John McCutcheon – Field of Stars. John’s PR states that at age 72 he should be retired. Did anyone tell Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, or Neil Young? No. This collection finds Mr. McCutcheon in a good voice. His repertoire is age-appropriate. This album features a regional singer-songwriter who should […]
Jeffrey Foucault – Universal Fire Jeffrey Foucault released a new album recently that’s just exceptional: Universal Fire. This album is dedicated to the memory of Billy Conway (1956 – 2021). Billy was Jeffrey’s drummer and a career musician who worked with folks like Morphine and Treat Her Right, and was a bright light in music […]
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Tip Jar – Road of No Return This is the 7th Tip Jar studio LP. Some songs were recorded in the Netherlands & others were captured faithfully in Austin, TX. You heard right. What a contrast. But listen to the music. It’s about as true Americana as one can get. The opener is so homegrown […]
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Sam Graber Band – Love & Fury This Minneapolis unit starts its new year with an imaginative, subtle first album. It begins with the ambient-guitar-led “Higher,” driven by delicate yet aggressive drums and a delicious melody line. There’s a soulfulness to their pop showcase, and the songwriter Sam Graber’s vocals are authoritative, which is nice. […]
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Ethan Samuel Brown – Small Actors This project starts off with excellent production clarity on the opening poetic tune “Rothko” which finds Brown with a good vocal style. The vintage-styled lead guitar strikes are tastefully similar to the 1979 Rocky Burnette hit “Tired of Toein’ the Line” – a nice touch here that’s seldom heard. […]
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Diane Coll – Up From the Mud This music opens with a heavy-laden progressive bravado with thick bass & drums woven through sparkling ethereal electronics. Yet, with all its Kate Bush underpinnings, Hawkwind spaciousness & wonderfully melodic tunes that follow – it’s a surprising set of intriguing, wonderfully crafted songs. The heaviness is the introduction, […]
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Brian Grilli – Great Big Sky On his new, third album, Great Big Sky, Brian offers songs that range from a Southern rock vibe through lighter heartland rock style fare, all with electric rock balladry and powerful extroverted delivery of emotional expression. The dominant theme here is affairs of the heart – oftentimes they’re ending […]
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Jennifer Marie – Do It All Again EP Well, well, well, finally a vocalist without a whiny high-pitched delivery. Minneapolis’ Jennifer Marie possesses a pleasantly warm youthful voice with excellent backup vocalists that blend seamlessly with hers & reinforce her lyrics. “Take Me Back,” while a fairly basic title for a song does navigate the […]
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Music Reviews: The Pioneering Mills Brothers, plus Moby Grape’s Bob Mosley and Veteran Folkie John McCutcheon You’re not likely to find a Mills Brothers entry in any rock encyclopedia, and it’s a good bet that their name would ring no bells with most music fans today. Nevertheless, this pop and jazz vocal quartet ranks among […]
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Ben Torbett – Bluer Side Ben Torbett has a brand new country album Bluer Side with heartaches, steel guitars and some painful lyrics and self-awareness sung and played by Ben on acoustic guitar. There’s oodles of melodious playing by Mark Spencer (Son Volt) and a crack rhythm section that has played with Bruce Springsteen and […]
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