review Archive
05 Jul 2012
Concert Review: Delicate Steve
A lot of what passes these days for new and cutting-edge (i.e. “indie”) music has among its hallmarks a breathy, somewhat emasculated vibe. As I like to say, it Does. […]
05 Jul 2012
Concert Review: Yellow Ostrich
If you’re the sort of person who sits around pondering odd musical juxtapositions, one of the unlikely combinations you might dream up could be: What would it sound like if […]
29 Jun 2012
Reviews: The Grip Weeds – Speed of Live (CD) and Live Vibes (DVD)
Here’s how it usually goes: when you hear that one of your favorite bands is releasing a live album – let’s say it’s called Speed of Live – and that […]
26 Jun 2012
Album Reviews: Concord’s “Very Best Of” Jazz Collections, Part 2
The Very Best of John Coltrane (The Prestige Era) Concord puts a tight focus on John Coltrane‘s work for its The Very Best of John Coltrane, subtitling the set “The […]
25 Jun 2012
Album Reviews: Concord’s “Very Best Of” Jazz Collections, Part 1
The Very Best of Wes Montgomery Among rock fans, the phrase “tasteful playing” approaches the realm of fighting words. But when one realizes, as liner notes essayist Neil Tesser suggests […]
21 Jun 2012
Album Review: The Sugarman 3 – What the World Needs Now
I first caught notice of the (for lack of a better term) boogaloo revival a scant few years ago when I first heard The New Mastersounds. That group’s instrumental attack […]
15 Jun 2012
Bootleg Bin: The Long Ryders – State of Our Union Outtakes
The Long Ryders were twenty years ahead of their time. With their defiantly countrified rock and roll, they embodied the alt-country ethos long before that term would be coined. At […]
14 Jun 2012
Hundred-word Reviews: June 2012
Here’s another installment in my occasional series of capsule reviews, generally covering indie releases. My self-imposed limit for this particular exercise is 100 words on each album. Apple Rabbits – […]
13 Jun 2012
Album Review: Dan Kibler
I will readily admit that alt-country doesn’t rank among my favorite musical genres. I respect it, sure, but in general, it gives me no particular pleasure. I’m more of a […]
12 Jun 2012
Album Review: Eddie Hazel – Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs
Here’s an odd one. Funk guitarist Eddie Hazel – part of the highly-esteemed Parliament / Funkadelic family – released his own solo LP in 1977. And while he’s most often […]