Music In Review

In 2010 a then 21-year-old James Blake released a series of three EPs in the fringes of the dubstep/wonky scene, dicing modern R&B samples, piano and his own voice into tiny rhythmic shards and sprinkling them around UK bass music’s decaying exoskeleton. With each EP his approach grew more abstract and by the last, Klavierwerk, […]

It’s no coincidence that garage rock’s quiet renaissance man, Greg Cartwright, was reared in Memphis, a mythic geographical location where Delta blues, R&B, soul, pop, rockabilly and country collide. It’s evident that a young Cartwright, initially inspired by a small burgeoning early ‘80s Memphis music scene led by Tav Falco & The Panther Burns, soaked […]

Alongside Patti Smith, Marianne Faithfull has established herself as one of rock’s grand matriarchs. Over a career spanning four decades, Faithfull has experienced a number of defining phases, beginning in 1969 with her version of “As Tears Go By.” She reinvented herself in 1980 with Broken English, followed by the emergence as a latter-day chanteuse, […]

Recently inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the pioneering female rockabilly star Wanda Jackson deserves better. Teaming up with White Stripes leader Jack White, one might think that White, as a producer, would take a more reverent route, as he did with Loretta Lynn on her fine comeback record, Van Lear Rose […]

Steeped in praise from the British music press, including Mojo Magazine‘s “The Ones to Watch 2011” list, in addition to attracting high-profile admirers such as Nick Cave and Brian Eno (the latter served as an early mentor and supporter), the 28-year-old UK singer/songwriter Anna Calvi has found herself weighed with great expectations. It is difficult […]

Let’s keep it straight. The Mountain Goats primarily consist of John Darnielle, that group’s songwriter, vocalist and guitarist. In 2001, Darnielle and singer/songwriter Franklin Bruno collaborated on a project together (Martial Arts Weekend), under the name of The Extra Glenns, sharing songwriting and instrumental duties. Since then Bruno has been a consistent and key musical […]

Deerhoof  thrives on unorthodox. The SF Bay Area-based band has developed a distinct form of deconstructionist rock, juggling elements of ‘70s prog, experimental jazz, Captain Beefheart, international music and bubblegum pop. At their best, Deerhoof has proved to be a band that can be chaotic, explosive, unpredictable and fun. Their 12th full-length release (not counting […]

When LA’s Dream Syndicate first played NYC’s famous Folk City club in the early ’80s, mayhem ensued. Guitarist Karl Precoda decided to hang from an overhanging pipe during the performance, causing it to break and spilling the contents all over the club. During the proceedings, bandleader Steve Wynn seemed to sneer through the whole messy […]

Sharon Van Etten is precocious for a singer/songwriter with only an EP and one full-length (Because I Was in Love, 2009). Now Brooklyn-based, Van Etten bounced back and forth between Tennessee and New Jersey soaking up a wide array of musical influences, from Neko Case to Bobbie Gentry to Nico, and created her own distinctive […]

Psycho African Beat — The Psychedelic Aliens — Academy The complete works (just eight songs) by late-’60s band from Ghana. A perfect crossover of garage, psych rock and Afrofunk with raw fuzz-wah-wah guitar, Vox organ and vocals with loads of reverb and huge drum breaks. Heavy Days — Jeff the Brotherhood  — Infinity Cat Records […]

Deluxe — Chris Lightcap’s Bigmouth — Clean Feed. Bassist Lightcap and his band make rippling, surging, ebullient music that borrows from pop, indie, Latin, funk, gospel and African music and sounds like none of them. It just sounds great. The breakout jazz album of the year. Across the Sky — GeggieTrio + Donny McCaslin — […]

Valleys of Neptune — Jimi Hendrix — Sony Legacy A discovery of some vaulted recordings by the rock legend and guitar god, who passed far, far too soon, brought about this amazing new chapter in the Hendrix legacy, giving us a window into a world that was not near its end but at its beginning […]