There are musicians who carry an impressive resume, laden with sparkling session work and songwriting credits, and yet they never manage to channel that talent into their own work. This certainly does not describe Will Kimbrough. He’s worked with (and written songs for) the likes of Emmylou Harris, John Prine,Read More

A gloriously off-kilter instrumental blues from Jack White, “High Ball Stepper” advances the rootsy weirdness that made 2012’s Blunderbuss such a fizzy wonder. It will catch a groove, then devolve into a wide-open space of ruminative piano, then evolve again into a blister of smeared guitar sound. Is there suchRead More

Ghosts follow bands who’ve been at it this long. For Wishbone Ash, no album goes without comparisons to Argus. No vocalist takes the mic outside of the long shadows of Martin Turner, not even Andy Powell — who, like Turner, helped found the group. You May Also Like: Snakecharmer –Read More

By all rights, this should not be my kind of thing. A synth-pop band fronted by a singer who’s bubbling over with earnestness? Sometimes, the “rules” just do not apply. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Although remembered for pop hits like “Come Sail Away” and “Babe,” Styx began as the Midwestern answer to Yes or King Crimson. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Oran Etkin brings a childlike wonder to the clarinet, which is not just a passing comment in his case; the clarinetist and saxophonist has a school that teaches smalls kids up to age ten about music in an open and effective way through his Timbalooloo method. You May Also Like:Read More

With Ozzy focusing on Black Sabbath and Firewind on a hiatus, guitarist Gus G. found himself with a little time on his hands, resulting in his first solo album, I Am the Fire. You May Also Like: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, “Fire” (1968): One Track Mind

This is a love story, told from inside a heart — not meant for public consumption, in the broadest sense of the word. This isn’t How I Met Your Mother; it’s how I found a way to express something that maybe only I understand. You May Also Like: Henry Bateman,Read More

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of waning religious zeal and disco experimentation, the epoch of brilliant outtakes like “Blind Willie McTell” and lackluster releases like Down in the Groove. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a review about a stellar performance by Abe Ovadia — a young up and coming guitarist who creates his own rules and is an imitation of no one. You May Also Like: No related posts.