“We’re experimenting,” John Oates admits, in this exclusive Something Else! Sitdown. “We’re looking at it a little bit differently.”

Blaze of Glory, a spacious record that lets every word echo in your heart, finds Marshall Chapman — as she has for ages — telling difficult truths, loving with all of her might, and country-rocking her ass off. You May Also Like: Tracy Chapman Smartly Updated Her Approach on ‘OurRead More

Even as bassist Billy Talbot prepares for a round of European shows with Neil Young and Crazy Horse, he’s issuing a new studio album with his own band. On the Road to Spearfish is due today from Vapor Records. You May Also Like: How Neil Young’s Complex, Hypnotic ‘Greendale’ RevivedRead More

What a complex experience this is, modern poetry set in the back seat of a roaring rock ‘n’ roll muscle car. The effect, as Cavalcade unfolds, is at first very visceral and then deeply illuminating. You May Also Like: The Stone Foxes, “Cold Like a Killer” from Twelve Spells (2015):Read More

With a smart assist from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples transforms Funkadelic’s “Can You Get To That” from a sing-along slab of greasy-good uplift into this Americana-inflected groover. You May Also Like: Mavis Staples, “Your Good Fortune” (2015): One Track Mind Mavis Staples Wrote a New Ending For Her FatherRead More

To answer the obvious question, yes the Howlin’ Brothers do indeed howl on their major label debut called Howl. They also hoot, holler, bash away at banjos while fiddling as the barn burns down. You May Also Like: The Black Keys Hit Upon the Right Rootsy Mix With ‘Brothers’

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

It would be easy enough to tag this as Southern rock, or as blues, or even — at times — as gospel, were Randall Bramblett’s The Bright Spots not so consistently all of those things, and something more. You May Also Like: Sea Level, “That’s Your Secret” (1977): One TrackRead More

For years, John Oates was known for his work with Daryl Hall. These days, he’s working with a dizzying array of big-name collaborators — from Vince Gill to Hot Chelle Rae, not to mention producers for Taylor Swift and Eric Clapton. You May Also Like: John Oates isn’t a fanRead More

Even as Garth Hudson continues working on a new studio effort, the Band’s very busy multi-instrumentalist is prepping for a tour in Japan, to begin at the end of July. You May Also Like: Maud – ‘Maud’ (2021) ‘We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!’ (2014): Movies Ex-producer Mark Hudson still pilesRead More