Dwight Twilley writes perfect power pop songs with hints of the Beatles and other ’60s rock bands. He also has a knack for writing lyrical hooks – try to sing his ’70s hit “I’m On Fire” then get it out of your head… Here, he casts more hooks on songs like the hard-driving power-chord rocker [...]
Iranian-born Mehran has mastered flamenco guitar and here uses his skills on a concept album about events in his home country. The music is a mix of jazz, new age, and Iranian. The songs include dazzling solos and a mix of instruments, along with ambient sounds, snippets of speech from Winston Churchill and crowds of [...]
Mojo Monkeys is guitarist Billy Watts, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer David Raven. All three sing, and Blessings & Curses shows them mining a swampy rock feel that sometimes crosses into country. The lyrics can be funny and/or poignant, but they’re always interesting, as is the playing. Watts’ guitar usually forms the bed, as on [...]
The past few Pete Levin albums have featured his fine organ playing, great songs, and lots of room for whatever guitarist was working with him. Jump! is no different, with Dave Stryker on guitar. Put the two with drummer Lenny White and you’ve got the mix for a highly entertaining record. Stryker proves a valuable [...]
It’s been five years since Guthrie and Irion’s Exploration album showcased their knack for navigating country, pop, folk, and rock – and their ability to write engaging songs with gorgeous sounds. The duo’s talent is obvious from the opening cut, “Ahead of Myself,” which delivers via a spooky, haunting feel with slightly reverbed guitar and [...]
Though its song titles imply this is “surf music,” James Patrick Regan and the Deadlies boast plenty of other inf luences. Yes, there’s plenty of reverb-drenched guitar from Regan, and bassist Bob St. Laurent and drummer Jim Lang can ride a wave with the best of them, but “Mayhem at Pillar Point” is a straightahead [...]
Eric Gales has been cutting blues-rock records for 20 years, and here, he’s playing as well as ever. Lyrically, Transformation appears to address his effort at staying on the straight and narrow. But, like his other records, it’s the fretboard work that will keep listeners rooted. Gales plays left-handed and upsidedown (with the low E [...]
Put two great guitar players like Bo Ramsey and Richard Bennett together with one of the best songwriters to appear in the past decade, and there’s a chance you’ll get a great record. That’s exactly what happened with Mercury. Ramsey, who co-produced with Brown, fills the songs with subtle, trebly sounds that add texture to [...]
The knock against Acoustic Alchemy has always been that it’s background music, but the band has always created music that’s atmospheric in the best sense of the word. Granted, it’s not for guitarists who are looking for a chop fest. Greg Carmichael on nylon-string acoustic and Miles Gilderdale on steel-string acoustic and electric guitar play [...]
While Benson is a fine soul singer, some have been frustrated that his guitar has often taken a back seat on records full of vocals. There are a couple of vocals here, but for the most part it’s Benson playing, including a few occasions of him flying solo, providing melody and harmony with no accompaniment. [...]
