Album Reviews

If the unpredictable arc of Marshall Crenshaw’s career has proved anything, it is that he’s never been interested in just cranking it out. And he’s independent too which is why, now that he’s regained ownership of his five albums previously-released out on Razor & Tie between 1994 and 2004, he’s seen fit to judiciously add […]

It’s as if the beloved fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux tried to put as much of Louisiana as one possibly could into these ten songs on Here We Go Again. He experimented, he interpreted, he originated, and it certainly sounds like he had plenty of fun along his way. Thibodeaux offers this, “It’s a mixture – it’s […]

Since forming in 2008, Athens-based indie band Futurebirds have developed a loyal fanbase and released a consistent output of neo-psychedelic country-infused rock music. Their first album to drop was in 2010, Hampton’s Lullaby. Since then, they have released two other albums as well as a live album and a handful of EPs. A decade on […]

Brooklyn based baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson on Imagine Giving Up, his fourth album moves into new domains of sound as he uncovers newfound energy and pulse in his music. In addition to the sonically rich analog synth elements that accompany his earlier solo saxophone work, Jonah has layered heavily sound designed samples of his own […]

Leveraging his BMA nominations for Soul Blues Artist of the Year and Soul Blues Album of the Year, veteran Philly soul man Frank Bey proves that he is certifiably “back in business” with All My Dues Are Paid, a vastly different but every bit as strong an album as its predecessor, Back in Business. Across […]

In a special edition of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on his favorite albums of 2019, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop): Make sure to also check out Glide’s top albums of 2019!

One may have two very specific musical impressions of G. Love. One is “Cold Beverage,” the hip-hop single off of his 1994 self-titled debut, made with his band, Special Sauce. Between the ode to drinking and Beck-esque marriage of folk and rap, there was nothing to dislike about the song, which is what it might […]

As the headline suggests, this may not be the kind of jazz fusion you associate with the guitarist John McLaughlin. And, unless, you’re a fan of his group Shakti and/or the chanting/tabla driven Indian music that is often the prevailing sound here, it may not meet your tastes. To be fair though, it’s an amazing […]

Fruition, together now for a decade, is one of the many gems of the burgeoning Portland, OR music hotbed. What began as mostly an acoustic string band has evolved into a multi-faceted roots-rock unit capable of soul, psychedelia, and catchy pop.  The binding force is the engaging three-part harmony from Jay Cobb Anderson (lead guitar, […]

If you’re familiar with Marcus King Band, you know that it’s a healthy blend of rock and soul that makes for some irresistible songs and shows. On his new solo album El Dorado (produced by Dan Auerbach), Marcus King carries that same ethic. The new album isn’t vastly different than what you would hear from […]

The latest edition of Paul Kelly’s Songs From the South illustrates quite vividly why the man is something of a folk hero in his native Australia. More to the point for the rest of the world, however, the two CD’s depict how brilliant he is as a songwriter, performer, recording artist and bandleader. With its […]

There is a sub-genre of roots music dubbed “high desert sound” which as you can imagine conjures up descriptions of dreamy alternative country, psychedelia, and imaginative indie rock.  The aptly named The Adobe Collective, with their equally aptly named All the Space There Is, are one of the main purveyors of this tantalizing hallucination-inducing music. […]

With their third studio release, Peace in Pieces, the Tampa Bay-based Betty Fox Band is set for a breakthrough. The album has a generous 14 tracks and over an hour of music, all laid down at the iconic FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. The legendary Spooner Oldham’s Wurlitzer electric piano is prominent throughout along […]

In a special edition of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on his favorite albums of 2019, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop): Make sure to also check out Glide’s top albums of 2019!

Be adequately prepared for your first listen to Irish singer-songwriter David Keenan’s debut, A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery. This is not casual listening. Keenan sings every song like it’s his last chance to sing; he builds drama like few can. And, he’s just getting started. Keenan hails from the small town of Dundalk, near the […]

During this writer’s period as a blues radio host in the early ‘80s, Jimmy Johnson’s “Ashes in My Ashtray” and “ I Need Some Easy Money” from his 1979 Delmark Johnson’s Whacks or “Heap See” from his 1983 Alligator Bar Room Preacher, along with several other Johnson nuggets, were among the most frequent tunes played. […]

Last August, Moody Little Sister released their sophomore album Great Big Mama Sunshine. This album serves as catalyst in their canon. Not only does it find them departing from their piano-pop beginnings, but this album is their first after moving to rural New Mexico from Portland, Oregon. Naomi Sparrow’s vocals mixed with Rob Stroup’s arrangements make for […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on A Heart of Gold is Hard to Find, the new album from singer-songwriter Benjamin Tod, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

Musicians often become restless and continually search for new directions. Restlessness is a chronic state for Sugar Blue, who in this case, finds both new sounds and new places to record. The harmonica virtuoso wrote and recorded on four continents, U.S. (Chicago), China, Europe (Italy), and Africa (South Africa) for Colors. As we’ve come to […]

In lieu of the booklet of prose, photos etc., usually enclosed in each edition of Dave’s Picks, Volume 32 contains a foldout within which there are some replications of newspaper articles of the times, along with some striking photos of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Conspicuous in its absence is any image of […]