When people generally think about the origins of rock ‘n’ roll, immediate thoughts go to Elvis’s shaky legs, Chuck Berry’s tumbling and electrifying riffs, or Little Richard’s clunky piano backbeats. However, none of this would have been possible without the legacy of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Elvis studied her instrumentation carefully. She was the first to […]

Exploding into the late 70s rock scene with a penchant for 60s garage rock and girl group glam, The Rezillos have always stood out with their unique form of punk, heavy on the female-led vocals. While the Sex Pistols and The Ramones were setting the common footprint of punk with their leather jackets and catchy […]

Back when Patti Smith and her group were recording their third studio album, Easter, with producer Jimmy Iovine, her paths crossed with Bruce Springsteen who was in the same studio recording his highly regarded album Darkness on the Edge of Town. From this happenstance was born a little ditty called “Because The Night” which is […]

British post-punk rockers Gang of Four have been sharing their spirited sound and influencing the likes of Flea, Kurt Cobain and others since they formed in 1977. The group is currently scheduled to release their new album, What Happens Next, in February 2015, followed by a North American Tour.  The current lineup is fronted by sole original […]

Political, philosophical, intellectual and punk as fuck only begins to crack the realms of thought and attitude that Southern California punk staple, Bad Religion have shaped through their lyrically potent, heavy, guitar-fueled sound over the years. From their humble beginnings in a garage in the Valley back in 1980 to the present day, Bad Religion have […]

Vintage Gold: Small Faces – “Tin Soldier” – Classic Video Spearheaded by vivacious singer/guitarist Steve Marriott and bassist Ronnie Lane, along with keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones — Small Faces were a brilliant rock and roll band from London, England.  Their mod, r&b sound was fully fueled by Steve Marriott’s bluesy, soulful vocals and […]

Formed in L.A.’s golden years of hip-hop, J.J. Fad originally began as a six-piece female rap group. They slimmed down to three members after being plagued by management and financial issues, leaving MC J.B., Baby-D, and Sassy C with support by DJ Train. Discovered by Eazy-E, they released their 1987 hit single, “Supersonic” via Ruthless […]

A master of slide guitar, “Mississippi” Fred McDowell was the most influential American Hill country blues singer. Creatively, he had played slide with a pocket knife, a beef rib bone and then later switched to a glass slide for its clearer sound. Making music since the early 1900’s, the man projected a slick and steady groove you could […]

UPDATE: Feb. 5, 2019 — It’s been 9 years since Grimy Goods wrote their first Vintage Gold feature — a column inspired by my ultimate love for the good ole shit. I’m talking the raw, filterless, grimy goods. Ya feel me? Whether punk, funk, goth, blues, hip hop or techno — much of the many […]