Like a great poem, a great song can take a series of connected ideas, perhaps as complex as a life, and distill it to its essence. In “The River,” we have lives that were full of dreams, interrupted by the realities of life. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’sRead More

With album art that gives new meaning to the term “cock rock,” Tenacious D rises again from the ashes. With Rize of the Fenix, they’re destined to rule the rock world like the cocks of the walk. You May Also Like: Azymuth – Fênix (2016) Jack Bruce and Robin TrowerRead More

Not at all associated with the contemporary Australian band of the same name, these fellows came from London, England and got together in 1974. Toting impressive pedigrees, the group included lead singer Andy Ellison and drummer Chris Townson, who both played with John’s Children, which also featured Marc Bolan. TheRead More

Imagine if in the mountainous region of Albania or southern Yugoslavia during the Communist ruled days of the 1970s, the sons of sheep herders clandestinely tuned in to rock radio from the other side of the Iron Curtain You May Also Like: Thinking Plague – Hoping Against Hope (2017)

Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen” was the first time I can remember anywhere in popular media where Baby Boomers started waxing poetic about the good ol’ days.

The Bright Side, due May 15, 2012 on Fantasy Records/Concord, certainly lives up to its name with Meiko’s fizzy, almost hallucinogenically blissful opener “Stuck On You.” You May Also Like: Tracy Chapman Smartly Updated Her Approach on ‘Our Bright Future’ ‘Bright Size Life’ Gave Early Definition to Pat Metheny’s IncredibleRead More

This is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, though it in no way sounded like Kenny G with Yo-Yo Ma. It was recorded in an “industrial urban warehouse district.” It’s on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening). Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone butRead More

With Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before!, the Barenaked Ladies have cranked open their vault of rarities, demos, B-sides, and live tracks. There’s also a “remix.” You May Also Like: No related posts.

Is there a place for, you know, an American in a world of soul shouters dominated by a certain big-voiced Brit superstar? Cut to two-time Grammy-nominated R&B singer Ryan Shaw, who returns on May 15, 2012, with Real Love You May Also Like: Woody Shaw – ‘Love Dance’ (1976, 2026Read More

To Canadians, as the new 2012 liner notes to this historic meeting of the jazz minds so rightly notes, Massey Hall is a building. To fans of this music worldwide, it’s something else You May Also Like: ‘Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings’ (2023) Giancarlo Tossani’s BigRead More