Archive: 2024

When Hallowed Ground was released in 1984, Violent Femmes were already known for their self-titled debut’s raw, stripped-down punk-folk energy. But rather than serving more of the same, the band took a sharp left turn, delivering an album that is darker, more complex, and undeniably polarizing. With Hallowed Ground, the band embraced a more experimental […]

On a crisp November night, The Anthem in Washington, D.C., was packed to the brim for a sold-out performance by Leon Bridges, with Hermanos Gutiérrez opening. The venue nestled along the water, which set the perfect scene for an evening of inspiring and soulful music. By the night’s end, an intimate memory was sure to […]

Hearing Ballad of Easy Rider from a fifty-five-year perspective no doubt evokes the same reaction as it did at its original release: ‘This doesn’t sound like the Byrds!?!’ And indeed, with the only remaining original member, Roger, nee Jim, McGuinn, sharing lead vocals with his three bandmates and mere flashes remaining of the signature chime of that […]

With over a half-century retrospect, it’s altogether mind-boggling that Live/Dead is the first of what would subsequently become a plethora of concert recordings by The Grateful Dead. And, in the density of intelligent reasoning customary for the group, the rationale behind Live/Dead lies in the band’s aim to minimize recording costs while simultaneously capturing their stage sound with greater […]

Breaking into Brighton’s music scene in 2022, Epsom Salts transcends genre boundaries to blend noise-rock fury with dreamy interludes and jolting melodies seamlessly. Since joining forces, the quartet has delved into a near era of technicality and continues to turn the dial into noisier terrain. Their freshest offering, “Burning Memory,” explores the emotions and tribulations […]

Blurring the lines between caricature and confessional, Kerry Charles isn’t quite certain where his act ends and reality begins. Sardonic yet sincere, abject but personal and indisputably groovy, Charles’s timeless pop recordings are as enigmatic as their author. Drawing influence from the likes of Prince, Hall and Oates, and Steely Dan, Charles’s obsessively produced tracks […]

This has been a weird week, to say the least. With social media exploding with opinions and think-pieces on the future, and while these discussions are important, it is equally essential to give yourself a break from it all. While the world around us falls into a divided and tense atmosphere, throwing on headphones and […]

Iron Maiden, the legendary British heavy metal titans, once again proved their enduring power when their Future Past Tour stopped in Worcester, MA, on November 6th, With a captivating blend of classic tracks from their iconic albums, including Somewhere in Time, Fear of the Dark, and the more recent masterpiece Senjutsu, the show was a […]

“Ed’s talent was an asset, not just to me but to him. It was an asset to our band; this thing that was bigger than us would be the vehicle for all of our dreams. Of course, the band was more or less imaginary at this point, but if Ed could play guitar like that, […]

Can you imagine walking into a busy casino with bright, glittering lights, fancy felted tables, and colors popping everywhere, but without music? You probably cannot because, for a long time, music and casinos have gone hand in hand. Other than the chime of slot machines and the clink of chips, some music often plays in […]

In a performance just shy of three and a half-minutes, Junior Wells fully demonstrates why he’s held in such high regard as a progenitor of blues music at its most stylish and deeply felt. “Hoodoo Man Blues” is also the title of his debut album–which contains his most famous tune, “Messin’ With The Kid”–and that may explain why […]

Lily Talmers is the band leader for the new age of Americana — her Midwestern-accented and poetically inclined melodies are informed by Greek, Lusophone and classical music, taking you on a unique journey into Lily’s strange intervallic insides, bursting with lyricism coated in intimacy and refined wit. Musically, Lily calls to mind heady 60’s folk […]

Thirty-five years ago today (November 7, 1989), the iconic Hip-hop group Jungle Brothers released their landmark sophomore LP, Done By the Forces of Nature. This release aligns with the rest of the group’s innovative career, for which we have much to thank Jungle Brothers. The group is credited for creating the legendary Native Tongues movement […]

The dominant blue color scheme of the cover of Davy Knowles’ The Invisible Man is similar to that of his prior album. The two records are companion pieces of a sort, but whereas 2021’s What Happens Next consolidated the Isle of Man native’s essential songwriting and performing talents, the long-player fell woefully short in exhibiting the former Back Door […]

Seldom has a band so radically reformed itself as did The Bad Plus in 2022.  The piano trio format was replaced by adding saxophonist Chris Speed and guitarist Ben Monder to the co-founding bass-drum tandem of Reid Anderson and Dave King. While the press materials and the co-founders argue that the core principles of the […]

The Deer Head Inn, in the unlikely locale of the Delaware Water Gap in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, is America’s oldest continuously running jazz club, presenting live music since 1950.  It’s a relatively easy destination from New York City, straight out on Interstate 80. One can see national acts in the intimate room that […]

Whether you realize it or not, The Mommyheads have been reinvigorating American music from the hollow halls of its underground. The prolific and storied act has released seven albums in the last six years, ranging from complex concept LPs to outings that harken back to their roots. Their refreshing approach is limitless, allowing The Mommyheads […]

Kalu and the Electric Joint hail from Austin, Texas, but their sound spans continents. Spearheaded by frontman Kalu James, the band is composed of a rotating cast of musicians including guitarist JT Holt, guitarist and keyboardist Pearl Z, drummer Greg Clifford, and bassist Yohan Valles. All together, these musicians craft a sound that’s both psychedelic […]