[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6TEcqDkTS0&w=500&h=305] This list is necessarily all over the map. Heck, in a lot of respects, there’s no map at all. You’ll find it in tatters down on the passenger-side floorboard. Delving into unsigned bands is like that. You May Also Like: David Sancious: The Albums That Shaped My CareerRead More

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5_666sEAP4&w=500&h=305] A choice, not-so-obvious all-covers album from Philadelphia’s Mondo Topless, starting with a pretty rockin’ version of The Twilighters’ “Nothing Can Bring Me Down.” Elsewhere, an eclectic bunch of garage and rock bands are represented You May Also Like: The Baron Four – Silvaticus (2017) Anna Nalick, singer-songwriter: SomethingRead More

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncTcVKbmMFw&w=500&h=305] Tom Gates, perhaps best known for his pan work with the Beach Boys, is trying to do for the steel drum on Comfort Zone what Steve Turre did for the conch some two decades ago: Move it into the jazz mainstream. You May Also Like: The Chick CoreaRead More

Criticizing Van Halen for the times it were too corny or over-the-top almost feels disingenuous.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZouAjbtd7Q&w=420&h=315] Pianist Adam Kromelow has long studied karate, and upon reading that little fact I could immediately draw a parallel between the disciplined power and fluidity of the martial arts and Kromelow’s music You May Also Like: Adam Steffeck – Aviator (2017) Adam Larson – Second City (2017)

Stay tuned for my list of reissue faves from 2012, from Evol to SRC, from True Hearts to the Ventures, presented as always in alphabetical order. After all, who can really choose, with so many great sounds? You May Also Like: The Smithereens Created a Stone Cold Pop-Rock Classic WithRead More

Rubix, an ever-shifting amalgam led by South African songwriter and producer Matt Rod, sounds like a different band on each of the EP’s four cuts — and that’s by design. You May Also Like: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, “Fire” (1968): One Track Mind

Julie Freeman, assistant to Timothy B. Schmit, says the longtime Eagles bassist and vocalist has been diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. He’s already reportedly undergone surgery, and is recovering. You May Also Like: Timothy B. Schmit and Glad – ‘Feelin’ Glad’ (1968): Forgotten Series

In challenging times, Paul McCartney’s message deeply resonates: “Little Willow” expresses our agony, but also consoles us.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mZKY3R1MIQ&w=500&h=305] Tchiya Amet creates this interesting subtext, weaving a mystical tapestry of stories, myths, legends and spells through a varied rhythmic landscape. But even if you aren’t familiar with the source material, Celestial Folk Music charms. You May Also Like: Kind Folk – ‘Why Not’ (2018)