After hearing of the passing of Dave Brockie, known to GWAR fans as alien conqueror Oderus Urungus, I wanted to write something about Scumdogs of the Universe, my personal favorite record by the band. But in the days that followed, I kept coming back to this song. “The Road Behind”Read More

That burly baritone sax, it can be an abrasive sound maker, but in the right hands it can be this warm, inviting sonority. You May Also Like: Andrew Boudreau – ‘Neon’ (2022)

This was the one where Ritchie Blackmore refused to go on stage, because it was not yet sunset — and he felt that would dim the impact of Deep Purple’s lightshow. You May Also Like: No related posts.

This has been done, of course. Among the legends to have played in a piano-and-bass duo are Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez, Chris Anderson and Charlie Haden, Duke Ellington and Ray Brown, and Paul Bley and Gary Peacock, among many others. To be sure, stepping into this format has itsRead More

I have said (and defended) many times that I am not a lyrics person. Still, that doesn’t really excuse me for what I am about to admit: that I’d listened to Deerhoof’s album Apple O’ many times and never realized, until just the other day, that Satomi Matsuzaki was singingRead More

Elton John was a star on the rise in 1973, having gained critical and commercial success in the UK and U.S. in just a few years. You May Also Like: Elton John – Greatest Hits 1976-1986 (1992): On Second Thought Elton John – ‘Jewel Box’ (2020)

Combine Barb Jungr’s voice with the powerful songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and you have something with mind-blowing potential.

Beginning with an elastic beat, “Dark Sunglasses” might have heralded a next-gen moment of pop-song modernity for Chrissie Hynde, except that the rest of it has all of the haunty, ball-busting attitude you’ve come to expect from every great Pretenders track going back to the 1970s. You May Also Like:Read More

Some twenty-five years ago when compact discs began to overtake vinyl as the music media of choice, I joined one of those mail-order record clubs as a way to quickly build up a foundation for my fledgling CD collection. You May Also Like: Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew’ Broke Every Rule:Read More

A lean groove, a crinkly throwback riff, a pained falsetto. Yes, the Black Keys are back — with a song that thrums with pent-up passion and swirling darkness, with something finally worth celebrating. “Fever” is the sound of a churning, unrequited love, and the sound a band that’s completely returnedRead More