Driven by Taylor Penrose’s southern-shaded soul-pop vocals, the Initiative’s “Gives Me Everything” evokes a cross between Jackie DeShannon and Freda Payne.

Steve Cropper’s relationship with John Belushi reached its creative apex with ‘The Blues Brothers’ movie, released on June 20, 1980. Then, he was gone.

When Jimmy Page’s ‘Outrider’ arrived on June 19, 1988, the focus went to a one-song Robert Plant reunion. The LP’s highpoint, however, was found elsewhere.

This Mid-Year Best of 2015 list also includes Death Cab for Cutie, James McMurtry, Steve Hackett, Randy Bachman, Richard Thompson and Ringo Starr.

“Right Now,” released this week as part of 1991’s ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,’ was both a huge Van Halen hit and a harbinger of their eventual split.

His shows with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills are where the money is. But David Crosby, alone and acoustic, now that was something special.

Turns out, the third ‘Decline of Western Civilization’ film – the only one I’d never seen before – was the most enlightening of them all.

Here is a sneak peek of a track from the great lost Isley Brothers album, ‘Wild In Woodstock: The Isley Brothers Live At Bearsville Sound Studio 1980.’ It’s a funky, uptempo number called “Here We Go Again.”

Bill DeYoung explored largely forgotten projects from 1971-1989 in search of 10 favorite little-known Paul McCartney songs.

Here is a review of ‘Bop,’ led by Jeff Lorber and Chuck Loeb, featuring a who’s who of contemporary jazz artists playing the bebop jazz that inspired them.