And now, an important message from Wilco guitarist Nels Cline …
Cline talks up Scott Amendola’s orchestral ‘Fade To Orange’ crowdfunding project.
Spotlight
Fred Phillips’ Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Southern Rock and Country): Bob Wayne, Sturgill Simpson, Mat D, Jackson Taylor, Willie Nelson
Sturgill Simpson? The genuine article. Bob Wayne? Back with his best ever.
‘So laid back, and yet it’s so intense’: Deep Purple confirms new album for 2015, talks best ever
After eight years between releases, Roger Glover says “we can’t wait that long.”
S. Victor Aaron’s Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Fusion Jazz): Nels Cline Singers, Medeski Martin & Wood, Jaco Pastorius
Everything from ambient post-rock to improvisational, to scattered rock-jazz.
‘We were at the piano, banging it out’: Steve Cropper’s big break didn’t come from Stax Records
Instead, a friend’s dad took Cropper’s very first song to another legendary label.
Something Else! sneak peek: King Crimson, “Venturing Unto Joy, Pt. 1” (2014)
Fripp and Levin tussle with a nervous energy, while Harrison and Rieflin make a simply glorious racket.
Preston Frazier’s Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Rock, Pop and Jazz): Simon Phillips, Kere Buchanan, Nathan East, Oz Noy, Judith Owen, Toto
Already, we’ve heard so much great stuff from the Toto family tree of music.
Something Else! sneak peek: Jerry Lee Lewis, “Rock and Roll Time” from Rock and Roll Time (2014)
An enduringly ornery delight, the Killer still sounds as dangerous as ever.
‘It’s hard to complain about it’: Neal Doughty says REO Speedwagon happily delivers the big ballads
They’ve had other hits, but REO is famous today for two sweet-talking No. 1 smashes.
S. Victor Aaron’s Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Avant Garde & Experimental Jazz): Jimmy Giuffre, Roscoe Mitchell, Jamie Saft/Joe Morris
The appeal of this music is its unbiased diversity and lack of set rules.
