With several great albums that draw heavily on southern-rock swagger having been released by bands such as Drive By Truckers and Lucero recently, I figured I was fried for a while when it came to these types of sounds. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying the new record by […]
Cracker ‘n P. Hood are “Friends”
Anybody recall “That’s What Friends Are For” featuring Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Elton John? I don’t know if this recent collaboration between Cracker and Patterson Hood qualifies as the modern day version, but who wouldn’t want to hear those four singin’ this tune. If a fight breaks out and you’re the cause […]
Mac Leaphart – Line, Rope, Etc…
While many of us blogger-types are trying to figure out what our favorite releases of 2009 are, I have been enjoying what would’ve been one of my favorite records from 2008. Mac Leaphart’s (Official / Myspace) 2008 release, Line, Rope, Etc… is an excellent album, consisting of some country-flavored folk that mixes in dashes of […]
The Rock Hall @ 25: Night Two
If Night One was about the late night party, night two was about the tributes. Most of the headliners – most notably Metallica and the Jeff Beck Band – mixed a healthy dose of covers into their sets, many with special guests along for the ride. Similar to Night One, the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis […]
Blind Boys of Alabama – Duets
Seventy years. That’s right, this year marks the seventh decade the Blind Boys of Alabama have been performing. Sure, the personnel have undergone some changes in that time, but one of the original members, Clarence Fountain, still tours with them as his health allows. What’s more, they’ve never been as relevant to the current music […]
Yesterday’s Ring – Diamonds in the Ditch
Belting it out from the great white north, Yesterday’s Ring (Myspace) is giving their Canadian friends a clinic in good ol’ American Cow-Punk. Their recent release, Diamonds In the Ditch (Suburban Home), is a solid collection of heartbreak, life on the road, abuse and love gone wrong. I wont suggest that there is anything terribly […]
The Rock Hall @ 25: Night One (Part 2)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concerts, Night One 29 October 2009 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City Headliners: Crosby, Stills & Nash; Paul Simon; Simon & Garfunkel; Stevie Wonder; Bruce Springsteen Guests: Jerry Lee Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Dion DiMucci, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Smokey Robinson, John […]
Celebrating the Rock Hall of Fame: Night One
Tom Hanks may have kicked things off with a hearty “Hail Hail Rock and Roll,†but it was the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis (HoF inaugural class of 1986) who got the party started. The 74-year old was clearly showing his age yet still showed his spark as he knocked out a healthy version of “Whole […]
Curtis Harvey – Box of Stones
Many great artists produce music that is inspiring without being technically gifted vocalists. Kris Kristofferson and Ryan Bingham have produced two of the year’s best albums while displaying vocals that few would term “smooth”. The largely acoustic solo debut from Curtis Harvey (Myspace), Box of Stones (FatCat), successfully showcsaes the same ability to move the […]
Marah, How We’ve Missed You
I’d just about given up hope on these guys. When their last tour fell apart almost as soon as it began, one couldn’t help but fear the worse. Now, many months down the line, the band re-emerges with promises of a new album and extensive tour in 2010. Sign me up! In the meantime, the […]