On the Record
The famous title track scared the shit of me as a kid, still alarms me, and was, of course, meant that way. The “aqualung,” I’ve finally decided, signifies the title wino’s capacity to live under …
If anyone were to give credit for making it “cool” to play banjo again, that credit would be due to Mumford & Sons. Since appearing on the Grammys in 2011 with Bob Dylan, the quartet …
The pop tendencies of 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion have been put on the back burner for AnCo's latest release. It's not a bad thing, but c'mon, a little pop can never hurt. What does hurt …
“It’s very short, as I recall,” said the resident jazz expert in my life, about McCoy Tyner’s piano solo in this half-hour spiritual yearning — recorded in 1965 but not released until 1968, a year …
Ukulele-based covers might seem to bypass an essential element in the Replacements’ mix of yearning with bravado — Paul Westerberg and Co. were rockers, albeit of a power-pop persuasion. But Nashville-based duo Bright-Little-Field’s homespun approach …
On his 35th studio album, Tempest, there are times when Bob Dylan still has his storytelling style going strong but also moments when he sounds like a frail parody of himself. Most lyrics are commendable …
All of a sudden, there are reasons to be excited about rock music again. First on the radar for engrossing September releases is the Sheepdogs, a band that’s bringing the boogie back through their feel-good …
Matisyahu's Spark Seeker is not a reggae album. On the first offering from the artist since his break with the Hasidic faith, Matisyahu deftly weaves traditional Hebrew chants and Middle Eastern textures with the ego …
The last album by Southern California alt-rockers Redd Kross came out in 1997. Fifteen years later, we finally have a follow-up. You know music has been sliced, diced, and sub-genred to death when a straight-up …
Recorded at Austin City Limits last April, We Walk the Line effectively lobbies for posthumous 80th birthday bashes. Brandi Carlile’s opening tear through “Folsom Prison Blues” convinces us she can at least imagine shooting “a …
So, Wayne Shorter remembers how he’d step up to the mic and the rhythm section — that’s Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Tony Williams on drums — would mostly or even almost …
I’ve only heard one other Buffalo Killers record, 2011’s 3. I’m thinking this one shows a steady rise into the classic-rock stratosphere. From the first ringing chord and cymbal crash, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is …
Neil Young is one of the most prolific and eclectic music icons performing and producing music today. His latest collection is his first studio recording with the band Crazy Horse in nine years. Although the …
The second of three Guided By Voices albums arriving in 2012 is 21 songs strong in under 40 minutes. That means each track is clocking in at an average of less than two minutes. Good …
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys. To commemorate this milestone, the group is touring with all five surviving members (Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, and David Marks). They …