30 Years Ago Today -Pearl Jam Release ‘Vitalogy’ Album
CAUSTIC COMMENTARY: Kim Deal, Michael Kiwanuka, Father John Misty, The Coward Brothers, Kenny Mason & More
The holiday season is inching closer and closer as the weather turns grey and ominous. With the joy and merry of seeing loved ones comes the fridged winds of Winter, and with those winds comes another excuse to stay in and browse some of the releases you might’ve missed this year. This week’s Caustic might […]
Deep Friday Blues: Robert Johnson Displays Glee and Dread On “Traveling Riverside Blues”
No figure has had a more profound effect on blues music than Robert Johnson. A grand(iose) statement, to be sure, but given the rarity of film footage and photographs of the man, plus the comparatively few recordings he made, his influence is all more astonishing. Forty-one tracks are collected on The Complete Recordings, released in 1990, […]
Kim Deal’s First Proper Solo Album ‘Nobody Loves You More’ Serves As Refreshing Sonic Statement (ALBUM REVIEW)
Kim Deal’s first proper solo album was a long time in the making. She started recording Nobody Loves You More in 2011 when she was still with The Pixies and wrapped up in 2022 when she worked with close friend (the late) Steve Albini. The record feels lived in, with a wide sonic scope and a distribution of feelings, as […]
LISTEN: LowDown Brass Band’s “Betty Bop” Is Danceable Soul With Bright, Infectious Melodies
The LowDown Brass Band is a uniquely strong representation of Chicago Music culture. Providing a modern take on soul, funk, hip hop, and jazz, this multifaceted all-horn band boasts freedom through the art of their craft. LowDown maintains a constant performing and touring schedule, blessing every venue with their unique blend across multiple genres and […]
LISTEN: Ryan Christopher Parks Brings Inventive Storytelling To Stunning Folk Rock On “A Beginners Pottery Class at Gavilan Community College Every Monday Night (Dongle)”
Ryan Christopher Parks is a songwriter based in Oakland, California. He has gone under the moniker “B. Hamilton” for over 15 years, which is also the name of a power trio he fronts with drummer/collaborator Raj Kumar Ojha and bassist Ian Miller. His low-tuned snarling guitar can be heard throughout the 2017 movie “Sorry to […]
Golden Age Thursday: GZA & Method Man Go “Shadowboxin” Live
In the mid-to-late 90s, Wu-tang Clan was an unstoppable force of pure Hip-hop. The larger-than-life impact of their 36 Chambers debut still echoes throughout the underground and mainstream talent the genre has on display today. While their group efforts and yellow W logo carry their legacy, the solo projects that spawned from their success were […]
Father John Misty Keeps The Zany Musical Dynamics Alive With ‘Mahashmashana’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
His last release Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl was completely unnecessary. Father John Misty is one of the few artists who still revel in the full album format, immersing himself in sounds and themes over a record’s run time. His albums tell long stories, tie together disparate ideas, […]
The Allman Brothers Band: ‘Live – Beacon Theatre New York City 10-28-14 – Final Concert’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
In deserved recognition of the seminal Southern band’s final concert a decade ago, The Allman Brothers Band: Live—Beacon Theatre New York City 10-28-14 has been issued digitally and as a set of three compact discs. But it’s important to note that this is not the first time the recording has been available. It was released right around […]
1966 Live Date with Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Henry Grimes, Jack DeJohnette – ‘Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Blue Note, in conjunction with the Jazz Detective Zev Feldman, Jack, and Lydia DeJohnette, have unearthed one of the most explosive jazz recordings heard in recent years with Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs. Four icons of jazz, tenorist Joe Henderson, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Henry Grimes, and a very young and most impressive drummer, Jack […]