new release Archive
26 Sep 2023
Stax Records: Written in Their Soul (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… Some of the demos on the new set feature vocal and simple accompaniment; others are more fully arranged, often including an entire band. The demos in […]
25 Sep 2023
Stax Records: Written in Their Soul (Part 1 of 2)
Most listeners never get to hear demo recordings. Created by songwriters as a guide for recording artists, those demos aren’t meant to be shared with the public. But they’re an […]
24 Sep 2023
Album Review: TrancEnd — Lilac
I was turned on to this band by someone who emphasized that nearly all of the band members are partially sighted. While that in and of itself isn’t enough to […]
22 Sep 2023
Album Review: Delta Wires – If Somebody Told Me…
When blues harpist Ernie Pinata was a student at Oakland’s California College of Arts and Crafts, he assembled a band as a class project. Designed to showcase the development of […]
21 Sep 2023
Album Review: Sax Kari and His Orchestra – Swinging the Blues
With the benefit of hindsight, the live and career of Chicago-born Sax Kari seems worthy of a biographical tome or perhaps even a film. A musician proficient on multiple instruments, […]
20 Sep 2023
Album Review: Cyril Davies & His Rhythm & Blues Allstars – Hullabaloo
The British blues boom that launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor didn’t start with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Though Mayall employed each of those guitarists (and […]
19 Sep 2023
Have You Got it Yet? (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… A musician himself, Bogawa had long been intrigued by Barrett’s life and legend, and held a special fascination for Barrett’s unconventional approach to songwriting. “I had […]
18 Sep 2023
Have You Got it Yet? (Part 1 of 2)
New Film Dispels Myths About Pink Floyd’s Visionary Founder Syd Barrett Syd Barrett is the stuff of legends. The founder of Pink Floyd, Cambridge-born Barrett was also its front man, […]
14 Sep 2023
Album Review: Graham Parker and the Goldtops — Last Chance to Learn the Twist
Across his nearly 50 years as a recording history, Graham Parker has had it both ways: he’s made fiery, passionate, rocking music, and he’s delivered subtle, stripped-down solo/acoustic work. But […]
10 Sep 2023
Album Review: Tamar Berk — Tiny Injuries
The 1990s brought a breath of fresh air to the rock world. It might be hyperbole to suggest that the movement was as significant as punk had been nearly two […]