his Meets That is as guitarist John Scofield describes, “real jazz music,” and he’s not exaggerating. With so many albums being tagged with some variation of the jazz label (acid, free, smooth), it is refreshing to hear an album that recalls the classic jazz greats: Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Chet Baker.
It’s perfectly appropriate Jorma Kaukonen writes the brief liner notes to this recently exhumed Jefferson Airplane concert recording. Sweeping Up the Spotlight documents Jefferson Airplane just as it was fracturing along the fault line that opened earlier in 1969 when the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter launched Hot Tuna with bassist Jack Casady.
On their third studio album, Mr. Patterson’s Hat (the title is a tribute to a local auto mechanic who haunts the local bars and music venues), Papa Grows Funk mostly does it right, displaying great respect for the musical traditions of the Crescent City, from funk to blues to R&B to jazz and beyond.
Country Mouse, City House draws on Josh Rouse's 70's vibe, and again, makes it work with Rouse’s signature vocals and steady rhythm. Melody has always king for the singer-songwriter from Nebraska, and this new effort doesn’t disappoint.
Retro orchestral pop makes up Clare and the Reasons’ debut release The Movie. Nestled under its throwback pulp movie poster cover design, the music has a light and scattered appeal to it.
When attempting to describe the HBO comedy cult hit Flight of the Conchords, the short answer is that it is Tenacious D for people who like Crowded House.
Straddling the indie/classic rock/roots line of My Morning Jacket and Wilco, while incorporating the sensitive harmonies and instrumental angst of Built to Spill and Neil Young, Band of Horses is pure critic ear porn.
Spanish for 100 is yet another recent Seattle “buzz” band, securing a coveted designation as “your new favorite band” by KEXP’s John in the Morning. One can’t help but listen to their recent album Say What You Want To Say To Me with a mixture of doubt and the desire to not buy into the aforementioned hype – and yet, the catchy, driven album has a way of worming its way under one’s skin. Their formula is nothing new: two guitars, a solid rhythm section
A new Radiohead album came out today. You can download it at inrainbows.com. After you put it in your shopping cart, you can choose to pay whatever price you want. What else can you say?
here are a few points in rock n roll time and space where everything just comes together and something new is born. Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 tries to capture that point on the space-time continuum in four CDs.
