Here’s a look back at the Top 10 stories from last month on SomethingElseReviews.com, based on page views from our readers. No. 10 — THE MEKONS – ANCIENT AND MODERN: Only a band like the Mekons could make something like Ancient and Modern, this whipsawing triumph of country contemplation andRead More

The new nominations for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 elicited the usual wailing and gnashing of teeth — even amongst us. You May Also Like: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Open Letter: Stop Being the Old Boys’ Club When John Frusciante Returned toRead More

Some songs are so personal, so specific, that you wonder if anyone else could ever do them justice. Rufus Wainwright’s “Dinner at Eight,” originally about a confrontation with his often-absent father, was one of them. Until now You May Also Like: Billy Porter, “For What It’s Worth” (2020): One TrackRead More

by Tom Johnson The sophomore album from the sister of Rufus, and daughter of Loudon III and Kate McGarrigle wasn’t a batch of wimpy Lilith Fair material. Martha may be blessed with the pipes of an angel, but she sings about real-world angst that leaves you white-knuckled and nervous. InRead More

by Mark Saleski I’m not generally known for buying best-of packages (the last exception was Tom Waits’ Used Songs, because I arrived on vacation to discover that I’d not packed any Waits. Two weeks with no Tom Waits? No way!), but Ani’s career has been so prolific that this isRead More

by Mark Saleski MTV Unplugged. It was an interesting show (heck, it was an interesting network, back when the ‘M’ actually stood for “music”). Can an artist/band deal with going ‘naked,’ the protective cover of studio sheen stripped away? You May Also Like: How the Isley Brothers Made Seals andRead More

Juanita Fleming uses her stirring life experiences to inform a new gospel-jazz project, I Come To You. Before turning her gift toward God, Fleming’s was a life spent around jazz giants, big-budget soundtracks and the stage. Each of those influences finds a place here, propelling the album into a seriesRead More

If “Charlie Brown” is any indication, fans of Coldplay’s post-modern mixture of chest-bursting arena rock and quirky lyricism are going to be pleased by their forthcoming album Mylo Xyloto, due on Oct. 24. You May Also Like: Butcher Brown, “Truck Fump” from ‘Encore’ (2021): Something Else! sneak peek

by Mark Saleski No harm meant by this remark: I’d rather listen to John Mayer than Elliott Smith. So there, I’ve said it. Not to illustrate that I’ve got no indie cred. That I apparently have no taste in music. Not even to piss off the legions of Smith fans.Read More

With Never Falling Again, Clear explores the devastation left behind as relationships end – yet somehow comes away with a collection of songs that’s startlingly beautiful. That’s no easy feat. You May Also Like: Dario and the Clear – ‘Optic Nerve’ (2021) Presley’s Beatles, “Can’t Help Falling In Love /Read More