Guides

The best rock songs about freedom and the open road
There's something primal about a roaring guitar and a long stretch of asphalt disappearing into the horizon. For decades, rock music has captured that feeling…
How a Broken Amp Forged the Sound of a Rock Legend
Rock history is littered with happy accidents, the kind of equipment failures that should have ended a session but instead rewrote the rulebook. Producers have…
A debut single revives Southern rock with honest grit
There is a particular guitar tone that sounds like an old Holden ute bouncing down a corrugated road outside Tamworth, and the debut single from Outlaw Town…
Rock legends: the greatest albums that started as self-released gems
The romance of the self-released rock album has always captivated music fans. There's something undeniably heroic about a band pressing their own vinyl and…
Why the 1970s Sparked the Golden Age of Rock Concept Albums
The early 1970s marked a profound shift in rock music. Until then, albums were afterthoughts built around hit singles and filler. By the middle of the decade,…
Turn It Up: Rock Songs for Restoring a Vintage Motorcycle
There's a particular alchemy that happens when you prop up a carburettor on the bench, crack open a tin of degreaser and let a familiar riff roll out of the…
The Day Johnny Cash Bought a Ghost Town
The story sounds like a perfect rock-and-roll fable: Johnny Cash, already a global star, discovers a deserted Tennessee settlement, buys it, and turns its…
The Strange Electric Voice Behind Classic Rock
Before synthesisers became familiar fixtures on rock stages, the theremin offered musicians something genuinely uncanny. Its pitch and volume are controlled by…
The Best Highway Songs for a Cross-Country Road Trip
A great road-trip playlist should do more than fill the silence. It should match the changing scenery, from city traffic and coastal highways to long, empty…
Why Some Rock Bands Own The Road And Others Fall Apart
Touring strips rock music down to its working parts. Studio polish disappears, shortcuts become obvious, and every weak connection between musicians is exposed…