Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Delivers Robust Material & Lofty Energy On ‘Perspective’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
If there’s one thing the lauded electro-funk quartet Pigeons Playing Ping Pong want to impart to their listeners, it’s that life truly is precious, so you might as well enjoy the hell out of it while you can. That “live life to the fullest” ideology is more than evident during their infamously raucous live performances, […]
The Bogie Band Featuring Joe Russo Stretch, Bend & Stew Up Infectious Grooves On ‘The Prophets in The City’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
When it comes to impressive musical resumés, one needs to look no further than New York City’s own Stuart Bogie. Best known for his work with Fela Kuti disciples Antibalas, the horn-blowing firebrand has collaborated with a litany of artists spanning myriad genres, from Arcade Fire and Iron & Wine to Public Enemy and Erykah […]
Lotus Turn It Darker With Tim Palmieri’s Dynamic Guitar Work At Baltimore’s Soundstage (SHOW REVIEW)
Lotus wrapped up a highly-anticipated two-night run at the Baltimore Soundstage on Saturday, February 26, with a pair of lively sets replete with their trademark infectious melodies and slick beats, albeit with a distinctly edgier & more aggressive vibe than ever before thanks to recent addition Tim Palmieri’s dynamic lead guitar work. Palmieri, who garnered […]
‘Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Live In Colorado’ Gives The “Songs” A New Sense Of Purpose & Progressive Flair (ALBUM REVIEW)
When Grateful Dead founder/guitarist/Americana-Jam icon Bob Weir laid down for the night in his Mill Valley, CA home in early 2018, he had no idea that he would awaken the following morning with the inspiration to collaborate with renowned musician and producer, Don Was. Was, who helmed the 80’s pop-rock group Was (Not Was) and […]
Del McCoury Keeps Innovative Creative Flair Alive & Well Via ‘Almost Proud’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Even at the ripe old age of 83, bluegrass legend Del McCoury is still enjoying playing & recording music as much as he did when he first started. “I’m as excited about listening to new music today as the day I started—finding a new tune or a story that tickles me” explains the amiable guitarist […]
Ain’t No Slowing Down Greensky Bluegrass On Triumphant ‘Stress Dreams’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Over the past twenty years, Greensky Bluegrass has seen it all. Thanks to a rigorous nationwide touring schedule that has resulted in nearly two-thousand live performances to date and garnered widespread critical acclaim, along with a notoriously rabid fanbase, these progressive-bluegrass trailblazers have persevered, earning their spot amongst the preeminent live touring acts in the […]
At Washington DC’s The Anthem, Billy Strings Rides High (SHOW REVIEW)
Billy Strings made his triumphant return to the Washington D.C. area this past weekend (Saturday 11/13) before a capacity crowd at The Anthem with a pair of rousing sets that covered a wide musical spectrum, featuring a healthy dose of original material from his previous pair of studio releases, Home & Renewal, as well as […]
Béla Fleck Drops Spirited Originals & Covers at Bethesda’s Strathmore Music Center (SHOW REVIEW)
Béla Fleck stopped by the Strathmore Music Center, a stunning architectural marvel of a venue with superb acoustics located in Bethesda, MD, on Wednesday, September 22nd with his latest project, My Bluegrass Heart, for a much-anticipated evening of world-class musicianship and some good old-fashioned bluegrass, with a unique progressive spin that only Mr. Fleck himself […]
Billy Strings Kicks It Up With Resounding Third LP ‘Renewal’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Two years after the prodigious guitarist’s sophomore studio effort, Home, which earned Strings his first Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album, the Michigan native is returning to his current hometown Nashville, and it’s Sound Emporium studios, armed with an invigorating cadre of fresh material for his group’s latest release, Renewal (out Friday 9/24). “I called […]
Béla Fleck Talks Flecktones History & Past & Future Collaborations (Part 2 INTERVIEW)
Since obtaining his first banjo nearly fifty years ago as a gift from his grandfather at the age of fifteen, few musicians have done more to champion the oft-misunderstood instrument than Béla Fleck. From bluegrass to country to jazz to classical to pop and even African tribal music, the five-string master has left an indelible […]