Anyone who was paying attention in 2006 surely caught wind of a great album by the Indiana-based band, The Elms. Based in John Cougar Mellencamp’s hometown of Seymour, Indiana and…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
With the release of Bruce Springsteen’s new single, “Radio Nowhere”, which sounds to me like a tune straight out of 1981 (that’s a good thing), I was suddenly filled with…
Darren Robbins
7 Min Read
If there was any good thing to come out of Tower Records going under last year, it was a chance for music geeks like myself to take a chance on…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
From the moment I heard Bruce Gary’s infectious drum beat on the intro to “My Sharona”, I was hooked. I had never heard of this band, The Knack. Then, of…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
One of the most dramatic success stories of 2007 is Amy Winehouse, who first captivated us with her stunningly retro hit, “Rehab”, then flew off the rails in a haze…
Darren Robbins
4 Min Read
What would I be if I didn’t share my one and only Prince story? Well, here goes: I spent a couple weeks cutting basic tracks at Paisley Park back in…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
If you guys are anything at all like me, you were sad to see Rock & Roll Jeopardy go off the air before you were personally able to administer a…
Darren Robbins
2 Min Read
During my quest to find a new label home for my upcoming CD, I figured it would be beneficial to pass along some of the things IÁ¢€â„¢ve learned in the…
Darren Robbins
2 Min Read
I was such a wee lad when the first Boston album came out in 1976 that I remember little else from the time, but I distinctly remember how much an…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
I dig Snow Patrol. There, I said it. I liked Snow Patrol back when they were just an Irish band getting some BBC airplay for their first album. In hindsight,…
Darren Robbins
4 Min Read
(what are you lookin’ at?) Today being Friday, I figured IÁ¢€â„¢d keep things a little light and pay props to one of the good guys. My buddy Jeff over at…
Darren Robbins
2 Min Read
When youÁ¢€â„¢re young, you have the whole world in front of you. There is hope, potential, and innocence in healthy supply. Of course, most of us donÁ¢€â„¢t realize (or appreciate)…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
For me, Á¢€Å“Help!Á¢€ was the album that showed the Beatles to be outgrowing their teenybopper days (for lack of a better term) and heading very quickly toward the groundbreaking experimentation…
Darren Robbins
8 Min Read
The very first guy who helped me out when I got to Chicago in Á¢€â„¢86 was Jim Ellison. I did not know him as Á¢€Å“the guy in Material IssueÁ¢€. I…
Darren Robbins
4 Min Read
(cover artwork for my debut CD, “Darren Robbins Steals Your Girlfriend”)Having just had my tune dropped from the Naked Gun flick, my label was momentarily stymied, as they had looked…
Darren Robbins
5 Min Read
There are few things I loathe as much as cell phones. In L.A., there are people who canÁ¢€â„¢t go five minutes without making a call, taking a call, or texting…
Darren Robbins
5 Min Read
When my first CD was released, during the autumn of 1988, cassettes were still the prevailing format. Yet, there I was, an unknown artist signed to a CD-only label, trying…
Darren Robbins
2 Min Read
Dear Eddie, As someone who has lived just up the street from you for close to a decade, we’ve crossed paths numerous times and you’ve never been less than completely…
Darren Robbins
3 Min Read
The scene: a house party in southern Illinois, summer 1988. With my debut CD’s release date fast approaching, I had driven down from Chicago to shoot a video for the…
Darren Robbins
5 Min Read
(inner sleeve photo from my first solo record, “Darren Robbins Steals Your Girlfriend”)The year was 1986. I was high on life and playing in a little rock band that was…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
The Beatles were my first love, musically. I remember being a young kid and having my uncle play me a copy of “Help!”. I hadn’t even heard of the Beatles…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
Today, I signed a one-year lease on a crappy little apartment in a crappy little part of the San Fernando Valley. No big news, really. The thing is, I came…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
In our second installment of tracks from Cheap Trick’s legendary New Year’s Eve show at L.A.’s Forum, we’re going to forego any further delay of gratification and focus on the…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
On New Year’s Eve 1979, Cheap Trick, riding a crest of massive international success via the multi-platinum At Budokan record (and the newly released Dream Police), came to L.A.’s Forum…
Darren Robbins
4 Min Read
This past Thursday, I saw an advance screening of Tenacious D’s Pick Of Destiny. As a great fan of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, having caught their acoustical jams at…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
Like an idiot, I came across this CD a few months ago at Amoeba Music in L.A. and didn’t buy it. I seriously do not know why. A brain spasm,…
Darren Robbins
7 Min Read
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1976) Upon release of their debut effort, and amid a brief UK tour that saw the UK press tag them as both “punk” and “new…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
Since I’m on my way into the backyard for some quality hammock time on a lazy Sunday afternoon (okay, it’s hotter than you-know-what today, maybe I’ll just hit the local…
Darren Robbins
10 Min Read
Material Issue/International Pop Overthrow (Mercury) 1991 As a subscriber to Musician magazine back in the day, I received a promotional cassette from the publication promoting a new band called Material…
Darren Robbins
1 Min Read
The great thrill of buying a new CD sight-unseen is having your faith rewarded by noting that the sounds coming from your speakers are pleasing to the ear and that…