1977, 'The Stranger' spotlighted Joel's knack for combining rock with Tin Pan Alley-style chords and melodies. It resulted in four Top 40 singles, including the No. 3 "Just the Way You Are," which landed him Grammys for Record
Before distortion effect pedals were invented for guitarists, there was Dave Davies of the Kinks. One night, Davies took a razor blade to his guitar amp, thus creating the fuzzy, warped sound heard in their breakthrough hit "You Really Got Me." Davies' use of distorted power chords popular...
Adria: Blonde Redhead'sPenny Sparkle(2010, 4AD). Manu introduced me to this album and it instantly blew me away. My favorite track is "Penny Sparkle"—the guitar arpeggios are full of deep feelings. The music is warm and enveloping. I feel the entire track can soundtrack a...