Craig
Elkins of
Huffamoose steps
out on his own with a brand spankin' new album guaranteed to get
people talking (and listening). Elkins takes stream of
consciousness to an extreme but makes it work. The result is one
of those albums people buried in their music will take to heart.
When I first heard it, it was like being blindsided, but its
genius slowly cut its way through the fog. I
suggest you follow this link to find out why.....
CARROUSEL 27 rue de mi'chelle
They
call what they do “dream folk” and when you hear the,
you will know why. Joel Piedt spent
a handful of years working towards this album, the result of a
love lost and a different path. The music is floating and
beautiful, the musicianship superb and the resulting album a
triumph. If you like your music on the ethereal plane, you need
to hear this. Perfect for late-at-night listening when
distractions are at a minimum. Read
more.....
SAGE RUN Sage Run
When
David Stace-James decided
to make the step from solo piano to a full-blown band project, he
had little idea what he was doing. He worked his way through the
music and the problems bit by bit until he had an album he could
live with, not really knowing if it was good or not. It didn't
take him long to find out. Everyone he played it for told him to
put it out as it was, and he did. It is orchestral and majestic
and beautiful and floating and much more. Now, if he can only
find time to promote it like it deserves. Read
the review here.....
SUNDAY LANE From Where You Are
Not
only does Sunday Lane have
this captivating little girl voice, she writes songs as pretty as
her voice. There may be thousands of talented young
singer/songwriters out there, but few put it together as well.
Her songs have been featured on a handful of TV shows including
Army Wives and
One Tree Hill for
a reason. They have an emotional depth conducive to emotional
moments. This
album is full of them.
WINTERPILLS Lovely
Goners
Just
when I thought there would be no other Tuxedo of Ashes,
Winterpills
crank
out another folk/psych beauty. All My Lovely
Goners takes
the base of Tuxedo and
stretches it further, entering the dimension of psych and sound
into which all too few venture. This is more than music for the
beauty of it. This is music for the adventure of it and the band
has kept it within reach for all but the most basic of listeners
(i.e., those who cannot reach beyond The Beatles or Katy Perry).
Those who actually read what I write probably think I am always
pushing artists. I am. But I'm pushing these guys harder than
others. This is way beyond good. Read
more.....
SHELLY
FRALEY Hush
(The Secrets Project)
In
this day and age of music chaos, I am having the nightmarish
sensation that the old, solid rock and romance songs are falling
by the wayside, giving way to anything and everything to catch
attention. That's why when a Shelly Fraley comes
along, I latch onto it. She is an outstanding songwriter and
performer and has put together an album which could easily have
been a smash back when rock was rock (and the sheep were scared).
If you like your music steeped in melody, harmonies and the
Fifties and Sixties, feast
your ears on this.
THOMAS
HUNTER White
China Gold
Mastering
engineer Steve Turnidge contacted
me one day through Facebook, telling me of this guy I had to
hear--- this Thomas Hunter---
and not wanting to burn bridges (who knows? I might need to have
something mastered in the future), I did just that. What I found
there was some of the most adventurous music this side of the
Pecos. Hunter goes out of his way to make his points throughout
White China Goldand
make them he does. Freakishly
good stuff.
WHAT I DO
I listen.
I write. But I do not listen to everything (no one can) nor do I
write about everything. I write about the music which speaks to
me and the artists I find worthy. I search for the hidden gems
and lost treasure. Like Ralph J. Gleason, famed columnist
for early Rolling Stone and the San Francisco
Chronicle, I have neither the time nor inclination to write
about things I do not like or understand, so you won't find
negative reviews or comments here. The reviews and articles
printed in these pages are reviews and articles I wanted to write
in order to help fans find good music and artists find new fans.
So don't read these pages expecting “fair and balanced”.
Fox is already doing that. Like hell.
STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK Wake
Up Where You Are
The
super psychsters are back and with an album you have to hear to
believe. The Strawberry Alarm Clock are
forty years past their time, but they've still got it, whether
the songs be old or new. On this album, they work their way
through the old but throw in some excellent originals and one
Seeds track. And
they do it like they are still in their teens. Read
this and then scope them out.
Impressive, indeed.....
SYDNEY WAYSER Bell
Choir Coast
A
couple of years ago (or has it been a few), I was completely
knocked out by Wayser's The Colorful album.
To the point, in fact, that I was wondering what she could
possibly do next. What she did was take things in a whole other
direction, putting together a band and making the songs and not
the gimmicks the focus. Don't get me wrong. I loved the toy
instruments and machine tools used for special effects and rhythm
on The Colorful,
but the more I hear Bell Coast Choir,
the more I think it is the right album at the right time. It
could end up being my pick for album of the year, even though the
year is young. Follow
this link.....
GOBLIN MARKET Wuthering
Psych
Jeff
Kelly and Laura
Weller are not only two
crucial parts to Green Pajamas,
they are also Goblin Market,
a group unto themselves. Kelly, of course, has done solo projects
as well as GM and pajamas and Weller has been and is a key
component of Capping Day,
as well. Together, the two have a tendency to delve into some
seldom visited waters--- mainly that of the world of The Bronte
Sisters and Joyce Carol Oates. When I first heard their new
album, I was taken aback. There was just enough Pajamas to keep
it familiar yet not enough to restrict the paths they chose to
follow. If you're looking for that really off-the-wall but
special musical project to hear, this
may just be the one you need.
DREW GIBSON The
Southern Draw
If
I didn't know better, I would have thought Gibson a denizen of
Charlottesville and not Washington, DC. He fits right in with the
many singers and songwriters who call C-ville home, and trust me,
there are many. On this
album, he in fact heads to C-ville for sessions with longtime
friend Paul Curreri,
who produced. For four long years, they hammered out The
Southern Draw,
an album which showcases not only Gibson's songwriting acumen but
his instrumental prowess. There is a slight hint of Josh
Ritter in
some of his songs, a bit of Curreri in others. In fact, he
(without realizing it, I am sure) channels some of the best
singer/songwriters working the circuit today. The music is not
derivative, my friends, it just brushes up against some fine
musical moments and creates moments of its own. Read
about it here.....
GREEN
MONKEY Still
Doin' That Basement
Crawl
Green
Monkey's
Tom Dyer announces this month's streaming album as The OF, a
present day offshoot (if they can be called) of The
Queen Annes.
The music is adventurous, to say the least, and the experience
worth it. Whatever you do, don't blame John Cage or Zappa.Click
on the link to stop by for a listen to some excellent PNW rock
and remember to check with Green
Monkeyevery
month for something worth hearing and maybe even worth buying...
The
story of Steve Young had
to be written and it looked like it wasn't, so here it is, as
complete a history of Young's travels and travails through the
music business, mostly in his own words. This exceptional
musician has fought and scrapped his way through over four
decades, guitar in hand and music in heart. While lesser talents
went on to fame and fortune, Young bounced from town to town and
sometimes barstool to barstool only to find himself tossed aside
by a music industry intent upon its own destruction. If you want
to know what it was like trying to break through in 1960's Los
Angeles or 1970's Nashville, Young pulls no punches. And he's
still plugging away. Read
this, and if
he's ever playing within driving distance, hop in the car and
treat yourself to something very special.....
NICK HOLMES Not
Just Sunshine
I'm
old. I don't feel old, I just am, but when I find an old album I
have searched for over the years, I feel like a kid at Christnas,
and when I find an artist I
have supported over the years and get a chance to talk, it is way
beyond that. Not long ago, I found Nick
Holmes through
a now mutual friend, Brian
Cullman,
and got him to explain where he has been since the release of the
only solo album of which I was aware, Soulful
Crooner,
in 1973. Not only was it a fascinating story, I found that he had
albums released of which I was unaware--- solid albums, really
good albums. Albums which I would qualify as genuine Nick
Holmes,
which to me equals great. You want to read about The
Brecker Brothers?
Tony Levin?
Donald
McDonald?
Hugh McCracken?
A whole string of incredible New York players who would become
famous on the jazz scene shortly after Soulful
Crooner was
released? Here's your chance. I give you Nick
Holmes,
pretty much in his own words. Read
this.
As always, it isn't about the writing but about the music.
TOM MANK & SERA
SMOLEN
Mank
& Smolen are
as rootsy as you can get. Mank has this sensitivity toward
acoustic folk and blues which reminds me of the Golden Era of
Modern Folk (think Tom
Rush or
Dave Van Ronk)
and Smolen smooths the edges with some of the classiest cello
around. It shouldn't take you long to get what they're doing when
you hear them, but you
might just want to read this first.
It has been a long trip for them, and the journey has just begun.
LINDSAY
CLARK Home
of the Brave
She's
not exactly a folkie, but she is. She strays from the standards
on occasion, toying with a cappella and hymn-like music
structures and she works best in the framework of a band, of
sorts--- assuming that strings and voices a band can make. She is
working on putting a new album together as I type, to be recorded
at her house which evidently has a very high ceiling. She knows
melody and harmony and utilizes them well. She is Portland,
Oregon's Lindsay Clark---
someone who, if you prefer the Americana side of music, you need
to meet. Lindsay, the people. People, Lindsay.....
Craig
Elkins 
They
call what they do “dream folk” and when you hear the,
you will know why. Joel Piedt 
When
David Stace-James 
Not
only does Sunday Lane 
Just
when I thought there would be no other Tuxedo of Ashes
In
this day and age of music chaos, I am having the nightmarish
sensation that the old, solid rock and romance songs are falling
by the wayside, giving way to anything and everything to catch
attention. That's why when a Shelly Fraley 
Mastering
engineer Steve Turnidge 
The
super psychsters are back and with an album you have to hear to
believe. The Strawberry Alarm Clock 
A
couple of years ago (or has it been a few), I was completely
knocked out by Wayser's The Colorful 
Jeff
Kelly 
If
I didn't know better, I would have thought Gibson a denizen of
Charlottesville and not Washington, DC. He fits right in with the
many singers and songwriters who call C-ville home, and trust me,
there are many
The
story of Steve Young 
I'm
old. I don't feel old, I just am, but when I find an old album I
have searched for over the years, I feel like a kid at Christnas,
and when I find an artist 
She's
not exactly a folkie, but she is. She strays from the standards
on occasion, toying with a cappella and hymn-like music
structures and she works best in the framework of a band, of
sorts--- assuming that strings and voices a band can make. She is
working on putting a new album together as I type, to be recorded
at her house which evidently has a very high ceiling. She knows
melody and harmony and utilizes them well. She is Portland,
Oregon's Lindsay Clark