Articles by: Nick DeRiso

Almost Hits: Hall and Oates, "It's Uncanny" from No Goodbyes (1977)

Almost Hits: Hall and Oates, “It’s Uncanny” from No Goodbyes (1977)

It’s not always easy to find an unfiltered moment like this from Hall and Oates — a pairing that has become so closely associated with genre-jumping mixtures of street-corner soul with modern new-wave verve. You May Also Like: For John Oates, picking a favorite Hall and Oates song isn’t easy:Read More

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Fareed Haque – Out of Nowhere (2013)

Fareed Haque boasts a pallette accustomed to varied musical tastes. Raised in Chicago by a Chilean mother and a Pakistani father, he grew into roving cross-cultural genius on guitar. But this is not that kind of record. You May Also Like: David Crosby is reaching out to Neil Young, viaRead More

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Dave Baker, with Rich Kurtz – Blended (2013)

That the university-trained, classical inspired guitarist Dave Baker is so handy with interpreting pop sounds should come as no surprise. After all, he found early fame opening for fellow Temple products Hall and Oates on tour. You May Also Like: Dave Stryker – ‘Baker’s Circle’ (2021) Ginger Baker (1939-2019): AnRead More

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Stan Getz, Tito Puente, Herb Alpert, others – It’s a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba (2013)

At first, this idea of Latin-Jewish music might seem exotic. Who mixes congas and kugels — much less bagels and bongos, right? The truth is, it’s been with us since at least the 1930s You May Also Like: Songs About Fights, Games People Play by Rolling Stones, B-52’s + Others:Read More

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Big Star – Playlist: The Very Best (2013)

Big Star is a band that you know, at least by sound and structure, even if you never knew them, you know? Roundly ignored across two early-1970s releases, their’s was the sound of the college-rock scene of a decade later. You May Also Like: Those Pretty Wrongs (feat. Big Star’sRead More

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Sarastro Blake – New Progmantics (2013)

Sarastro Blake’s new album title, which makes fresh broth out of the New Romantics and Progressive Rock labels, can only hint at the well of emotion surrounding these songs. You May Also Like: Rockin’ Horse, “The Biggest Gossip in Town” (1971): One Track Mind Luca Crispino, Danilo Gallo, Luca PighiRead More

Almost Hits: Tom Petty, "It's Good To Be King" (1995)

Almost Hits: Tom Petty, “It’s Good To Be King” (1995)

“It’s Good To Be King,” which somehow only crept up to No. 68 on the charts, doesn’t sound like any side Tom Petty had ever put out — and, at the same time, like all of them. You May Also Like: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ gritty Mojo was moreRead More

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Hugh Laurie – Live on the Queen Mary (2013)

There is perhaps no more unpredictably weird image than Hugh Laurie — who, from 2004-12, played the Golden Globe-winning title protagonist on TV’s House — weaving his way through Professor Longhair You May Also Like: No related posts.

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The Rolling Stones – Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live (2013)

There would be no poetry this time, some 44 years after the Rolling Stones last took the stage at London’s Hyde Park. Back then, in 1969, they were eulogizing Brian Jones, then just two days dead. You May Also Like: Bill Wyman has no regrets about leaving the Rolling Stones:Read More

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Gary Husband and Alex Machacek – Now (2013)