by Mark Saleski To the neophyte, microtonal music can seem less than accessible. Yeah, tones show up that the western ear just isn’t used to. On Stick Man, Haverstick takes microtonality and uses it in many contexts, not just ‘jazz.’ This is important because I’ve heard albums that focus soRead More

by Mark Saleski Blame this one on Irwin Chusid and his book Songs in the Key of Z. His chapter on Jandek drove me to seek out Jandek’s CDs — much to the displeasure of TheWife™. I’ve been hooked ever since. Don’t let the fact that the man can’t eitherRead More

by Mark Saleski Firstly, credit must be tossed in the direction of my former guitar teacher. Jerry Adams turned me on to piles of great jazz (and loaned me actual LPs). Jerry’s favorite guitarist was Jim Hall. I’m not sure I’d use the word “obsessive,” though Jerry did relate aRead More

by Mark Saleski Good gawd, the man is a veritable Fort Knox of ideas. From barroom stompers to pensive ballads to clattering percussion to spoken word oddities. Waits reciting Bukowski? Yes, please! Waits is the weird uncle you’re fascinated by and scared of at the same time. You still loveRead More

I probably say this too often, but here goes … this record is just too much fun! Saxophonist Troy Roberts knows how to lay down the funk and on Nu-Jive, the funk is relentless. From the David S. Ware-meets-Steely Dan opening salvo of “Chiver-town,” to the slippery “Shavon” (where electricRead More

One of the things I love about our 24/7 “news” cycle is the daily “Which new technology is going to kill you or otherwise screw your life up”-type story. Cell phones cause brain tumors. Facebook is leading people to have extramarital kokey pokey. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’sRead More

by Mark Saleski Yes, we know that the old methods of music delivery (read: the radio) are broken. This keeps some amazing music away from people’s ear. A happy accident (no Buffalo Tom CDs) at a similarly broken bookstore made me buy this record. It has been played to deathRead More

by Mark Saleski On Nicholas Urie’s MySpace page, we’re informed that “This isn’t your grandma’s big band!” No kidding. With lyrics taken from actual online dating service recordings, the thematic content would make grandma raise those eyebrows. I was hooked upon hearing “Bad Girl?,” which starts off with a kindRead More

by Mark Saleski Easily my favorite release of 2009. The Low Anthem surprised me at a show that spring. I’d never heard of them before and they came out and managed to make me forget my name, my identity, and what my favorite color was. It was a stunning experience.Read More

Late last night, I saw the email light blinking on my phone. A single new message had come in from one of my writer cohorts. The subject line read “Blood Brothers” … and I knew. You May Also Like: Leon Russell (1942-2016): The Last of the Bird-Flipping Genre-Busters Alan White,Read More