I don’t often use the word “haunting” but dammit, I think I feel it coming on. Here we have a tale, like many on The River, of a troubled life, one that may not even have had much promise to start with. With darkly-lit piano tones and reverb-laden guitar echoesRead More

Amanda Palmer? Yummy. Though, part of me wanted to run screaming in the other direction when I found out this solo record was a collaboration with Ben Folds. There is only one Folds song that I can remember (“Army”) that doesn’t make me want to shove an ice pick intoRead More

I’ve said many times that I was something of a liar back in the days of disco. While I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the music, there were a few artists (and sometimes particular songs) who I really liked You May Also Like: Why the Weird Specificity ofRead More

The Internet is chock full of “Unboxing” videos, the so-called “new geek porn.” I don’t find them particularly interesting but that’s because I’m fairly certain I’m not part of their target audience. You May Also Like: Jeff Cosgrove, with Matthew Shipp + William Parker – ‘Near Disaster’ (2018) Whit Dickey,Read More

Today marks the second anniversary of Ronnie James Dio’s passing — and I must say, at the time, Dio’s death came as a huge surprise to me. I didn’t even know he had been ill. You May Also Like: Dio’s Often-Forgotten ‘Magica’ Recalled Early Ronnie James Dio Triumphs

Like a great poem, a great song can take a series of connected ideas, perhaps as complex as a life, and distill it to its essence. In “The River,” we have lives that were full of dreams, interrupted by the realities of life. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’sRead More

This is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, though it in no way sounded like Kenny G with Yo-Yo Ma. It was recorded in an “industrial urban warehouse district.” It’s on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening). Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone butRead More

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is one of the truly iconic records of the 1970s. Like Led Zeppelin’s IV, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon and the Eagles’ Hotel California, Rumours spent a lot of time spinning on turntables everywhere You May Also Like: No related posts.

You know, I just get so damned tired of people trippin’ all over themselves to pay tribute to these guys when they die. Besides, it’s just friggin’ rap “music.” That’s right, “music.” You May Also Like: Tom Petty, Johnny Cash + Beastie Boys: Rick Rubin’s Most Important Albums

Pianist Carrothers revisits the music of trumpeter Clifford Brown. With bassist Drew Gress and the great Bill Stewart at the kit, they interpret Brown (and Brown-related) classics like “Daahoud,” “Gerkin For Perkin,” and of course, that iconic title track. “Joy Spring” is definitely the not-so-secret ingredient of this recording, andRead More