Last year’s releases from Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, R.E.M. and the Beatles taught us that what was once new is now old – and now new again.

Dion will always be remembered for his pre-British Invasion songs, but there was far more to him than “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer.”

Always out of their time, the Del-Lords made a scruffy early-1980s debut in the age of synthesized MTV flashes in the pan. They return now with a suitably old-fashioned but similarly ageless amalgam of heartfelt lyrics and crunchy licks. You May Also Like: Conniption and Lords of the Trident: TwoRead More

In one way or another, each of these recordings confounded and delighted me. Pushed me to new vistas, either in the way I approached the artist, their own original work, or the tunes they covered. Made me think, and feel differently. You May Also Like: Robert Cray – Robert CrayRead More

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now: doo wop music was not created to be used as fodder for public television fund-raisers. You May Also Like: How Brian Wilson Helped the Beach Boys Transcend Their Critics Why Dennis Wilson’s Rough-Hewn Debut ‘Pacific Ocean Blue’ Was So SurprisingRead More

If you always wondered what the Red Hot Chili Peppers would sound like covering their fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees — both the expected (the Ramones, Iggy Pop) and the decidedly less so (Dion, the Beach Boys) — here’s your chance. You May Also Like: When JohnRead More

January brought in-depth talks with progressive rock legends Greg Lake and Steve Hackett, new blues from Dion and sweet standards from Paul McCartney. Also, a final collaboration between Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, and a long-awaited reunion of David Lee Roth with Van Halen. The only thing that could haveRead More

Once a celebrated pre-British Invasion teen idol, Dion Francis DiMucci certainly could have been forgiven for settling into the oldies circuit You May Also Like: Sue Foley – ‘Pinky’s Blues’ (2021) Denise LaSalle, Soul-Blues Belter (1939-2018): An Appreciation Cyril Neville Brought Patented Passion to the Aptly Named ‘Brand New Blues’