Something Else!

Vinyl

Kendall Moore – Focus (2014)

This is how you do mainstream jazz, friends. ‘Focus’ is an album by jazz newcomer Kendall Moore, but this time, the rookie’s got it all together on the first try.

Vinyl

Todd Rundgren – At the BBC: 1972-1982 (2014)

‘At the BBC’ finds Todd Rundgren in a particularly fizzy moment, as he moves from classic pop structures to prog and then into psychedelia.

Vinyl

Emily White, “Borrowed Man” from Staking Flags in the Valley (2014): One Track Mind

Emily White blends an expressive and earnest vocal quality with evocative and colorful lyrics.

Best Steely Dan Drumming Performances: Steely Dan Sunday

Best Steely Dan Drumming Performances: Steely Dan Sunday

Here are Steely Dan’s five best drum performances, selected in tandem by our panel of Steely Dan authorities.

Vinyl

Marcus Roberts, “The Mystery of Romance” (2014): One Track Mind

After a period of retrenchment that saw Marcus Roberts rejoining early mentor Wynton Marsalis, this shows he’s ready for a more adventurous path.

Peter Banks Empire - The Mars Tapes (2014)

Peter Banks Empire – The Mars Tapes (2014)

Peter Banks Empire is a lost treasure from a time when prog badly needed something to restore its creative momentum.

Why are We Still Confining Musicians to Genre Boxes?

Why are We Still Confining Musicians to Genre Boxes?

Nearly every musician gets slotted into a genre by writers, magazines, listeners and readers. Why must we do that?

JC Mosquito's Top Reissues for 2014: Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, CSNY, others

JC Mosquito’s Top Reissues for 2014: Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, CSNY, others

Top reissues of 2014 include a double shot of Led Zeppelin, more Bob Dylan and the Band than you could imagine, and some long-lost CSNY.

Vinyl

Carmine and Vinny Appice – Drum Wars Live! (2014)

Carmine Appice attacks from the right, while Vinny sets up on the left for ‘Drum Wars Live!,’ creating a gloriously thunderous racket.

Vinyl

Jamie Hoover – ‘Two Ever’ (2014)

Though a myriad of musical fashions pepper Jamie Hoover’s ‘Two Ever,’ a potent pop feel is engraved within the grooves.