Category Archives: Album Reviews

Pierce Edens and the Dirty Work – Live

Combine the ache of Hank Williams Sr. with the fire of Hank III, hammer it together with Joe Strummer’s conviction, and send it a’flyin’ with Tom Waits’ gutter-gospel preacher delivery: now you have a little bit of an idea of what Pierce Edens sounds like when he’s burrowed into a song and, in his words, […]

Delta Moon – Life’s A Song & Turn Around When Possible (Live: Volumes 1 & 2)

One of the many – many – cool things about Delta Moon is their ability to turn any ol’ place they so choose into a funky-assed ribs ‘n’ whiskey juke joint with a 1 AM vibe (never ominous; just cool and horny). It doesn’t matter what the address is – the south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line locales visited for […]

Neil Young – Live At The Cellar Door

If nothing else, Neil Young’s latest archival release, Live At The Cellar Door, serves to remind us that the Neil we know now is the Neil that existed then: capable of doling out tunes that easily settle into your DNA and become part of your being; a near mono-syllabic speaker at times – who can […]

The Dexateens – Sunsphere

The thing about the Dexateens (the blessing and the curse, in its way) is they have never tried to be anything except themselves. Given the Alabama-based band’s tried-and-proven abilities to rock like the sun is never going to rise again and then turn around and play it all raggedy-assed sweet like a Ronnie Lane Valentine, […]

New York Dolls – French Kiss ’74 & Actress: Birth Of The New York Dolls (Box Set)

Here’s a double-disc box that might be just the thing to tuck into the fishnet Christmas stocking of the New York Dolls fan in your life. French Kiss ‘74 & Actress: Birth Of The New York Dolls offer up two important chapters of the band’s history – one early on; the other from what may […]

Calvin Keys – Electric Keys & Wide Hive Players – Turnstyle

Cool Bay Area indie label Wide Hive Records has cranked out over 30 albums since their formation in 1998, focused mainly on jazz and funk. For label founder/owner/producer/engineer/ and musician Gregory Howe (heck, he even shot the photos used for the covers of the albums we’re about to discuss), this has to represent some serious […]

Wooden Shjips – Back To Land

You can’t judge a book by its cover and all that, but – come on: one look at the jacket for Wooden Shjips’ new Back To Land album and you just know the lads have applied some psychedelicized lightness to their already mind-bending sound. Wild-ass shapes and colors peek out through a black-and-white Swiss-cheesed sleeve, […]

The Bottle Rockets – The Bottle Rockets & The Brooklyn Side – Deluxe Reissue

Twenty years? Twenty years? Yeah, twenty years. The Bottle Rockets have been doling out the crunchy twang; the twangy crunch; the tug-at-your-heart, kick-you-in-the-ass, and make-you-think sorta lyrics (the kind that undermined their best efforts to make you think they’re just a bunch of simple good ol’ boys) for twenty years now, believe it or not. […]

Goose Creek Symphony – Live In Canada ’72 & ’74

There’s a moment during the version of “Talk About Goose Creek” on Live In Canada ’72 & ’74 when Goose Creek Symphony’s lead vocalist/acoustic guitarist Charlie Gearheart sings: “Drumsticks flyin’, the guitars ringin’/ Boys, we sure like pickin’ and singin’/ We don’t need a whole lotta help/ We can freak out by ourselves” – and […]

Greg “Stackhouse” Prevost – Mississippi Murderer

Seems to me that someone has been down to Rosedale with his rider by his side. Uh-huh. Bigtime. I’m here to tell you that since the Chesterfield Kings’ breakup after 2009’s Live Onstage … If You Want It frontman Greg Prevost has stood at the crossroads at midnight and shook Old Scratch’s hand – or […]