Iconic Skills: April Recap

April blew by and warm weather is finally on the way! Here’s a quick recap of Coach Aijia’s Iconic Skills class, which focused on rock artists the past few weeks. Be sure to drop in this month as she covers artists who are also great entrepreneurs! 

Blink 182: 

The band was founded in 1992 in Southern California by Mark Hopuss and Tom DeLonge. Originally they called themselves Blink but added the 82 after being threatened with a lawsuit from an Irish band of the same name. 

Their debut full-length Cheshire Cat arrived in 1994, followed by 1997’s Dude Ranch and finally their worldwide breakthrough record Enema of the State in 1999. 

Right before they gained worldwide recognition their original drummer Scott Raynor was let go due to substance problems, and was replaced by the now iconic Travis Barker. 

Blink 182 is known for their often comical lyrical content and overall positive vibe. Being a three piece band that used straight ahead tones with to the point arrangements helped set them apart from the mainstream of overproduced rock bands of the era. 

If you’re going to check out just one song, this is the one!: 

Lenny Kravitz: 

Born in Brooklyn, New York to Sy Kravitz, a successful television producer, and Roxie Roker, an actress best known for playing Helen Willis on The Jeffersons, Lenny showed musical gifts at a young age and was part of the California Boys Choir as a child. After learning multiple instruments in high school, he decided to make it big without his family connections or their financial support. 

For a time Kravitz was a starving artist living out of his car, but soon signed to Virgin and released his debut Let Love Rule. With each album release his fame grew, and by the early 2000’s he began landing major acting roles in films such as Precious and The Hunger Games, to name a few. 

Lenny Kravitz is a highly gifted musician, and produces and plays most of the instruments on his records himself! His unique style of rock, which incorporates elements of jazz, funk and soul helped him to carve out his own niche in the music industry. 

If you’re going to check out just one song, this is the one!: 

The Lumineers: 

The band was formed in New York in 2002 by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Shultz, but facing the financial and personal struggles of living in the big city they soon packed up and moved the project to Denver, Colorado in 2009. There they found cellist and multi-instrumentalist Neyla Pekarek, who became the band’s third member. 

For the next two years they explored their sound until they settled on their signature blend of folk and acoustic music. In 2011 they released their debut E.P independently, followed by their breakthrough self-titled full length album in 2012. 

Though they are an indie band, they have achieved huge commercial success, especially with their hit “Hey Ho”. Their blend of classic folk with contemporary rock and original instrumentation (a cello!) has set them apart from their peers in the rock world. 

If you’re going to check out just one song, this is the one!: 

ACDC: 

The band was formed in 1973 by Australian brothers Malcom and Agnus Young. They built their chops gigging around Sydney and eventually moved to Melbourne for bigger opportunities. By 1974 the band had released their debut High Voltage, followed by T.N.T in 1975. 

Both these albums were hits in Australia and helped them cross over into the U.K and North American markets. Gradually their draw became bigger and bigger and by 1978 they were one of the greatest concert attractions in history. 

In 1980 lead singer Bon Scott passed away, but the band was able to continue with new vocalist Brian Johnson and complete their biggest commercial success, Back to Black. 

ACDC are one of the best selling musical acts in history. With their signature sound of straight ahead, fun and wild rock and roll they were the antithesis to the popular art rock of the time. 

If you’re going to check out just one song, this is the one!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM

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