Something Else!

Singing the Phonebook with the Beatles, Talking Heads, Billy Joel, R.E.M. + others: Odd Couples

Singing the Phonebook with the Beatles, Talking Heads, Billy Joel, R.E.M. + others: Odd Couples

Returning to songs by the Beatles, Talking Heads, R.E.M. and others that – despite being pretty much incomprehensible – captured the public’s imagination.

Vinyl

B-Leaguers – Death of a Western Heart (2016)

B-Leaguers’ ‘Death of a Western Heart’ is crammed to the finish line with hooky punk-pop songs along the lines of the Buzzcocks, Undertones and Green Day.

Vinyl

Nolatet (Mike Dillon, Brian Haas, James Singleton + Johnny Vidacovich) – Dogs (2016)

Playing with nervy purpose is purpose enough for the new jazz supergroup of Haas, Dillon, Singleton an Vidacovich to get together and make a record.

Yes, "Long Distance Runaround" from 'Fragile' (1971): YESterdays

Yes, “Long Distance Runaround” from ‘Fragile’ (1971): YESterdays

“Long Distance Runaround” is stuffed with progressive elements from Jon Anderson, producer Eddy Offord and Yes, only adding to its stature in the canon.

Vinyl

Elvis Costello – Detour: Live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (2016)

Elvis Costello performs in front of an ebullient hometown crowd, reinterpreting favorites and dusting off more obscure album tracks.

Vinyl

Roswell Rudd, Jamie Saft, Trevor Dunn, Balazs Pandi – Strength and Power (2016)

The years between Rudd and his new bandmates melt away in that wonderful, cross-generational thing called telepathy when the four convened to spontaneously and collectively make some jazz noises.

Vinyl

Speed the Plough – Now (2015)

Juggling pop rocking finesse with experimental episodes, Speed the Plough is still mixing and mashing genres. Democracy remains the key word on ‘Now.’

Vinyl

Matthew Hartnett – Southern Comfort (2016)

Talented trombonist/composer Matthew Hartnett has identified something culturally valuable in every environment he’s found himself in to make a remarkable introduction.

Vinyl

Essentials by the Eagles’ Glenn Frey: Gimme Five

Most people associate Glenn Frey with the peaceful, easy country-rock songs with the Eagles. But he also had a gift for R&B and vocal arranging.

Vinyl

Daevid Allen Weird Quartet – Elevenses (2016)

Daevid Allen’s final recording is as he’s always sounded: like he’s still frolicking in 1970 trying to imagine what music might be like in 2020 if we had lost our minds along the way,