Crisp, perfectly modulated, utterly suave and precisely integrated, the sound on this Steely Dan record set new standards.

The secret of the Machines is that they have an addictively fun, poundingly-heavy beat that is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, and they have a penchant for really stretching out their compositions for texture and emphasis. It’s prog-rock without the slightest hint of twee frilliness. Road was an EP with aRead More

Magnolia Memoir has been described, and beautifully so, as Fiona Apple meets the Killers with a dash of the Clash — and that’s a good start. You May Also Like: Why Supertramp’s ‘Crime of the Century’ Still ‘Has a Wonderful Feel to It’

What do the following artists have in common: Rickie Lee Jones, Natalie Merchant, Lori Mckenna, The Sundays, Bjork, Kate Bush, Ani DiFranco and Dar Williams? Each one, on first listen, made the rest of my world momentarily drop away. This is no joke. Of course, the first would have beenRead More

Elvis Aaron Presley. I spent most of a day and night with the cat, back in March or April 1956. Me? I was stationed at Fort Riley Kansas in the 1st Infantry Division — the Big Red One You May Also Like: No related posts.

This English group combines alt-rock, world-music polyrhythms and chamber pop into an amalgam that sounds like David Byrne sitting in with Philip Glass. You May Also Like: John Edwards, Evan Parker, John Russell + others – Making Rooms (2016) Bjork’s Vocal-Focused ‘Medulla’ is Still Filled With Countless Surprises How theRead More

I might have stated this a time or two before on this space, but the future of jazz as a living, breathing, expanding music form is in the hands of the twenty and thirtysomethings who grew up on Bjork, Radiohead and Oasis You May Also Like: No related posts.

If you know anything about Lyle Lovett, the tongue-firmly-in-cheek title of his forthcoming release — his last for Curb Records, the only label he’s ever recorded for — will come as no surprise. You May Also Like: Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, July 23, 2016: Shows I’ll Never Forget

Stationed in Detroit, Michigan, this peculiarly named band simply defies classification! Pouring countless influences into a single blender, Rock ’n’ Roll Monkey and the Robots have truly conceived a style that’s all their own. Spooky Kooky Attic Static (Rock ’n’ Roll Monkey/Motor Sounds) marks the band’s fourth full-length album, whichRead More

For the first time on compact disc, we hear some of the early works of this innovative pianist and (a particular focus here) composer/arranger. You May Also Like: Richard Turgeon, “Fire Drill” (2021): One Track Mind Mats Gustafsson – MG 50: Peace and Fire (2016)