Doug Paisley writes with a subtle beauty, with a steel-toed determination, with a twilit ache. Context, however, is everything in music. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be songs; they’d be poetry. The Band’s Garth Hudson provides that context You May Also Like: Ex-producer Mark Hudson still piles praise on Ringo Starr: ‘HeRead More

Time on the road had led Black and the Rodeo Kings to a new sound, inside dressing rooms, in the backs of rumbling busses, in the merchandise tent adjacent to the darkened stage. You May Also Like: Cash Box Kings – Holding Court (2015) Anthrax – ‘For All Kings’ (2016)

So many great records to rave about…and so little time to rave. Last year I started a new tradition with a “just one more list before we’re done with lists” kind of list. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver – The Art Of The Improv Trio,Read More

Over the past four years, Canadian Mike Silver has operated under the name CFCF, more often than not creating a remarkable blend of innovative electronic music. That began with his surprising debut Continent You May Also Like: Stevie Nicks untangles the history of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Silver Springs’: ‘An incredible sevenRead More

Montreal’s Arcade Fire tables their most ambitious record yet with Reflektor, a sprawling two-disc outing that pushes through an oft-irreverent 75 or so minutes with transcendent confidence. You May Also Like: Richard Turgeon, “Fire Drill” (2021): One Track Mind LCD Soundsystem, Aug. 5, 2016: Shows I’ll Never Forget The CrazyRead More

As “On the Loose” lifts off — first with the insectile thrill of Jim Gilmour’s keyboards, then with a full-throated roar from Michael Sadler — Saga’s new live set all but sells itself. You May Also Like: Richard Turgeon, “Live Forever” (2020): One Track Mind

Even with the Rob Ford debacle and the Senate spending scandal ruling the roost, it’s possible that Canada’s greatest national shame is that Winnipeg’s the Perms are not more well-known. You May Also Like: Bizingas – Eggs Up High (2015) Lizzy Rose, “Walk the Walk” from Crocodile Tears (2016): OneRead More

Despite the lofty musical goals here, Emerson Lake and Palmer’s idea to tour in support of 1977’s Works with a full orchestra was fraught with issues You May Also Like: With Works, Emerson Lake and Palmer began to fall apart: ‘It just proved to be so unwieldy’ Emerson Lake andRead More

Named after a beloved storybook character who is better known as Winnie the Pooh, Edward Bear was actually a full-fledged band, not a single person as a lot of people assumed You May Also Like: John Manning – ‘White Bear’ (1971): Forgotten Series Fotomaker – The Fotomaker Collection (1995): ForgottenRead More

Jeffery Straker sings with the unflinching attention to detail of Neil Young, but with the emotional arc of classic-era Elton John. You May Also Like: Elton John and Leon Russell’s The Union was marked by this bittersweet sense of loss David Crosby is reaching out to Neil Young, via Twitter:Read More