Phantom Blues Band – Blues For Breakfast This 12-song album’s proceeds will be donated to musician Mike Finnigan’s School of Music at the Stiefel Theater in Salina, Kansas. Mike, a studio musician & member of the Phantom Blues Band (often backed Taj Mahal among other artists) passed away in 2021. Dedicated to Mike it features […]
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The Bacon Brothers – Erato – EP Though they consider this their 11th release it’s an extended play (5-tracks). Not a full album of originals but nonetheless actor Kevin Bacon (“Tremors,” “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”) always makes time to team up wonderfully with his Emmy-winning composer brother Michael to continue their quarter-century musical partnership to play, […]
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Grooves & Cuts: June 2022 – By John Apice GROOVES & CUTS – Traditional Folk – Re-interpretation or Plagiarism I read a debate online about the origins of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” by The Tokens. That the song was stolen. How can it be stolen if it’s been indeed known to have originated in Africa […]
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Certainly So – Dreams of Green This 9-song collection’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but Certainly So do succeed in adding enough of their own whimsicality & musical finesse to make the project interesting. The vocals are on a low flame but harmonies are bright with their merged identities. Melodies are memorable & simple, with […]
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Peter Rowan – Calling You From My Mountain This new 13-cut set by Grammy-Award winner & Boston native Peter Rowan (guitar/vocal) born on the 4th of July — is pristinely recorded vocally & musically. Despite the genre’s antique oeuvre, it’s loaded with modern charm. The bluegrass is fresh sounding, energetic & fueled with a tradition […]
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Alpha Cat – Venus Smile – EP I’m familiar with this compelling artist that drives this band & teeters on the edge of being a more folky-roots-oriented Patti Smith. While Elizabeth McCullough isn’t as intense, punky, or Beat Generation-tinted as dear Patti she has that carefree punk devil-may-care tonality in her vocal that’s captivating. She […]
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Kaurna Cronin – Harsh Beauty A creative 11-cut collection of primarily folk-pop-rock confections with some basis in Americana music as opposed to traditional roots music. But what Australian singer Kaurna Cronin has done is crafted a set of tunes that are more easily accessible to ears not finely tuned to the more traditional route. His […]
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Lydia Luce – Garden Songs – 5 Song EP A delicate plea for the planet’s future. I can support that but in reality, I’ve lived long enough to know this inherent fear was prevalent in the early 1970s with the ozone layer being compromised. None of those predictions ever came true because if they did […]
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Lindsay Clark – Carpe Noctem A bit surreal, and ethereal, but the lovely-voiced Lindsay Clark decorates her work with soothing melodies with light as a feather performance. Fortunately, unlike many, Ms. Clark has melody, creative lyrics & appealing vocals that are enchanting. But many songs stay in just one gear. Her newest 11-cut Carpe Noctem […]
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Linda Hoover – I Mean To Shine A bit vintage but with charm. This 11-cut comes from another era, 1970. An unissued LP — released for the first time in 2022. 52 years on the shelf — shameful. Lots of expertise was involved in this production. Gary Katz (Steppenwolf, Joe Cocker, Steely Dan) produced with […]
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