Julee Johnson, “So on Top of the World” (2020): One Track Mind
Julee Johnson’s “So on Top of the World” marries a bubbly disco beat to a simple and steady pop rock finish that is impossible to resist.
Other News
Adam Miller – ‘Unify’ (2020)
The refreshingly direct, melodic and consistently satisfying ‘Unify’ should put Adam Miller on any guitar enthusiast’s radar screen.
Toto, “Taint Your World” from ‘Falling in Between’ (2006): Toto Tuesdays
Hard rocking songs from Toto are not uncommon, but “Taint You World” ups the game for a band with already high standards.
Trevor Rabin, Nir Felder, Judith Owen + Others: Five For the Road
Trevor Rabin, Nir Felder, Judith Owen are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately.
Mandoki Soulmates – ‘Living in the Gap’ + ‘Hungarian Pictures’ (2020)
No dusty throwbacks, Mandoki Soulmates push prog into a very here-and-now wide-open throttle with two sweeping new albums.
Chicago, “Look Away” from ‘Chicago 19’ (1988): Saturdays in the Park
Producer Ron Nevison takes over for Bill Champlin’s “Look Away,” a faceless smash single from a forgettable Chicago album.
Phil Collins, “In the Air Tonight” (1981): On Second Thought
There’s really no other song that quite has this kind of affect on people like Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”; it’s a brilliant manipulation of our sense of foreboding.
Ivo Perelman + Arcado String Trio – ‘Deep Resonance’ (2020)
This is a significant addition to both Arcado String Trio’s limited catalog and Ivo Perelman’s massive one.
Days Between Stations – ‘Giants’ (2020)
Days Between Stations’ ‘Giants’ is sublime prog rock that ignites brain synapses back into a life they only knew in the heyday of 1974’s melodic maelstrom.
Phil Ochs – ‘The Best of the Rest: Rare and Unreleased Recordings’ (2020)
Phil Ochs’ trenchant, evocative and sometimes amusing insights into corruption and hypocrisy are even more relevant now than they were in the ’60s.
