The best songs speak to us as individuals, allowing us to find answers for ourselves. Los Lobos’ “Gates of Gold” is one of those songs.

Box Scaggs’ new wistfully urbane interpretation of “Last Tango on 16th Street” is about more than Mission Street atmospherics.

Cracker always stood with a foot in both of these California music beds. ‘Berkeley to Bakersfield’ fully explores their twinned inspirations.

Sturdy rock and roll that pays tribute to its influences without sounding trite.

This feels like a solo album dressed up in Echo and the Bunnymen’s clothes.

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

In a way, The Royal Sessions project is an enraptured testament to soul that Paul Rodgers has always been destined to release. His whiskey-splashed rasp was simply made for this kind of thing You May Also Like: Why You Should Give Queen + Paul Rodgers’ ‘The Cosmos Rocks’ Another ListenRead More

Steve Nieve is likely an unknown quantity to anyone other than Elvis Costello fans. You May Also Like: Elvis Costello’s ‘The Delivery Man’ Once Again Resisted the Urge to Look Back

Los Lobos challenged themselves like never before on 1990’s The Neighborhood, as heard on this smart take on the title track from the band’s forthcoming live set Disconnected in New York. You May Also Like: Los Lobos, “Gates of Gold” from Gates of Gold (2015): One Track Mind Los Lobos’Read More

The joy surrounding this blues-rock collaboration is found not just in the Rides’ meaty originals — four of the 10 tracks are new — but in the way this just-founded trio happily attacks the cover tunes. You May Also Like: Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Stephen Stills’ ‘Super Session’ WasRead More