new release Archive
27 Sep 2020
Album Review: Chris Stamey & the Fellow Travelers – A Brand-New Shade of Blue
Chris Stamey first earned well-deserved fame for launching Car Records, the label that released Chris Bell’s solo single. His work with The dBs is, of course, extraordinary. His solo body […]
26 Sep 2020
Album Review: Librarians With Hickeys – Long Overdue
I’m a pushover for the big, chiming guitar sound that characterized Big Star and many of the “paisley underground” (or Children of Nuggets, if you prefer) bands that eventually followed […]
24 Sep 2020
Album Review: Blaine Campbell and the California Sound – Under the Tidal Wave
It’s no small feat to create a body of work that is simultaneously (a) chiefly inspired by the work of one particular artist and (b) distinctive and artistically significant on […]
23 Sep 2020
Album Review: Various Artists — Double Whammy!
Nuggets did it first, and Nuggets did it best: the early ‘70s 2LP compilation curated by Lenny Kaye brought together a widely disparate collection of underappreciated songs from the ‘60s, […]
21 Sep 2020
Album Review: Professor and the Madman – Séance
Don’t let the goofy name dissuade you from checking this one out: they may call themselves Professor and the Madman, but this group features some heavyweights. Led by Alfie Agnew […]
20 Sep 2020
Adi the Monk: The ‘Cosmic Thread” Running Though His Music
Asheville’s music community features an impressive number of unique personalities. But it’s safe to say that only one has a personal history that includes a period spent as a Vaishnava […]
19 Sep 2020
Album Review: Chick Corea – Chick Corea Plays
The pandemic and its resultant shutdowns may have (for a time) put a stop to live music performances, but after a brief pause in March and April, it seems to […]
18 Sep 2020
Album Review: Dedicated Men of Zion — Can’t Turn Me Around
Right out of the gate, the strolling and assertive introduction to “Father, Guide Me, Teach Me” signals that Can’t Turn Me Around is not your typical gospel album. Music lovers […]
17 Sep 2020
Album Review: Venus Furs — s/t
If you’re going to launch a musical project that evokes memories of a Velvet Underground song (“Venus in Furs” from 1967’s The Velvet Underground & Nico) you had better deliver […]
16 Sep 2020
Album Review: Maceo Parker — Soul Food: Cooking with Maceo
Maceo Parker is a towering figure in the soul/jazz/funk universe. He would be important if only for his work with James Brown, documented on many live and studio releases from […]