SONG PREMIERE: Wax Charmer Revel in 90s Rock Nostalgia with Groovy Single “Downstairs”
Wax Charmer is a series of contradictions, a rock band whose members wield widely contrasting tastes and musical styles. Their diverse collection of influences ultimately makes its members more informed and nuanced musicians. The Los Angeles-based band consists of three of the original members of Jubilo Drive, a band who’s diverse collection of influences ultimately […]
Charismatic Jazz Septet Sammy Miller & the Congregation Debut with ‘Leaving Egypt’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
This short passage captures this writer’s reaction to the stirring performance of Sammy Miller & the Congregation at last August’s Newport Jazz Festival – “Sunday began in rousing fashion as NYC’s “joyful jazz” ensemble, Sammy Miller & The Congregation—a barefoot clad sextet with three horns led by vocalist/drummer Miller—showed that jazz can be lots of […]
Miss Tess Cuts Her Own Path With Genre-Defying ‘The Moon Is An Ashtray’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
To many Miss Tess is a throw-back, drawing from old school blues, jazz, and country but what sets her apart from others who fall into that realm is her ability to inject more modern elements like punk and psychedelia into her mix. She has been relatively under the radar until perhaps now with The Moon […]
At 86, Age Is Just A Number for John Mayall’s Blues Showcase at Tucson’s Rialto Theatre (SHOW REVIEW)
Blues master, John Mayall, and his superlative all-star band made a welcome return visit to Tucson’s Rialto Theatre on February 1st. It was a night of pure blues music that would allow any blues fan to revel in the blues all night long. Mayall was born in the United Kingdom and was drawn to American […]
Lucinda WIlliams Returns With ‘Good Souls Better Angels’
On April 24th, three-time Grammy Award winner Lucinda Williams unabashedly takes on some of the human, social and political issues of our day with her boldest and most direct album to date, Good Souls Better Angels (Highway 20/Thirty Tigers). During the course of her celebrated four-decade, pioneering career Williams has never rested on her laurels as she […]
40 Years Ago Today – The Ramones Release ‘End of The Century’ LP & Move From Tommy to Marky
Waco Brothers Announce Protest Album, ‘RESIST!’
Just in time for primary season, Waco Brothers are releasing a collection of their songs about resistance and protest on February 28th, entitled RESIST! The Chicago-based/UK-born country punks have been politically outspoken throughout their career and this release brings together their most inspiring and rabble rousing tracks – many of them from out-of-print albums, all […]
The Cadillac Three Get Down To Business on Swinging ‘Country Fuzz’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
At the risk of sounding lazy, life is so much easier when an album title perfectly describes the work. The Cadillac Three’s Country Fuzz precisely captures the delightfully ragged album, which soaks a straight-forward country in a tub full of distortion, creating music that will delight metal heads and line dancers, both groups previously only […]
The Lone Bellow Shine with Redemptive & Uplifting Vibe on ‘Half Moon Light’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
The choruses and harmonies in some of these songs on Half Moon Light from Americana trio The Lone Bellow will slay you. It is refreshing to have an album that brings us out of the darkness. Go ahead and sing along and/or dance. That’s what the band intends. These three-part harmonies and killer songwriting mix […]
SONG PREMIERE: David Myles Explores the Power of Intimacy with Classic Pop Sound on “Leave Tonight”
Award-winning and critically acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter David Myles might be an undercover musicologist. Within his eclectic artistic continuum, he’s reverentially explored jazz, blues, pop, holiday music, French pop, rockabilly, country, folk, gospel, and even hip-hop. The through line in his 10-album oeuvre has been strong songcraft—no matter what genre, David has never sacrificed substance for […]