Hundred-word Reviews for March 2026: Archival

This roundup of new(ish) archival releases features five albums, all available on good ol’ back-to-vinyl.

Jeffrey Runnings – Piqued
Though the label is bandied about with reckless abandon, Lo-fi is an actual aesthetic. For Against’s Jeffrey Runnings trafficked in the style/idiom for his solo work. Though Runnings had been working for years, Piqued is the product of his final sessions, completed shortly before his 2024 death from cancer. But listeners aren’t likely to peg this music as new, as its character is timeless. Timeless, yes, but also filled with a DIY ‘80s vibe. A low-bitrate character and a bedsit Portastudio quality inform the entire affair. A true solo project, Piqued is impressionistic, hypnotic and catchy. Well worth discovering.

Darlene Love – Live 1982
Though today she’s best known for her long run of holiday appearances on David Letterman’s late-night show, singing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” Darlene Love’s early work as part of Phil Spector’s formidable pop music machine yielded hits and lots of session work. Recorded at Hop Singh’s in Marina Del Rey, California, this live document captures Love at her sustained peak. A tight, nine-piece show band (The Monte Carlos) provides backing that conjures the Spectoresque vibe, and Love delivers the hits with power, passion and panache. Her reading of “We Can Work it Out” must be heard to be believed.

The Blasters – American Music
When they exploded on the scene with their 1981 self-titled major-label debut, the Blasters served notice that real rock ‘n’ roll was very much alive. In retrospect, their blend of punky Americana and other American forms would prove quite influential. But audiences who saw them onstage in those days (myself included; thanks, fake I.D.) might not have known about, much less heard their actual debut, 1980’s American Music. Real and passionate, on this record the Blasters make acts like Stray Cats seem mannered and artificial. Stripped of filigree, American Music is the sound of a band that truly gets it.

The Blasters – Non Fiction
Things changed a great deal between 1980 and ‘83. The group’s third album (and second for Slash Records), Non Fiction is – wait for it – a concept album. A self-produced effort, the album manages the impressive achievement of applying then-current production aesthetic (albeit no gunshot-snare) to classicist style. The result has one toe in modernity, the other nine in rock ‘n’ roll’s glorious tradition. That the group was effective a seven-piece at that point helps explain the expanded sonic palette, but nothing has been lost or diluted by opening things up. This rootsy outing is a critics’ favorite and overlooked gem.

Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs – Pigus Drunkus Maximus
Neither the bad name nor the album title suggest something especially appetizing. But the contents of Pigus Drinkus Maximus are in fact a tasty musical meal. This high-energy blues rock ensemble tears through its set with reckless abandon, showcasing a raucous sound that hints at what acts like Louis Prima and Louis Jordan might have sounded like live and in person. The astounding energy level never lets up as this wild outfit careens through 11 tunes. And though it sounds and feels live, Pigus is a studio set, expertly captured by producer Steve Berlin. A must-hear track: “Spanish Castle Magic.”