pop Archive
21 Feb 2020
Come and Get It: Badfinger’s ‘Magic Christian Music’ at 50
With the benefit of a half century’s hindsight, it can be argued that despite massive creativity and talent, Badfinger was star-crossed nearly from its start. Though the British-Welsh band were […]
30 Jan 2020
A Conversation with Johnny Mathis, the Voice of Romance
The following is a companion piece to my Johnny Mathis feature, found here. Johnny Mathis is one of the most popular singers to ever pick up a mic. Starting with […]
16 Jan 2020
30 Days Out: January 2020 #2: Jake Shimabukuro, Tinsley Ellis, The Seratones, Ashley Heath & Her Heathens
Artist: Jake Shimabukuro Venue: The Orange Peel Date: Friday, Jan 24, 8 p.m. Door: $30 Ukulele probably isn’t the first instrument that comes to mind when one thinks of powerfully […]
08 Jan 2020
Johnny Mathis is Still “Wonderful! Wonderful!”
Pop stars and pop music fashions come and go. But a select few performers endure through the years. At the top of that short list is Johnny Mathis. Recipient of […]
22 Dec 2019
Boxed Set Review: Land of 1000 Dances
Though there were certainly earlier examples, the era of the lavish boxed set began a few decades back; it more or less coincided with the CD era. And it persisted […]
19 Dec 2019
Album Review: Curt Boettcher & Friends — Looking for the Sun
Those who take the trouble to dig deep into pop culture know that there exist around the margins an untold number of worthy artists who never got their due. Said […]
15 Dec 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for December 2019, #3
Here’s the final installment of the year (and the decade!) of my quick, condensed album reviews. Ten titles, 100 words each. Seven are new releases; the remaining three are archival […]
03 Dec 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for December 2019, #1
As 2019 heads toward its end, there’s time for one more house-cleaning set of quick reviews. Here’s a look at notable new releases in jazz, blues rock and even country. […]
20 Nov 2019
Your Favorite Thing: Sugar’s ‘File Under: Easy Listening’ at 25
By the time Bob Mould debuted his rock trio Sugar in 1992, he was a well-known figure in music. With his previous group, Hüsker Dü, Mould had been a key […]
18 Oct 2019
Album Review: Big Star — In Space
To those who followed Alex Chilton’s musical activities in the 1980s and beyond, the thought that he would ever revisit his Big Star-era music – much less put the band […]