Author: John Apice

Eddie Berman – Broken English Not exactly upbeat tunes, this collection leans heavily in a melodically intense melancholy swamp of the senses.   I like Berman’s choice of words in many of his songs. He stretches the boundary & he succeeds. Very few cliches. His songs are tasty side orders to John Prine, Townes van Zandt […]

Julie Christensen – 11 From Kevin: Songs of Kevin Gordon With a distinctive style cultivated in the same musical soil as Bonnie Bramlett, her daughter Bekka, Christine Collister & Little Feat female vocalist Shaun Murphy — Julie Christensen is gifted with a similar smoky stylistic vocal tone. Whiskey smooth with ¼ soul, ¼ chanteuse, ¼ […]

Bob Wolfman – Tribute to a Friend While some can interpret & mimic the music of a renowned musician, others will see an opportunistic grab by a musician interested in emulating a hero, reproducing what has been done before, & skating away on the thin ice of nostalgia. Not so much here, however. While others […]

Eric Brace & Last Train Home – Everything Will Be With its origins in Washington, DC (1997) this alt-country-roots band has taken on varied musical shapes since its inception. It has slowly developed into an exceptional unit that dips its big toe into varied genres with expressive results. Roots, Tin Pan Alley, swing, bluegrass, folk, […]

Terry Family – Hometown Tragedies Based in Napa Valley CA the Terry Family has composed 12-cuts of reality-based songs that deal with families, community, & tragedies without being heavy-handed. Hometown Tragedies (Original drop Dec 4–Elsewhere Jan 11-Independent) features Jim Terry (acoustic guitar/vocals), Clark Z. Terry (mandolin/bouzouki/vocals), Graham Terry (acoustic-electric guitars/violin/vocals), & Rob Wright (bass). At […]

Philip Ancher – Hoist Every Sail Coming from Denmark the music carefully sewn into each tune here would find a comfortable place both in the mountains of Virginia or the countryside of England. Right out of the starting gate Philip Ancher’s “Happy Birthday, Baby,” suggest a singer who smiles as he sings. This is not […]

Eric Clapton – The Lady In the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions I’m thrilled when a veteran cosmic rocker issues a new album. They should be spending time with their grandchildren, but while some are clearly out of gas musically some seem to never be without creative potency. They consistently deliver exceptional music. OK, it’s not new […]