Bulletproof Man, The Bluest Sky (from the self-released The Bluest Sky) Chuck Melchin first appeared on our radar a number of years ago as the Bean Picker’s Union. Essentially a solo artist surrounding himself with a loose collective of acoustic players, he wrote songs that oozed melancholy and were tied to quiet and captivating melodies. […]
Readers’ Pick: Luther Dickinson – Magic Music for Family Folk
You picked Luther Dickinson – Magic Music for Family Folk as your favorite new release for the week of November 17, 2023. Poll Results New Releases Readers’ Tops Fall 2023 EmiSunshine and the Rain – Sideshow (50 votes) Colin Cutler – Tarwater (30) Robert Finley – Black Bayou (23) The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds […]
Melissa Ruth Song Premiere – Low-Key Christmas
As we head into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we’re bombarded with reinforcements of the typical Western Christmas by pretty much any and every media outlet we come across. You know them all: a bountiful, picture-perfect family dinner, fashionably wrapped gifts under an impeccably decorated tree, snowfall adding a glisten and sparkle […]
Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia – Blood Brothers: Live in Canada
As reviewers, and volunteer reviewers at that, sometimes we miss things. More than a few times I’ve realized that some music I overlooked was actually pretty good, and I wanted to take a “Mulligan” by reviewing something well after its release. When Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia released their collaboration album, Blood Brothers, early this […]
Magic Trick – A Premiere from Speedfossil
One of the things that I’ve long appreciated about the Boston music scene is the sense of community that exists there. It is common to see musicians out supporting one another in the clubs, not to mention performing with one another whenever the opportunity allowed. Which makes it all the more painful when a member […]
Robert Rex Waller, Jr. – See the Big Man Cry
I have to profess, a vocalist’s range is not something where I tend to pay enough attention. But it came up front and center on Robert Rex Waller, Junior’s latest album, See the Big Man Cry. Like hearing Roy Orbison or Raul Malo for the first time, you suddenly realize there’s a whole other axis […]
Robert Finley – Black Bayou
Robert Finley is releasing his fourth album “Black Bayou”, but still there are a lot of people unfamiliar with him and his unusual backstory. In fact, Finley didn’t even take up music full time until he was in his sixties. This on the face of it doesn’t seem like the most opportune time in his […]
Save Me From Myself – a Premiere From Jonah Tolchin
Jonah Tolchin is an Americana artist in the truest sense of the word – one who relentlessly explores every musical crevice of the genre. From folk to rock and from country to blues, Tolchin has explored it all over the course of his career. Dockside, his latest album, goes deep into the blues. Tolchin travelled […]
Tom Heyman – 24th Street Blues
It’s fashionable these days to predict the demise of San Francisco. Its problems are vast; no one wants to live there; it’s too expensive. Long-time Philadelphia and San Francisco resident Tom Heyman has been around cities enough to know that’s cyclical, not an end destination. He documents his own love/hate relationship with the City by […]
Josh Travis – Few of Days & Full of Trouble
Many religions, Christianity among them, have a common thread that life is hard, and short, and the reason to suffer through it is the afterlife. A lucky few learn to find and cherish the moments that offer a respite from the daily turmoil. Even those times are earned; they’re not a birthright. That kind of […]