Known for fidgety experimentalism and crabby lyrics, San Jose’s Xiu Xiu would not win a lifetime achievement award for cheerfulness. Nevertheless, the group has often channeled a certain joy of noise. Unbound by genre, Xiu Xiu unwinds nervous energy, creating songs that land halfway between accessible and off-putting. On…

Sting, “Duets.” At 69 years of age and over 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, English musician Sting would appear to have a fair amount of pull in the music industry. A look at the guest performers on his new compilation album, Duets, confirms the distinctive vocalist’s tenured clout as…

Alice Cooper, “Detroit Stories.” It could be said that rock legend Alice Cooper is a hard man to pin down. Is he a decadent, glammed-out creep or an affable guy who helps his friends? An edgy punk provocateur, or a religious conservative? A man named Alice? Even deciding where…

Steve Hackett, “Under A Mediterranean Sky.” According to a 1970 ad he placed in British music magazine Melody Maker, guitarist and songwriter Steve Hackett displayed an early interest in pushing “beyond existing stagnant music forms.” This attitude landed him a high-profile gig as the guitarist for progressive rock pioneers…

Neil Young, “Archives Volume II.” In the first half of the 1970s, Neil Young—like a number of rock stars of his generation—battled to stay relevant as industry demands attempted to direct his creativity. After a pair of commercially successful albums, he struggled to get one released as the now-classic Tonight’s…

Chris Stapleton, “Starting Over.” Country artist Chris Stapleton has been praised for his work as a songwriter. The recipient of five Grammy awards, Stapleton has realized success binding the multiple strands of Americana together in a honky-tonk mishmash. Though his songs marinate in country twang, Stapleton’s genre is the…

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, “Return To Greendale.” Fans of classic rock and folk music can’t accuse Neil Young of taking it easy in the latter half of his prolific career. In addition to continuing to release new music at a regular pace, Young collects live and rare tracks…

EELS, ‘Earth To Dora.’ Mark Oliver Everett, the main man behind Eels, writes songs that feel elusive—yet are as plain as day. He writes them quickly and often, and has enjoyed repeated success. Under the Eels banner, Everett has scored seven U.S. charting albums and six top-40 singles in…

Reliably prolific songwriter Elvis Costello has achieved a special place in the rock canon, churning out hits since the ’70s. Now, as he and his  second-wave rock peers approach 70s of their own, the quantity of their work may have taken a small hit but the quality a large one. But…

John Frusciante is a musician’s musician. Since his early days, making his name as a bad-boy funk guitarist, he has worked solo and with a wide variety of artists. His projects under a handful of styles include Ataxia and Trickfinger. Prolific and experimental, the three-time Red Hot Chili Pepper…