The Turtles – The White Whale Albums When I was a young buyer of 45’s I thought The Turtles were great. Melodic, witty, uniquely harmonic, & clever. This wasn’t just any pop band. I was a big flipside explorer of 45’s. That’s where I discovered weird innovative songs like “Rugs of Woods & Flowers,” “Buzz […]
TJ George – Fragmented Soul: Vol. 2 Columbus, Ohio’s TJ George (keys/vocals) offers a unique blend of soul, folk, pop, R&B that he calls his “melodic groove.” On his 4th effort & follow-up to Vol. 1 is the 6-song EP Fragmented Soul: Vol. 2 (drops June 26 – Independent). Track 1 comes galloping in with […]
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Write By The Sea – Vol. 2 – Compilation Musicians gather at a house in St. George Island, Florida to write, record & produce songs for charity – this time — brain cancer research. It’s the 2nd volume from this non-profit to raise money for charitable causes. The 11-cut compilation Write By The Sea (Hubbub! […]
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This is not a new John Hartford record. It’s a collection of unrecorded Hartford fiddle tunes found in his archive after his passing (1937-2001). Amassed from 68 journals, composed during his last 18 years & newly recorded by his proteges: many of today’s stellar acoustic musicians. The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project – Vol. 1 (drops […]
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Will Hoge – Tiny Little Movies Nashville’s Grammy-nominated Will Hoge has a nice gruff, yet articulate voice filled with authenticity. He provides a rich rootsy, southern soul showcase. If Tom Petty sang with a more sand-papery vocal this would be his domain. Hoge is in that club with Otis Taylor, Jon Dee Graham, & Buddy […]
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Andy Baker – North Country Sky A little late coming but anyone who likes Steve Earle will appreciate this young Michigan troubadour Andy Baker. His 12-cut North Country Sky (dropped June 10th – Independent) manages to tap into a Steve Earle vocal style but not consistently. “Second Wind,” is accordion heavy& delightfully sunny & melodic. […]
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This 7-cut EP features “Better Angels,” a melodic tune that slides into the nifty-blues style of “Shock Time,” that exemplifies Northern Virginia’s Lauren Calve’s glorious vocal diversity — attractive in both gears. Wildfire – (drops June 23 – Independent) is interesting since Lauren has a distinctively raw voice when she needs it & a beautiful […]
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Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks – Orange Crate Art – 25th Anniversary 2-CD Reissue With the release of Brian Wilson’s 1st solo LP Orange Crate Art, in 1995 with Mississippi-born Van Dyke Parks it was instantly noticeable the “voice” of The Beach Boys was Brian Wilson. I listened to solo work by Carl Wilson, […]
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Julian Taylor – The Ridge Opening with a strong title track Canadian Julian Taylor (vocals/guitar/piano) solidly asserts himself on his 8-track LP The Ridge, (Drops June 19 – Howling Turtle). Possessed with salient musical strength the tunes are quite admirable & memorable. “The Ridge,” is the intro that provides a sleek musical entrance. Julian’s warm […]
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Jenny Reynolds – Any Kind of Angel Boston born Jenny Reynolds applies a finger-style guitar to her accessible tunes with convincing vocals. Sleek as the best old-school country female singers with silky voices & a touch of alt-folk early Sheryl Crow. She sculpts interesting tales/stories from her lyrics. No showboating, no extraordinary solos, just solidly […]
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