The Tubes’ “She’s a Beauty” became not just their biggest hit but also an intriguing intersection between Chicago and Toto. Wait, Chicago and Toto?

If you were worried that frontman Rhett Miller might ease into a middle-aged softness as Old 97’s entered its third decade, this unhinged drinking song of an advance track from the forthcoming, apparently well-titled Most Messed Up sets all of that to rest. You May Also Like: Russell Malone, “SoulRead More

Nikki Lerner’s Longings isn’t the sad embrace its title seems to indicate. Instead, it’s a journey of understanding, an attempt to make sense of this life’s unknowable complexities — with all of the small triumphs, the sudden pitfalls and the ardent moments associated with such things. You May Also Like:Read More

Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs brought a tractor-trailer’s worth of hits — both as solo artists and with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, respectively — to this setlist. More important, however, was their simpatico sense of musical camaraderie. You May Also Like: Michael McDonald, “Find It InRead More

The concert featured in this newly released film took place in the year after what looks to be the final appearance of Emerson Lake and Palmer. Still, it’s clear that Carl Palmer had much more to add, as Decade — over the course of 12 tracks captured live on OctoberRead More

Chico Hamilton rose to individual fame in the 1950s with an Eric Dolphy-fired chamber jazz unit, but there was always something angular, something interesting and offbeat happening — even dating back to 1959’s That Hamilton Man, an album dominated by this quiet melancholy. You May Also Like: Chris Stamey, “MakeRead More

John Gorka’s music reflects his life as a working troubadour, no matter how long it takes the albums to arrive. In the case of Bright Side of Down, it’s been five years since the folk singer’s most recent album of originals. You May Also Like: No related posts.

If you are a fan of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (and we are), then surely you’ve marvelled at the coiled brilliance of her smooth and sultry backup singers — dubbed the Dapettes (and we have). Here’s a chance to sample their forthcoming debut album, as Saun and Starr takeRead More

Utterly engrossing, and full of dusty portent, Lee DeWyze’s “Blackbird Song” couldn’t have put more space between his time on American Idol and where he is now. DeWyze, who won Season 9 of Idol, issued the more country pop-leaning Frames last summer. Forget that You May Also Like: Richard Thompson,Read More

Theirs is a meeting across the generations, and a bold illustration of the way time, ultimately, surrenders to tradition — and of the utter agelessness of the rich musical folkway of conjunto. You May Also Like: Conjunto Guantanamo, ‘Guitarra, Tabaco y Ron’ (2024): One Track Mind Stanley Clarke, Superfonicos, MaxRead More