2014 In Review

I would just like to thank everyone who has read and contributed to RTTM in 2014 for making this a great first full year on the web. This blog has become much more than I could have ever imagined and it wouldn't have happened without all the help I've had. Thank you again and here's to an even better 2015! ~Kitty

A Tribute to Tommy and the Ramones

by: Sabrina G

I’ve never written any kind of ‘in memoriam’ thing. I don’t know how. And I doubt I can without sounding a bit sappy and over the top… relying on clichés and being incredibly redundant. But… I’m writing about a man who was one fourth of a band that played loud, hard, fast punk rock music (well the focus is actually on that band). I don’t think traditional sap has a place here. While I’m pretty broken up over the passing of Tommy Ramone, last surviving member of one of the best damn bands to have ever formed… I’m not going to let my mild emotional distress into this. It’s terribly sad. It’s affecting me in a big way. I’ve been crying on and off since reading the news. And thinking about it is pretty painful. The four founding members of one of the most influential punk bands are now all dead. It’s undeniably tragic. But I think it’s best to focus on the legacy they left behind.

There Are No Rules In Rock 'N' Roll

by: Kitty White

There are no rules in rock. The whole point of rock 'n’ roll is that there are no rules. It’s pure rebellion and to slap some unwritten laws on that kind of kills the entire vibe. This goes for not only the musicians themselves but for the fans as well. Especially with lists being a big trend on the internet as of late, too often do manifestos of the do’s and don’ts of concert going and being a rock band pop up on popular websites and social networks.

The Problem with "Chick Rock"

by: Taylor Weese

There has been quite a bit of discussion lately about the lower ranks that women tend to fall into thanks to society, and while the music world may seem like a trivial place to focus on these issues, I do believe that it is important to also acknowledge how women are struggling, even there.

“The Altar Was Rock ‘n Roll ... and the Women were the High Priestesses”: Some Thoughts on Groupies

by: Sara Lawrence

Pamela Des Barres and nearly every other groupie of her time receive a lot of hate for following bands around and “not using their own talent,” “not living their own lives,” “not being creative” in their own ways, etc.

But here’s the thing.

They were.

Some of them did all of that and more. And even if they didn’t, it was their choice.

Why The Grammys Still Matter

by: Daly Tongren

I know that for the rock fandom, the Grammys aren’t too popular at the moment. Getting together superstars Lindsey Buckingham and Dave Grohl to perform with Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails was a great idea. However, slating them to play the last set of the night, which is well known for being cutoff prematurely, was not.

The Romanticization of Kurt Cobain: A Rant

by: Nikki Lomax

   If I read one more line describing Kurt Cobain as “a troubled soul too sensitive for this world”, I might throw up. Nearly twenty years after Cobain’s death and he’s still being reduced to a ‘depressed rocker’ and having his mental illness and drug addiction glamorized.

Looking Back at 2013

On behalf of everyone at Rock To The Masses I want to thank you for our first few months on the web. We love sharing our thoughts and love for music with you and all the thoughts you have to share with us. Here's to what was a great year in music and beyond and to an even better year in 2014! Hopefully 2014 will be a fantastic year for us and we'll be able to welcome even more of you to our team. A few of us decided to share some of our reflections on the best things in music in 2013. ~Kitty

Thoughts On Lou Reed

by: Nikki Lomax

It’s been two weeks since the tragic passing of Lou Reed, and I’ve had some time to think about it all. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a die-hard Lou Reed fan the way I am for some other musical artists.  However, I knew from the young age of fourteen that Lou was cool.

The Art of a Cover Song

by: Ben Siimes

We all have our favorite bands that we listen to religiously and love unconditionally. But just like us, those bands also have bands that they listen to religiously and love unconditionally. It’s just one big web of loving and jamming. Now we as just mere listeners can not do much to show our love for these bands besides spending our life’s savings on concert tickets, band shirts, locks of the lead singer’s hair, you know, the normal stuff. But musicians have something they can do to show their appreciation for the bands that inspired them and made them who they are: they can create cover songs. Many bands start of doing only covers of their favorite bands, early on in their careers when creativity doesn’t flow as swiftly. More veteran bands will eschew the use of cover songs in favor of original stuff, but may incorporate some covers into their live sets. Regardless, there is nothing a music fan loves more than hearing one of their favorite bands cover a song by another of their favorite bands. In this article, we’ll go through the various levels of cover-songitude, starting with the golden examples of rock imitation and moving through the ranks to the vile, depressing covers that one should avoid at all costs (Limp Bizkit, I’m coming for you!). So without further delay…

Music Is My Religion

by: Daly Tongren

religion (n): an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group; a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

– Merriam Webster online dictionary

Music and Us

by: Ben Siimes

I was waiting around in the employee break room at work this afternoon, killing some time before I had to clock in. As per usual, I was listening to my iPod. On this day, I was listening to the Live At Wembley Stadium album by Foo Fighters; you know, the show where they played with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. It’s easily one of my favorite albums ever, but today it just didn’t seem to bring me around as much.

Ben's Blind Taste Test

by: Ben Siimes

It’s been a while, my loyal readers. My life has been filled with quantum theory and lots of unpleasant mathematics for the last few weeks so I have not been able to find the time to write up anything new. But now I’m here again, and I’ve brought along a new weekly column! This is Ben’s Blind Taste Test, a weekly write-up where I listen to albums I’ve never listened to before and I give you my most honest impression of them.

5 Reasons To Love Warren Zevon

by: Daly Tongren

Warren Zevon is arguably one of the most underrated musicians of all time. Stepping onto the music scene in 1969, his dark humor and satiric lyrics made him into a cult classic musician. In light of the tenth anniversary of his death, I put together a list of reasons that makes it impossible not to adore the man behind the glasses.

4 Issues That Are Killing The Female Rock Fan

by: Kitty White

Okay the fangirl on fangirl verbal violence needs to stop now. I’ve been guilty of it myself. It’s not cool, ladies. Guys, you aren’t so innocent either. Now is the time to stop judging each other on petty things and start enjoying Tom Petty together. When you act like you are a better fan than someone else you turn him or her off from rock and roll, and that’s not right. Stop the hate and spread the rock and roll. Now here are some major offenses we’ve all been guilty of.

Where Did All The Rock Bands Go?

by: Ben Siimes

NOTE: Before I even start the actual point of this article, I would like to point out that this is an opinion piece. That means that it is based on my opinions and feelings on the topic. If you don’t agree with them, that is fine. But I don’t want to get angry emails saying “You don’t like ______?! You are the Anti-christ and should be hunted down like a rabid raccoon.”

5 Songs We Just Don’t Want To Hear Anymore

by: Ben Siimes

We all know the songs I’m talking about here. You flip on the radio and on any given day a song will come on that you have heard at least twice a day for the last year. It may be a fantastic song in its own right; it may be a steaming pile of overplayed garbage; regardless, you bolt for the radio dial like an incensed rhesus monkey trying to make the noise stop.