Like whiskey and wings, Southern soul blues is a tangy mix. Stripped-down, grown-up, it's party music for adults only - folks who still know what to do with a Saturday night. The domain of down-home go …

Just because Southern soul-blues singers like to get down and dirty, that doesn't mean there's a "gentlemen only" sign on the door. There are lots of ladies who lay it down in no uncertain terms. Denis …

It must be something in the meatballs. Hey, we have no other explanation for Sweden's impressive Europop pedigree, from the advancing army that is ABBA's breakthrough onslaught "Waterloo," to the swoop …

One Europop mantle, many wonderful threads of sound - it's what our Deep Cuts are all about as we head to the far reaches in search of the sophisticated yet sweet retro vibe of Dutch combo Daryll-Ann a …

Ah, hair metal, the totally '80s phenomenon that got many of us - the Essentials staff included - to believe in the power of big hair and big riffs, from the strip club shout-outs of "Gir …

While we're pretty sure you've heard the names Ozzy Osbourne, M÷tley Crne, and Poison before, most of our Hair Metal Deep Cuts list is devoted to long-forgotten heroes of the spandex set. How ab …

Rock 'n' roll was never as wanton or more daring than its mid-'50s dawning. When Elvis swiveled his hips, Jerry Lee pounded the piano, Chuck Berry did the Duck Walk, and Little Richard cried "A wop bop …

It's tough to say why sonic soft-serves like the Dynamics didn't enjoy the success of their Atlantic Records brothers, seeing as their "Ice Cream Song" is a tasty triple-scoop of sweet-cream harmonies, …

The idea of throwing devil horns in the air like you just don't care at an electronica "concert" may seem inappropriate at first, but think about it - legendary acts like New Order, Depeche Mode, and N …