America’s Jewish troubadour Kinky Friedman is going south in 2012 — specifically the southern United States — and he’s bringing gifts for the natives. You May Also Like: Spencer Friedman and Paul de Jong – Functions (EP, 2018)

Formed in 1964, the Beau Brummels were not only America’s first successful response to the British Invasion that changed the entire complexion of pop music that historic year, but they were also the first successful rock group from San Francisco, California. Most people tend to believe the City by theRead More

This album is a musical security blanket of sorts. Actually, that’s how I feel about Greg Brown’s music in general, even the really ugly stuff. Oh yes, there is ugly stuff. You May Also Like: Greg Brown’s ‘In the Hills of California’ Finally Reproduced His Nervy Live Sound Greg ‘Stackhouse’Read More

Time to let you have your say. We made a series of lists, checked them twice, then published our best-ofs. But what better way to end things than with the annual SER Readers’ Top 10? Here are your albums of the year You May Also Like: Martin Barre – ’50Read More

An uplifting shard of Celtic sunlight amidst the shivery glimmerings of winter, Jennifer Cutting’s rousing Song of Solstice is garland of emerald-island legacy pieces, serenely beautiful carols and majestic folk songs — all performed with age-old instrumentation of accordion, fiddle, whistle and bagpipes. Themes focus not just on the joysRead More

One Alternative again bursts through convention with Air Sculpture, moving well outside the bounds of typical acoustic ensembles by incorporating not just classical music forms but also the boisterous attitude of roots rock and the improvisational intrigue of jazz. You May Also Like: Björkenheim, Sopko, James, Laswell, Yamaki (Inaugural SoundRead More

Along with John Fahey, American composer Robbie Basho helped redefine the steel-stringed guitar as a concert instrument. You May Also Like: Exquisite Gender on Their Powerful Debut ‘Solve For X’: Something Else! Interview A Legacy Reclaimed: Robbie Robertson and the Band Robbie Dupree, Chicago, Yes’ Peter Banks + Others: FiveRead More

There’s a problem with any list that attempts to rank players as if one is ‘better’ than another.

Here’s the way it usually works. The end of the year draws closer, and all of the music publications and websites release their “best of” lists. This is almost always followed by various rants about how the lists are “too safe,” “predictable,” or “pretentious.” You May Also Like: Of AllRead More

The Eagles and Tom Petty play the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the first time, as 2012’s lineup is announced for the sprawling outdoor music event featuring rock, jazz, Americana, gospel, rhythm and blues, Cajun and zydeco. You May Also Like: Mudcrutch’s belated self-titled debut brought Tom PettyRead More