photo by Jason Thrasher by S. Victor Aaron No band today epitomizes Southern rock more precisely than Athens, Georgia’s Drive-By Truckers. Sometimes they sound even more Dixie than Skynard, The Marshall Tucker Band or the Allman Brothers. Not only do they possess the rough and tumble sound of their forebearsRead More

by Nick DeRiso Start with Husker Du’s “Everything Falls Apart,” a 1982 release that was a little more cohesive than the live debut. They chew UP Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman.” Eleven years later, “Everything Falls Apart” was released again on CD (and this is funny) with some extras as “Everything FallsRead More

by S. Victor Aaron On prior columns I’ve made no bones about my affinity for early Chicago songs. Danny Seraphine’s comeback album is a triumph because the band’s founding drummer brought back the spirit of his old band. And singer/keyboardist/songwriter Robert Lamm’s openness for melding complex jazz with straightforward bluesRead More

Boz Scaggs, when he wanted, always had the chops back in the day. The throwback blues of ‘Come on Home’ made it clear that he still did.

The year’s best Marsalis record wasn’t from Wynton, Leno’s then-sidekick or Pops. Instead, it was pianist Ellis’ fourth son Delfeayo Marsalis.

by Pico Covering High And Mighty about a year and a half ago gave me a convenient excuse to pull out and listen to some of the prior Gov’t Mule CDs. Out of the one just prior to this one, Déjà Voodoo, came a tune that has lately been theRead More

by Nick DeRiso This two-hour documentary explores music from both southern and northern Louisiana, a rare tip of the hat to both traditions. So you have the expected segments on Acadiana- and New Orleans-based standouts Rosie Ledet, the Hackberry Ramblers, Henry Butler, Nathan Williams and the Jambalaya Cajun Band, amongRead More

These days it seems that celebrities like Katie Couric, Jay Leno and even Madonna are getting into writing children’s books. But the next big trend might very well be children’s music. Jack Johnson’s little-noticed soundtrack to the Curious George movie from a couple of years ago was a pretty goodRead More

A group with the sound and spirit of 1960s-era garage bands, the Woggles are best decribed by the things they are not — despite being from Athens, Ga. No Dead influences. No side projects with Peter Buck. “Teendanceparty” is, instead, refreshingly free of any jangly pretense. In fact, the Woggles’Read More

by S. Victor Aaron Jazz trios that push the envelope are a lot of fun to listen to. With only two other players to be accountable for, each member gets to take more chances than they might be able to get away with in a larger setting. And when it’sRead More