Posts by Lee Zimmerman

When a heritage artist announces his or her retirement from the road, it marks a passage, a transition, the end of an era, the likelihood there will never be an opportunity to witness that legend again. With luck, their recordings will continue, but there’s nothing like witnessing genius. How many people would have cherished the […]

[rating=8.00] Looking back in retrospect, NRBQ’s eponymous debut seems like a remarkable feat even now. A stunningly uncommon collision of styles and sounds, it was amazingly adventurous, exploratory and wholly beyond definition when it was originally unleashed without warning in 1969. Even at a time when artists were given complete license to experiment and adapt […]

[rating-8.00] When North Carolina’s 6 String Drag made their bow in 1993, all the doors seemed wide open. Boundaries were being broken between rock, pop, punk and country, and bands like Uncle Tupelo, the Jayhawks and Son Volt were leading the way as far as eagerly affecting that transition. At the same time, 6 String […]

[rating=8.00] Primarily known for his work with the late Colonel Bruce Hampton, AJ Ghent — or j-ent as he prefers to be known — is an Atlanta-based lap steel virtuoso whose penchant for blues, funk, indie, jam and rock is providing him with a stellar reputation all his own. With his solo debut, The Neo […]

[rating=8.00] Four solo albums on, Tracey Thorn’s postscript to her tenure with Everything but the Girl continues to show quality control firmly in check. The succinctly titled Record retains the inherent imaginative qualities that made that duo so satisfying to both denizens of the dance floor and those that preferred their pop remain warm, engaging […]

[rating=9.00] Jonathan Wilson established a heady niche for himself early on. Veering slightly left of center as part of the so-called nu-folk revival, he took his cues from the halcyon Topanga Canyon scene of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s by retracing the same trails originally navigated by Joni, Neil, the Beach Boys, Crosby, McGuinn, […]

[rating=9.00] It’s been a year of belated accolades for the princess of modern protest and the earth mother of the folk faithful everywhere. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, given high honors by Amnesty International, lauded by the Grammy Hall of Fame, and inducted into the archives of the Library of Congress, […]

[rating=7.00] Some records are so strikingly beautiful, they burrow into your consciousness from the first listen on. And when looking for obvious examples, one need only look to the band Darlingside, whose celestial, neo-pop sound is not only harrowing and haunting but also compelling in its own lush and tender way. Extralife, the follow up […]

[rating=7.00] Caroline Rose boasts a quirky kind of persona. Where once she would have been branded as New Wave, now her sound fits firmly in the echelons of modern pop. Her new album Loner suggests she’s not as withdrawn as the title suggests; expressive, outgoing and obviously engaging, she casts a bold persona that’s flush […]

[rating=6.00] The idea of a supergroup was a popular one back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when modern music was accelerating rapidly and itinerant musicians were motivated by wanderlust to seek for new areas of exploration and other artists with whom they could collaborate. Those restless intents are still at work today of […]

[rating=8.00] You have to give Belle and Sebastian credit for their sheer perseverance. Over the course of their 22 years and umpteen numbers of albums and EPs, they’ve kept their consistency when it comes to a sound that’s so unfailingly effusive. They remain at the forefront of those that set the standard when it comes […]

[rating=8.00] With her recent series of albums, Mavis Staples has successfully completed the transition from her earlier status as a soul and gospel icon to an artist who remains as contemplative, contemporary and vital today as she was when she was while part of her family band, The Staple Singers, five decades prior. She still […]

[rating=7.00] With each of her recent albums, Eilen Jewell has meandered ever closer to a style that emulates archival blues, providing a sturdy and assured delivery that also taps her rich Americana authenticity. With Down Hearted Blues, Jewell remains true to that muse, offering up a dozen songs culled from classic sources. Only a few […]

Its a credit to both their credence and endurance as the primary architects responsible for the fusion of traditional British folk music with the electric jolt of rock ‘n’ roll that 50 years on from their uncertain beginnings, Fairport Convention is still held in such universally high regard. While constant shifts in personnel occasionally stifled […]

[rating=8.00] It would be great to say that after 25 years of relative obscurity, Pistoleros are ready to break into the big time. After all, they have the wherewithal to substantiate any ability to do so, not to mention a legacy that ought to make them more than also-rans in the Americana pantheon. It’s notable […]

[rating=9.00] From the opening strum of “Life Is Confusing,” it’s clear that Langhorne Slim is on to something special here with Lost at Last Vol. 1. That “something” becomes more evident as his new album progresses, seamlessly segueing from one song to another, a song cycle of sorts that explores Slim’s contention, as stated in […]

[rating=8.00] For whatever Blitzen Trapper has accomplished — or failed to accomplish — in their prolific career, they’ve yet to connect with the wider audience they deserve. Perhaps it has something to do with the ambiguity of their handle, or their general refusal to be confined to any one genre. No matter. Wild and Reckless, […]

[rating=9.00] Nearly forty years after their initial incarnation, Squeeze remains the band that just can’t quit. Well, almost. After a series of break-ups and subsequent reunions that waylaid them for nearly a dozen years, founders, composers and chief mainstays Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook still find an ideal combination needed to resurrect their sunny sound […]

[rating=8.00] You could say Margo Price is the tenacious type. Her first solo offering, 2016’s Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, shared the hardships and heartaches she’s dealt with all along, beginning when her family’s farm went into foreclosure and from there, through the loss of her child to a heart disorder and her subsequent battle with the […]

[rating=9.00] It’s not often that an artist opts to re-record a seminal album, much less one on which he or she first staked their reputation. So it might have been helpful had Lucinda Williams explained the reasons for revisiting her fourth album Sweet Old World, a set of songs that’s widely considered one of her […]