I know what I like, but you won’t find me setting any rules. This is as close to a “philosophy of music” as you’re going to get out of me. That idea has been the driving force behind most of the stuff I write about, especially when there’s “musical evangelism”Read More

On Tuesday, the hard-rock supergroup Black Country Communion’s 2 drops, and you best believe it’s gonna get the SER Lowdown You May Also Like: How Black Country Communion’s Debut Brought Back ’70s-Style Hard Rock

by Tom Johnson Newly free of King Crimson in 2004, some wondered just what it was that Warr guitarist Trey Gunn would be doing. A great short answer came in the form of Untune the Sky You May Also Like: Greg Lake compares this era to the one that sparkedRead More

Oh, did I mention that the Who’s ‘Live at Leeds’ is extremely LOUD?

by Tom Johnson I really wondered what the move to Capitol Records would do to the Decemberists. Would they turn in something less than stellar, as happened with Death Cab For Cutie on their major label debut, Plans? Or would they stick to their guns and thrive with a biggerRead More

One of the more contentious issues in Ozzy Osbourne’s career may have finally been laid to rest with the release of a pair of reissues on Sony Legacy — Diary of a Madman and Blizzard of Ozz. You May Also Like: Why You Should Count ‘No Rest for the Wicked’Read More

Too often, it was like Jon Anderson didn’t want to make a solo record that sounded too much like Yes. As interesting as these sideroads no doubt were, they gave few clues to how his own voice fit into the wider topography of the band. You May Also Like: JonRead More

Walter Becker once called himself as a “B+” guitarist. He’s certainly underrated there but as a bassist, I’d rate him even higher. Nonetheless, Becker had a history of making way for another bassist to play on a Steely Dan tune if he thought if that person was the better manRead More

by Tom Johnson It was going to be hard for Bird to top his previous album, Andrew Bird And The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, a gorgeous, moody stunner. Equally balanced between upbeat rock numbers and quieter strings-backed pieces, Eggs had something for everyone, with smart, subtly-humorous lyrics strewn throughout toRead More

by Tom Johnson “Mailman” is singer David Yow’s tale of a woman being stalked by some creepy bastard who likes to send her little love notes through the mail. You May Also Like: Indigo Girls, “The Rise of the Black Messiah” from One Lost Day (2015): One Track Mind GlennRead More