single, "C'mere," was released in 2005, and the band set out on an international tour that lasted more than a year, including opening-slot sets for the Pixies and Coldplay.

Upon returning to New York in 2005, Interpol went on a brief hiatus before announcing in the fall of 2006 that they had signed a deal with Capitol Records. Our Love to Admire (Number Four, 2007) was released the following summer, incorporating more keyboards (and fewer hooks) than previous releases. As the band set out on another extended international tour, three singles — the breakup lament "The Heinrich Maneuver" (2007), "Mammoth" (2007) and "There's No I In Threesome" — were released, as was an indie-only EP, Live in Astoria ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6996&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:04:01 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6996 art.6996 The Flaming Lips art.6996 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6996&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6996&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss In a Priest Driven Ambulance. Fusing only bits of their endearing, off-kilter indie rock into a sonically intense and more innovative fuzzcraft of mid-tempo songs and walls of neo-psychedelic guitar drone, IPDA offered up such memorable pop thunder as "Unconsciously Screamin'" "Rainin' Babies" and "Mountainside." Their songwriting having drastically improved, each completed song brought new, succinct arrangements and different chord progressions -- yet the album as a whole had an incredibly loud, distinctive sound. Subsequent albums like Hit to Death in the Future Head and Transmissions from the Satellite Heart began yet another chapter in the Lips' ever-transforming career, employing more selectively the relentless yet blissful bombast of IPDA into beautifully orchestrated, stripped-down mega-productions of pristine guitar twinkle and LSD-impaired Beach Boys harmonies. (Transmissions also spawned the Lips' big moment in the mainstream sun with the ubiquitous "She Don't Use Jelly.") Since the untimely departure of guitarist/noise enthusiast Ronald Jones, the Flaming Lips have resembled more a pop-deconstructionist science fair than a rock band, with drummer Steven Drozd and founder Wayne Coyne working as synched-up visionaries rather than contributing members of the same band. 1999's The Soft Bulletin found them again on the cusp of disciplinary mastery, incorporating their bent inclinations and atmospherics even more subtly into their strangely familiar and narcotic brand of pop, while donning character costumes on stage. Their next release, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots followed the same path, albeit with even brighter production and a greater attention to detail. At its core, however, the record was a mediation on love, death and the assurance is life after almost unendurable psychic pain. On the Oklahoma City band's 2006 opus At War With The Mystics, spiritual leader and sonic ringmaster Coyne shows the sheer depth of his profundity when he casts his baleful eye outward, focusing his laser vision on current events; pointing a sharp stick at frothy pop icons, superficial thinkers, the abuse of power-both personal and political-and fanaticism wherever it shows up in culture. Their songs show that there's a lot more going on underneath those pink bunny suits than we ever imagined. - Rachel Devitt]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4212&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:42:21 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4212 art.4212 Morrissey art.4212 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4212&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4212&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Viva Hate, co-written by producer Stephen Street, was a triumph. Since then, the quality of Morrissey's output has careened wildly from respectable to moments of brilliance to leaden time-fillers. Mick Ronson (of early Bowie fame) helped toughen up his sound, but it was the reflective, peaceful and biting Vauxhall and I that reminded the public of this melodramatic crooner's unique vision. By the late 1990s, the public began to take Morrissey for granted and he was without a label for years. Then, in 2004, he released the best-selling You Are the Quarry and was once again embraced by sensitive rockers the world over. If songs as wonderful as "Trouble Loves Me" (1997) don't fly off his pen as quickly as they used to, it's still a comfort to have Morrissey around. He's your eccentric uncle, the one who laughs at stale convention and scoffs at the decadent hipsters ruling the pop world. Morrissey may be nostalgic for an England that never was, but he shows that the most revolutionary action in our busy, digital age may just be unhurried navel-gazing. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6488890&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Punk-Funk Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:21:20 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6488890 art.6488890 Bloc Party art.6488890 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6488890&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6488890&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss A Weekend in the City, released in 2007, shot to Number One on the Independent Albums chart and Number 12 on the Billboard 200.

Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack met in the late 1990s at England's Reading Festival and realized they shared similar interests in music. Soon after, they formed a band that changed its name several times before settling on Bloc Party in 2003. By then, they'd enlisted bassist Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong, and released their first single, "She's Hearing Voices," on the Trash Aesthetics label. When a copy of the single landed in popular Radio One DJ Steve Lamacq's hands, he played it often, called it "genius," and invited the band on for a live performance.

After another single, "Banquet," on the Moshi Moshi label, Bloc Party signed with Wichita Recordings in 2004, releasing a self-titled EP. The band's debut album, Silent Alarm, followed in February 2005; it met with rave reviews, shot to Number Three in the U.K. and spawned several successful U.K. singles. The following year, Bloc Party played sold-out shows in Los Angeles and Berkeley. Silent Alarm went on to sell more than 350,000 copies in North America and more than a million worldwide.

The band exceeded expectations when its second album, A Weekend in the City — in which Okereke, a second-generation black citizen of the U.K., tackles touchy topics including British racism and post-9/11 paranoia — reached Number 12 on the Billboard 200 in 2007, selling 48,000 copies. In the summer and fall of 2008 the band dropped Intimacy first as a summer digital release followed by a CD release in October. Co-produced by Jacknife Lee and Brit-pop mastermind Paul Epworth, Intimacy is their most dynamic album to date with jittery pop, stadium anthems, and introspection that Okereke attributed to a break-up before the album was recorded. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.288&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Rock Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:42:56 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.288 art.288 Sonic Youth art.288 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.288&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.288&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss EVOL in 1986 signaled the end of Sonic Youth's anarchic primitivism and the dawning of their golden age. They were gradually transforming bouts of alternate tuning overkill into tightly crafted song. Daydream Nation (1988) remains their pinnacle achievement, a thematically coherent pastiche of Gen-X cynicism, sonic tube disasters and surreal guitar passages that chime like harps in a hailstorm. The work of Sonic Youth is all the more remarkable for being almost entirely self-produced and truly collaborative in origin. Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo all lend a hand in writing and singing, which sometimes produces the jarring effect of listening to three different bands on the same album. - Chad Driscoll]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6928291&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:39:52 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6928291 art.6928291 The National art.6928291 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6928291&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6928291&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Boxer, which reached Number Five on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart.

Formed in Brooklyn, New York, the band is composed of Ohio friends Matt Berninger, whose brooding baritone is reminiscent of musical precursors like the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis; guitarist Scott Devendorf and his drummer brother Bryan; bassist Aaron Dessner and his guitarist brother Bryce. The band has recruited a number of horn, strings and keyboard players for its albums including regular keyboardist and strings arranger Padma Newsome.

The National’s 2001 self-titled debut, self-released on Brassland Records, was heralded for its mix of melodic alt-country and bleak, introspective lyrics, but the band members had not yet quit their day jobs in the dot-com industry. After releasing a second Brassland album two years later — the similarly somber Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers — the band attracted the attention of established indie label Beggars Banquet. The National became a full-time band with its 2005 Beggars Banquet debut AlligatorBoxer, released in May 2007, was hailed across the board as the band’s richest, most mature work to date. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65900&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:19:32 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.65900 art.65900 The Sounds art.65900 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65900&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65900&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Living in America, was released not long after the band members finished up with high school, rocketing up to the very top of the charts in Sweden and earning them a Swedish Grammy award (not to mention heaps of "best newcomer" accolades). In America, they were introduced to U.S. audiences when they toured with the Strokes and the Foo Fighters. Their second disc, Dying to Say This to You, was partly produced by Jeff Saltzman (credited for all the fuss surrounding the Killers' debut, and former Green Day co-manager) and recorded in Oakland, Calif., and in studios in New York and Boston. Despite their rather sneering, seditious attitude, when combined with a retro synthesizer sound and guitar hooks, the result is far from threatening: it's simply upbeat rock 'n' roll fun. - Michele K-Tel]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5724&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss New Wave Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:55:58 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5724 art.5724 Simple Minds art.5724 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5724&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5724&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4178&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss New Folk Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:44:57 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4178 art.4178 Violent Femmes art.4178 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4178&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4178&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4067&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:58 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4067 art.4067 Echo and the Bunnymen art.4067 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4067&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4067&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss the) finest of the British post-punk exponents of the late '70s and one of the bright, shining lights of '80s music, Echo and the Bunnymen delivered a series of records that ranged from gloomy, muted blasts of dark guitars and moaning vocals to unabashed pop songs with glorious orchestral arrangements. At times frightening, at times beautiful, the band conjured up sullen images of mystery with their cloudy, swirling, psychedelic tapestries. Frontman Ian McCullough flaunted his permanently tousled and nicotine-addled persona through most of the English press of the '80s while his band backed him up with Doors-fueled dramatic dirges that grew into giant, arena-ready anthems for the darkly clad, pale art kids. This angular, epileptic pop could draw you into the glorious dregs of the underground as McCullough muttered post-Syd Barrett lyrical spirals on records like Heaven Up Here or sent you sailing across the deep blue orchestral seas of Ocean Rain. As the '80s closed, they achieved their biggest successes, filtering their original essence down to some catchy, at times brilliant, poetic alt-pop. Despite an ill-fated record sans McCullough in 1990, the band has kept their dignity in the time since. Most successfully, their 1999 release What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? showed the band were still capable of evoking their patented gloomy grandeur without falling victim to the dreaded "modern update." - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3931&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:05:30 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.3931 art.3931 Dinosaur Jr. art.3931 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3931&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3931&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1091&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1091 art.1091 The Psychedelic Furs art.1091 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1091&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1091&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss sturm und drone with their own aplomb. Along the way, they became one of the most emblematic bands of '80s English rock.

By the time "Love My Way" achieved saturation play on the relatively new MTV in early 1983, the band was a firm critical favorite. After forming in punk-drenched London in 1977, they signed with CBS (Columbia in the U.S.) and shortly concocted a self-titled debut that matched single-length rockers ("We Love You") with epic-minded explorations ("India"). But it was 1981's Talk Talk Talk that really earned a buzz; the album's "Pretty in Pink" was a Blonde on Blonde-esque examination of a lonely girl's romantic stumbles.

"Love My Way" (from Forever Now, which saw Todd Rundgren taking over as producer from a young Steve Lillywhite), "Heartbreak Beat" and a remake of "Pretty in Pink" for its namesake John Hughes film all helped move the Furs toward the American mainstream. Personnel changes had begun much earlier, but the core of brothers Richard and Tim Butler (bass) and guitarist John Ashton remained steady. The albums Mirror Moves (1984) and Midnight to Midnight (1987) were must-haves for suburban hipsters of the era, and the band continually toured to great success.

After two more discs, Book of Days and World Outside, which didn't do nearly as well, the act split up. Richard Butler went on to Love Spit Love's moderate popularity before re-teaming with brother Tim and Ashton in 2000. The Psychedelic Furs have since been a fixture on the nostalgia circuit, with the live Beautiful Chaos getting a 2001 release. - Jaan Uhelszki]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6649531&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss '00s Post-Punk Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:53 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6649531 art.6649531 The Bravery art.6649531 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6649531&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6649531&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4584&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Emo/Hardcore Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4584 art.4584 Alkaline Trio art.4584 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4584&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4584&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss From Here to Infirmary. Two years later they followed it up with Good Mourning, which made an appearance in Billboard 's Top-200 charts. There were a few more internal breaks in 2004, not fortunately within the band -- but due to Matt Skiba's adventures in skateboarding. First, he fractured his wrist, delaying the release of their fifth album to May 2005, and then as soon as that healed, he jumped back on his board and broke his left arm. Healed up Skiba and the latest lineup (drummer Derek Grant and bassist Dan Andriano) embarked on a near-sellout tour in support of Crimson, complete with an orchestral accompaniment. Perhaps in response to this, they've released a "deluxe edition" of the album with an additional disc of rougher hewn originals to please both their angry youthful admirers along with their more recently acquired pop-oriented fans. - Michele K-Tel]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42634&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Brit Pop/Brit Rock Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:42:41 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.42634 art.42634 XTC art.42634 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42634&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42634&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2101&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:20:37 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2101 art.2101 Joy Division art.2101 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2101&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2101&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8877169&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Electropop Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:17:30 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.8877169 art.8877169 Hot Chip art.8877169 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8877169&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8877169&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Mexico, on a small London imprint in 2001. Hot Chip evolved their lazy, hip-hop inflected sound over the years, adding scraps of toy percussion and analog synths and taking on new members. They gained critical attention on the strength of 2005's Coming on Strong, their American debut, but it was 2006's Mercury Prize-nominated The Warning that exposed the band now a fulltime four-piece to larger audiences. While their albums are mostly laid back, toe-tapping disco affairs, their live shows are explosive and sweaty, especially for four pasty-white English guys playing synthesizers. - Jonathan Zwickel]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40043&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Goth Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:20:17 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.40043 art.40043 Siouxsie and the Banshees art.40043 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40043&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40043&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5201&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:38 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5201 art.5201 Pavement art.5201 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5201&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5201&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Slanted and Enchanted was an instant sensation, helping to establish Lo-Fi as one of the preeminent subgenres of Indie Rock. Their unique, raggedly endearing sound -- shambling vocals attached to both pop hooks and discordant, repetitive rhythms colored by low fidelity production and bursts of noisy guitar -- has elevated them to deity status in the Indie community. They've done much to promote the Lo-Fi sound in the meantime, gaining an increasingly widespread cult following while occasionally breaking into the alternative mainstream. - Will Lerner]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64366&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Garage Rock Revival Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:42:24 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.64366 art.64366 The Kills art.64366 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64366&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.64366&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6774670&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Brit Rock Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:19:45 -0700 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6774670 art.6774670 Kaiser Chiefs art.6774670 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6774670&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6774670&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Employment, to the masses. The buzz in the U.K. soon spread and the quintet became popular among hipsters digging the newest crop of Brit bands like Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and the Futureheads. The Chiefs became known for their energetic performances, opening the 2005 Philadelphia Live 8 concert and appearing at numerous U.K. festivals, earning them a 2006 Brit Award for Best British Live Act. In early 2007, they released Yours Truly, Angry Mob, with lead single "Ruby" reaching No. 1 on the U.K. charts. - Stephanie Benson]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052081&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Electropop Thu, 3 Sep 2009 10:32:55 -0700 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6052081 art.6052081 Cut Copy art.6052081 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052081&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052081&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Bright Like Neon Love, but teamed up with French producer Philippe Zdar (Cassius, Motorbass and MC Solaar), and the album helped spawn a worldwide electro-house movement. On their second album, In Ghost Colours, Zdar was replaced by DFA Records co-founder Tim Goldsworthy and would take the group in a more indie rock and synth pop direction. - Nate Cavalieri]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41559&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:08:56 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.41559 art.41559 The Walkmen art.41559 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41559&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.41559&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss War-era U2, but without any sort of political grandstanding. Instead, the Walkmen use blocks of mellifluous feedback, creating a reverb-drenched hall in which they sometimes unwind slowly-- and sometimes turn it all into a nervous, panic-stricken, mad dash across town. There are definitely echoes of the mad, stop-start drumming of post-punk heroes Joy Division, but the entire blend is so melodic and personal, even as it reaches for great rapt heights, that comparisons do very little to explain why it works so well. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.378&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss New Wave Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:48:13 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.378 art.378 Adam Ant art.378 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.378&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.378&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Dirk Wears White Socks. A radical makeover and a new band ushered Ant into the 1980s with a series of successful singles, including "Ant Music," "Prince Charming" and "Stand And Deliver." He went solo in 1982, and immediately hit pay dirt with "Goody Two Shoes." By 1984, however, Ant's career was on the outs, and the Londoner turned to acting. He came back into the public eye briefly in 1995, with a surprise hit, "Wonderful," from the album by the same name. Nothing more was heard from the star until early 2002, when he was arrested in an assault incident supposedly involving a firearm in a London pub. Ant was admitted into a psychiatric hospital to evaluate whether or not he was competent to stand trail on the charges. Following a 12-month community service sentence, Ant made headlines again in August 2003 with news of yet another arrest, and once again his mental stability was publicly questioned. Regardless of his mental state, Ant has shown passion for a new cause: gorillas. He re-recorded "Stand And Deliver" as "Save the Gorillas" in an effort to call attention to the species' dwindling population, and he spent the better part of an hour talking on U.K. radio about subjects ranging from his arrests, his mental health, Malcolm McLaren and, of course, gorillas. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66426&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Electronica/Dance Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:57 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.66426 art.66426 LCD Soundsystem art.66426 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66426&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66426&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2838&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Punk Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:55 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2838 art.2838 Fugazi art.2838 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2838&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2838&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss 13 Songs. Ian MacKaye's Hardcore bellow and Gibson SG marched alongside Guy Piccioto's (formerly of Rites of Spring) demonic rasp and flailing Rickenbacker, serving notice to Punk's intelligentsia under the watchful eye of a razor-sharp, self-editing rhythm section. Six subsequent albums have shown Fugazi's continually evolving ear for sonic craftsmanship; writing and producing works that owe an equal amount to the Beatles and Radiohead as they do Gang of Four and AC/DC. Having reached a certain state of maturation, Fugazi have, to their credit, perhaps given themselves over to musical craft rather than live famously in direct contradiction to a self-made identity.]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60999&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:13:24 -0700 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.60999 art.60999 The Jesus and Mary Chain art.60999 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60999&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60999&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Psychocandy. Influential beyond measure, it threw together walls of white feedback with angelic Beach Boys and Byrds-ian harmonies and the independent music world is still aping it. Their growth since that record has been marked by ups and downs and some might say, by a lack of growth at all. They've gone from confrontational noise to sample-heavy alterna-hits, to acoustic bliss and back to noise again. The brothers Reid (Jim and William) have not been known to deny their influence and continue their onstage feuding: drunken assaults amidst a smattering of occasional strung-out brilliance and too-often sameness. - Jon Pruett]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Indie/Alternative Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:53:46 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.40330 art.40330 Hot Hot Heat art.40330 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40330&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Scenes One Through Thirteen), but things changed for Hot Hot Heat when guitarist Dante DeCaro joined in early 2001, at which point they dropped the synths and moved towards a more stripped down rock 'n' roll -- if persistently pop -- sound. "We've basically brought together four categories of influences: classic Beatles and Stones; punk-rock; the whole singer/songwriter era, and anything contemporary worth listening to," explains Bays. This change of direction was followed by the release of debut EP Knock Knock Knock on Sub Pop in 2002 and, later the same year, LP Make Up The Breakdown, produced by Jack Endino (the knob-twiddler on Nirvana's Bleach). Shortly after the album's release, the band signed with Warner Music. In 2004, having completed the recording of their second album proper, Elevator, DeCaro left Hot Hot Heat to be replaced by Luke Paquina, formerly of San Francisco's the Stradlers. The band went on to release Happiness LTD. in 2007. - Jamie Dolling]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472093&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss New Wave Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:53:43 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7472093 art.7472093 She Wants Revenge art.7472093 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472093&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7472093&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Post-Punk Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:16:42 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.69330 art.69330 Nick Cave art.69330 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69330&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69330&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.651&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Noise Pop Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:08:47 -0700 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.651 art.651 The Breeders art.651 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.651&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.651&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.36189&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Brit Pop/Brit Rock Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:21:20 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.36189 art.36189 Pulp art.36189 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.36189&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.36189&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052071&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Garage Rock Revival Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:06:27 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6052071 art.6052071 Eagles Of Death Metal art.6052071 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052071&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6052071&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss The Desert Sessions Volumes 3 and 4, but with Homme busy fronting Queens of the Stone Age, the release of its debut, Peace, Love, Death, Metal, didn't drop until 2004. Next, came Death By Sexy in 2006, which features several guests, including Mark Lanegan and Jack Black, followed by the equally fun, but more subdued, 2008 album Heart On. - Stephanie Benson]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47219&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Electropop Sun, 1 Nov 2009 12:39:32 -0800 Top Post-Punk Artists on Rhapsody Online art.47219 art.47219 The Faint art.47219 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47219&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47219&variant=data&rws=%2Falt-punk%2Fpost-punk%2Fartist-chart.rss Danse Macabre, which darkened indie songwriting with goth mascara (then spangled it with electro's shiny circuits). Danse Macabre Remixes brought them all the way over to the club, with help from remixers like Paul Oakenfold and Tommie Sunshine; subsequent albums Wet From Birth and Fasciinatiion have continued to burrow wormholes from the present day back to the '80s new-wave glory days. - Philip Sherburne]]>