rock music

Bob Spitz has built a reputation for capturing the lives of iconic lives of artists with depth and narrative drive. Most notably and his bestselling biography ‘The Beatles,’ now he turns his attention to another seismic force in music history, The Rolling Stones. In this new biography Spitz traces the band’s evolution from scrappy blues devotees to 1960s London to global rock titans with the focus on the creative tensions, cultural impact, and enduring mystique of figures like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The book offers a vivid portrait of a band that didn’t just define an era but continues to shape an era. Bob Spitz is the award-winning author of the biographies ‘the Beatles,’ ‘Led Zeppelin,’ ‘Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child’ and many other non-fiction books including a screenplay. The new book is ‘The Rolling Stones: The Biography’ it is published by Penguin Press.

On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke speaks with actress and comedian Cecily Strong about her role in the new off-Broadway production of What Happened Was… in New York City. We also chat with writer Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, wife of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos, about how they supported and pushed each other creatively during their 15-year marriage. WAMC’s Sajina Shrestha also meets an up-and-coming Albany, New York band showcasing the softer center of the hardcore rock scene.

On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke speaks with actress and comedian Cecily Strong about her role in the new off-Broadway production of What Happened Was… in New York City. We also chat with writer Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, wife of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos, about how they supported and pushed each other creatively during their 15-year marriage. WAMC’s Sajina Shrestha also meets an up-and-coming Albany, New York band showcasing the softer center of the hardcore rock scene.

Long-running American rock band Little Feat, which debuted more than 50 years ago, is appearing throughout the WAMC listening area this week.

Legendary rocker Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band – also known for his acting on “The Sopranos” and “Lilyhammer” – is working with a Western Massachusetts cannabis company on his personal line of weed products.

Chaplin performs with Brian Wilson at The Palace in Albany Oct. 12

Fans of Leslie Mendelson will have several opportunities to catch the talented singer-songwriter in the coming months as she tours behind two recent…

Musician Amy Helm returned to a familiar place — for her and for many of us in the region — to make her new album “What the Flood Leaves Behind.” Helm…

Musician Brett Dennen has a message for the summer: “See the World.” That’s the new of his new album and single, and at least to these ears, it comes at a…

Musician Oliver Wood is releasing his first solo album, called “Always Smilin.’” It features the mix of sounds and styles and catchy vocals Wood has…