Latest alt-rock

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine poses with a collection of Fender Jazzmaster and Fender Jaguar guitars, London, 1990

Here’s Why Kevin Shields is a Cornerstone of Alternative Rock Guitar

By Guitar Player Staff, Rod Brakes published

Synonymous with the Fender Jazzmaster the My Bloody Valentine guitarist created his own sound.

Robert Smith, 1980

Watch The Cure’s Spellbinding Live Performance of “The Forest” from 1981

By Guitar Player Staff published

Video Synonymous with the Fender Jazzmaster, Robert Smith is one of the most underrated guitar players of the modern era.

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Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore perform with Sonic Youth in London

Here’s Why Sonic Youth Remain a Touchstone of Alternative Rock

By Guitar Player Staff last updated

Godfathers of alt-rock guitar Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore were a missing link.

Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine perform with Television at CBGB in New York

Listen to Television's Edgy “Marquee Moon” Performance Just Before the Band Split in 1978

By Guitar Player Staff published

Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine’s “telepathic” guitar interplay was an art-rock tour de force.

R.E.M. performs at The Rat in Boston. Band members include, left to right, Peter Buck, Michael Stipe, Mike Mill

"A Lot of Bands Simply Wanted to Fit In, but R.E.M. Always Wanted to Be Themselves”: Producer Mitch Easter Reveals the Genius Behind the Jangle Pop

By Joe Bosso last updated

Armed with a Rickenbacker and a Fender Twin, Peter Buck helped R.E.M. put alternative rock on the map.

Lou Reed (left) and Sterling Morrison, 1970

Here’s How The Velvet Underground Created a Template for Alternative Rock

By Guitar Player Staff published

Guitarists Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison were the prototype for alt-rock guitar tandems.

Annie Clark, 2021

“The Ear and the Heart are King”: St. Vincent Talks Style and Inspiration

By Guitar Player Staff published

One of alt-rocks greatest guitarists has reshaped the instrument in form and function.

John Frusciante, 1991

Watch John Frusciante Hard at Work in the Studio

By Rod Brakes published

Video As ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ turns 30 next week we glimpse back to a moment when the 21-year-old was making music history.

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Rivers Cuomo

Rivers Cuomo on the Biological Need to Shred, Heavy Metal, and Why Singing Your Solos First Makes For Good Phrasing

By Richard Bienstock published

Rivers Cuomo lets the shred-obsessed kid inside him break free on 'Van Weezer,' a record that's half Blue Album, half '80s metal.

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