The sound of American blues has progressively changed, leading to different breeds of music since the use of the electric guitar. In turn, this opened the door for rhythm & blues and subsequently rock ’n’ roll. Blues "hybrids" are numerous, from hard rock of the late ’60’s (bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin) to late ’70s […]
Music
Coverage of the music scene in Humboldt County with upcoming shows from locals and out-of-town acts, reviews, interviews and more.
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NPK’s Mission
It was five and a half years ago when I met the self-described “Humboldt independent high-energy dance-rock quintet” called NPK backstage at Reggae on the River. A lot has happened to the SoHummers since then: Members went from 20-something to 30-ish, babies were born, the band grew from a trio and recorded three full-length albums. […]
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Sunday At Devil Dirt
With Sunday at Devil Dirt, Scottish singer/songwriter Isobel Campbell, a former member of Belle & Sebastian, has released her second excellent collaboration with former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. The comparisons to late 1960s/early ’70s pop singing duets, namely Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra and Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin are obvious: sexy vocal duets that fell into the […]
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Don’t Want To Hear No Blues
It was back in the days when vinyl records were the primary means of music delivery. I mostly shopped at a store in Northtown called The Recordworks (which would eventually spawn The Works). Unconcerned with the latest hits, I always checked the cut-out bin, where remaindered treasures could often be found. At some point I […]
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thebignooneunderstandsme
Now I’m not entirely certain, but I’m pretty sure that theb igno oneun derst and sme is latin for "the big no one understands me," the title of the debut album by local lovelies thelittlestillnotbigenough (read: the little still not big enough, or, individuals that have yet to reach a height necessary to do certain […]
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Another Year Gone By
Okay, it’s New Year’s Day, which means you’ve made it through New Year’s Eve intact, and through 2008, a year of transition on many levels. Local bands formed and dissolved, venues rose and fell, life ebbed and flowed as always. "Same as it ever was," as David Byrne put it so succinctly. As has been […]
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Top Five (+5)
Massive Conspiracy Against All Life. Leviathan (Moribund Records). While the past year brought about several notable black metal releases (e.g. Krallice, Winterfyllah, Nachtmystium), Leviathan’s ability to both work within and expand genre conventions makes this a landmark effort. The album not only serves as a benchmark; it also further legitimizes a quickly expanding United States […]
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Top Five (+5)
Dawn. Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun). The saint of all albums for 2008, Dawn is humble, beautiful, insightful, simple, honest, pure and good; sort of makes me want to cry. A slow-motion journey through the emotionally exhausted heart of Phil Elverum, it holds both renditions of older tracks as well as some fresh ones […]
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Top Seven (+4)
Taking The Soul For A Walk. Dafnis Prieto Sextet (Dafnison Music). Prieto’s October RJA appearance was like Miguel Zenón’s in April: a brilliant showcase of the fresh jazz springing from Afro-Latin and Caribbean roots. The album sparkles even more with the addition of Yosvany Terry’s sax and Avishai Cohen’s trumpet. Awake. Miguel Zenón (Marsalis Music). […]
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Holidays Past
In the winter of 1985, I moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., and I worked at the now-closed Gotham Book Mart on 47th Street in mid-town Manhattan. The wooden floorboards were worn, and the shelves held books two rows deep. It was one of the oldest bookstores in New York, at the time, and it had held […]
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Top Five (+5)
A Virtual Landslide. Peter Molinari (Damaged Goods). This UK singer/songwriter’s sophomore effort is lush, though not overblown, creating a full sound that perfectly compliments his folk, country and pop sensibilities. Analog-recorded by Liam Watson, and accompanied by Toe-Rag Studio musicians, Molinari’s uncanny and sincere delivery is brilliantly captured. This is one of this year’s recordings […]
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Top Five (+5)
Treny. Michal Jacaszek (Miasmah). First real masterwork from Polish post-classical composer Michal Jacaszek. Jacaszek’s work is clearly nestled in the digital-conscious world of 21st century modern composition (think Max Richter, Ryan Teague, Jóhann Jóhannsson, etc.) but is strange enough to avoid the overtly cinematic/soundtrack feel of much of his peers’ work (Teague, for instance, is […]