The Chess Project – New Moves (CZYZ Records) No matter your opinion of the blues, where it originated or whether acoustic is more legitimate than electric, there’s no denying that it’s one of the most misaligned genres of them all. Bottom line is, it’s a most tired category and this release – which will likely […]
JJ Shiplett A Way Through Time (Red Buffalo Records) J. J. (Jason) Shiplett is possessed of a boisterous, warm hug of a voice which, if pressed to describe it, would be akin to ‘smoked, well-aged whisky’…‘soft, silky and with a complex presence.’ Close your eyes and he does sound similar to a lot of singers […]
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The Coal Men – Everett (Vaskaleedez Records) The impact of this release might not hit you immediately, with the first listen or two. It could be said that our ears have grown unaccustomed to bands who favor a more simplistic approach – guitar, bass, drums (and the odd hint of piano) – to their craft. […]
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Paul Reed Smith/Eightlock – Lions Roaring in Quicksand (Steele Records) It took 3 years to re-assemble the parts of various Paul Reed Smith (PRS) projects to give birth to the band Eightlock and its inaugural release. If Smith’s name sounds familiar, it should – his status as guitar-maker to the stars might add instant credibility […]
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The Small Square – Ours & Others (Farm To Label Records) Anybody else suffering from an unfulfilled power pop craving – as if the passing of Dwight Twilley wasn’t debilitating enough? A powerful elixir is at-hand. Blending together the prodigious talents and collective firepower of long-time friends and bandmates, Paul Chastain and John Richardson, Ours […]
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Anna Mieke at The Monarch Tavern in Toronto, Ontario CanadaNovember 8, 2023 Brooklyn-based Adelyn Strei is both talented and fearless as the opener. Mounting the stage with electric guitar, flute, clarinet and a sea of pedals, she literally manufactured music before our eyes. From her clear, angelic voice, she leaned forward, building loops from a […]
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Robinson & Rohe – Into The Night (Righteous Babe Records) What you have here is the product of two hardcore music fanatics – life partners, madly in love and each phenomenally talented, musically, in highly complementary ways. Thank goodness they found each other! If they did nothing else ever again, they could sit back and relax on […]
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The Burnt Pines – Don’t Look Down (Adraela Records) The pressure to deliver a second release as impactful as the first surely looms large for any artist. Not only did The Burnt Pines’ self-titled debut land them critical success, it also became a textbook case of beating the odds in the face of adversity, given the severe […]
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Denis Parker — Double Album: The Dance Card / Solo Kite (Independent) You might first be taken aback by anyone releasing a double album in these fractured times. However, after sitting down to listen to one of the best folk-blues releases in a long time, one can only conclude that each record’s approach belongs under […]
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Jimmy Goodrich — The Last Bastard (self-released) If you knew nothing at all about Jimmy Goodrich, you’d learn as much as you’d need to with a simple spin of his new release, The Last Bastard. You wouldn’t necessarily know that, after 20 years of applying himself to the craft of song-writing and mastering most of the instruments […]
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