Posts by Leslie Michele Derrough

If you have ever stared into the dreamy romantic eyes of Benjamin Orr from the other side of a video screen and wondered what he was like, then Joe Milliken’s new biography of The Cars singer/bassist, Let’s Go, will put any fears you had of him being an arrogant rock star aside for good. With […]

A few weeks ago, singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins played a show at Baton Rouge’s Red Dragon Listening Room which was nothing short of mesmerizing. With an aching timbre in his voice, hints of a southern accent he comes by naturally by way of Georgia inflecting into the emotional passages he is singing, Mullins has grown into […]

Down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there is a little place called the Red Dragon Listening Room where they revere songwriters and the songs they give to us. Mostly stripped down to acoustics and vocals, the artists that perform here are allowed to shine in ways they may not at other venues. You don’t just hear […]

If you grew up in the south in the 1970’s, and beyond, the words Lynyrd Skynyrd were as familiar to you as pickup trucks, fishing and Sunday dinner. It was inevitable that a Road Home poster would hang in your room and Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd would make many spins around the turntable. And you usually […]

One thing that the Rolling Stones have always been good at is making the most of publicity. They’ve found unique ways to announce world tours (from a boat) and early videos (in drag); and in 2018 they’ve found a way to get two bangs back-to-back with a big 2019 US tour announcement on the heels […]

Once upon a time a boy in Texas wanted to play guitar. So his grandfather bought him one. The boy started writing songs and singing. But he also developed another passion and that was acting. And for a long time, the young man focused on one passion over the other – although he got to […]

For a bunch of guys not born and raised in New Orleans, The Revivalists have certainly nailed down the sound. Adding bits of their own homegrown cayenne pepper to the mix, they have a fun, funky, danceable rhythm that audiences go wild over. And if you haven’t seen them live yet, you better get yourself […]

Raised by parents who loved music, sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell could have taken their musical talents in numerous directions. They could have grabbed electric guitars and rocked their southern boots down a Lynyrd Skynyrd path; or they could have kept their acoustics close to their hearts and summoned up Joni Mitchell. But instead of […]

Anyone who has followed Judas Priest throughout their career knows the sonic contributions of guitar player KK Downing. But in his new memoir, Heavy Duty: Days & Nights In Judas Priest, the British blonde six-string slinger tells you just how much he did, without making himself appear like he’s bragging. In fact, he’s almost nonchalant […]

For Louise Goffin, being a rocker chick was not what she had in mind when she went to record her first album back in 1979. But then again, she wasn’t really sure who she was but a producer thought this was who she might be and she went for it. Kid Blue was a decent […]

Considering it took Doyle Bramhall II fifteen years between 2001’s Welcome and 2016’s Rich Man, one might not have been expecting another album from the Texas guitar player so quickly. But the creative juices were flowing and Bramhall left the spigot wide open and while he has been out touring these last couple of years, […]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play in a band with Pete Townshend or Rod Stewart or Steve Marriott? Well, drummer Kenney Jones did and he spends 345 pages telling you about those heady days when rock & roll was gaining momentum towards being one of the greatest forms of music […]

With a cool new album dropping later this month, The Struts continue on their journey to bigger & better music. With a few EPs and a full-length debut album, Everybody Wants, under their belts, and a reputation for being an exciting live band, The Struts are keeping their glam rock loving roots without becoming Freddie […]

The music of Cream has influenced a generation, or two, of musicians, while their songs, birthed within a short period of time, have become timeless classics. Who doesn’t recognize “Sunshine Of Your Love” or “White Room” just from their opening chords alone. The chemistry between Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker was undeniable and […]

When I told someone I was heading out to see Judas Priest and Deep Purple they immediately put their hands over their ears. And rightfully so. Combine these two legendary bands and you’ve got more power chords than the normal eardrum can handle. And even though Purple is more hard rock from old-fashioned blues and Priest […]

In the 1980’s, you didn’t get much hotter than Paul Young. His songs were pop hits that oozed with his smooth vocals and R&B-grooving melodies. His first solo album, 1983’s No Parlez, brought him success with the singles “Come Back & Stay” and “Love Of The Common People.” But it was his second album, 1985’s […]

Twenty-seven years, twelve albums, five EPs & several live recordings. If you haven’t heard of Clutch by now, you’ve been missing out for a long, long time. A hybrid of punk, hardcore and rock & roll, this foursome of school friends – Neil Fallon on vocals and guitar, Tim Sult on guitar, Dan Maines on […]

New Orleans hosted two big headlining bands in one night when the Def Leppard/Journey tour landed in the Louisiana city on Monday night [August 27] and rocked it to the ceiling of the Smoothie King Center. A highly anticipated show, sold out by the looks of it, the crowd soaked up every song with enthusiastic […]

For an artist like Dorothy Martin, whose latest album, 28 Days In The Valley, is a to-the-bone rawness synchronized to bluesy psychedelic swirls of grungy guitars and naked emotional exasperations, being honest is what makes a song real. It may be a fictionalized truth in some cases but it’s a truth nonetheless and someone somewhere […]

Legendary Texas troubadour Joe Ely left his roadhouse blues at home when he visited Baton Rouge’s Red Dragon Listening Room on Saturday night (08-04-18) and let his Lubbock timbre and slick fingerpicking do all the talking. Sometimes it takes a few quiet moments to really catch the gist of what a songwriter has to say, […]