Something Else!

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Old 97’s, “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive” from Most Messed Up (2014)

If you were worried that frontman Rhett Miller might ease into a middle-aged softness as Old 97’s entered its third decade, this unhinged drinking song of an advance track from the forthcoming, apparently well-titled Most Messed Up sets all of that to rest. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Vinyl

Nikki Lerner – Longings (2014)

Nikki Lerner’s Longings isn’t the sad embrace its title seems to indicate. Instead, it’s a journey of understanding, an attempt to make sense of this life’s unknowable complexities — with all of the small triumphs, the sudden pitfalls and the ardent moments associated with such things. You May Also Like:Read More

Vinyl

Matthew Shipp Trio – Root of Things (2014)

There are thoughtful pianists who play from the brain and passionate pianists who play from the heart. Matthew Shipp’s distinction has been that he’s always been a thoughtful pianist who plays from the heart. You May Also Like: Matthew Shipp Trio – ‘New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz’ (2024)

Vinyl

Beck – Morning Phase (2014)

What sets ‘Morning Phase’ apart from ‘Sea Change’ was a huge expansion of Beck’s emotional palette. There’s not just grief, but hope as well.

Vinyl

Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs – Dukes of September: Live at Lincoln Center (2014)

Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs brought a tractor-trailer’s worth of hits — both as solo artists and with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, respectively — to this setlist. More important, however, was their simpatico sense of musical camaraderie. You May Also Like: Michael McDonald, “Find It InRead More

Vinyl

Digital Primitives – Lipsomuch/Soul Searching (2014)

It’s easy to think of a “groove” as having certain kind of chord changes, played by certain kind of instruments and even having certain kind of beats. You May Also Like: Brandon Seabrook, Cooper-Moore + Gerald Cleaver – ‘In the Swarm’ (2022) Brandon Seabrook, with Cooper-Moore + Gerald Cleaver –Read More

WTF?! Wednesdays: Bartholomäus Traubeck, "Years" (2012)

WTF?! Wednesdays: Bartholomäus Traubeck, “Years” (2012)

OK, so the sounds delivered by the project you see below don’t exactly reach the heights (or lows, depending on your listening proclivities) of a WTF! But in the case of artist Bartholomaus Traubeck, it was his idea that turned my head. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Vinyl

Carl Palmer – Decade: Celebration the Music of Emerson Lake and Palmer (2014)

The concert featured in this newly released film took place in the year after what looks to be the final appearance of Emerson Lake and Palmer. Still, it’s clear that Carl Palmer had much more to add, as Decade — over the course of 12 tracks captured live on OctoberRead More

Vinyl

Chico Hamilton and Euphoria – The Inquiring Mind (2014)

Chico Hamilton rose to individual fame in the 1950s with an Eric Dolphy-fired chamber jazz unit, but there was always something angular, something interesting and offbeat happening — even dating back to 1959’s That Hamilton Man, an album dominated by this quiet melancholy. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Vinyl

John Gorka – Bright Side of Down (2014)

John Gorka’s music reflects his life as a working troubadour, no matter how long it takes the albums to arrive. In the case of Bright Side of Down, it’s been five years since the folk singer’s most recent album of originals. You May Also Like: No related posts.