Monthly Archives: May 2009

On their first major label release, the band formerly known as Disneyland After Dark (changed after a threatened lawsuit by the Disney Co.) was poised for a breakthrough in the U.S. with backing from Warner Brothers, and video in heavy rotation on MTV, and a melodic approach to metal that featured big guitars and no [...]

One iconic artifact of the late-’70s rock scene was the ubiquitous “double live album,” a marketing ploy usually timed for the Christmas rush, but one that also yielded much good music. Following the platinum successes of such hits as “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” prog icons Kansas followed the vinyl formula, [...]

His resume includes names like Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, but John 5 is not your typical shock-metal guitarist. In fact, much of his new DVD shows him running down country licks… in full goth-god makeup and regalia. But there’s no arguing his mastery of banjo rolls, behind-the-nut bends, pedal-steel bends, and chicken pickin’. Included [...]

A lot can transpire with Pat Metheny in 10 years, but it’s nice to be able to look back at this 1998 concert, filmed with multiple cameras and excellent sound at the gorgeous Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California. Though the bulk of the material comes from the Metheny Group’s ’97 album, Imaginary Day, the band [...]

Sonny Landreth records are typically gems, and this one is no exception. This time out, he has written songs for folks he admires, then invited them to play them with him; Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Vince Gill, Dr. John, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler, and Jimmy Buffett all contribute. The results are interesting, and at the [...]

When a founding member of a band departs, the other members face a difficult choice. Do they find someone who merely “fits in,” or do they add personnel who might change the ensemble’s fundamental sound? When cello virtuoso Rashad Eggleston left after five years, Crooked Still founding members Aoife O’Donovan, Greg Liszt, and Corey DiMario [...]

The justifiably nicknamed “Master Of The Telecaster” was one of the great blues guitarists of all time. By the time of his death in 1994, at age 61, he had exerted a major influence on players such as Jimi Hendrix, Robben Ford, Savoy Brown’s Kim Simmonds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Grissom, and Robert Cray. And [...]

While a generation may remember James Brown as a soul star who fell on hard times, or as a man whose death has led to a tabloid-ready story of a fight for his estate, this three-disc set brings back the man who was a legend not only for his talent, but for his work in [...]

From the kick-off of the opening song, “Feeling Blue,” the Grascals demonstrate that traditional bluegrass doesn’t have to sound old-fashioned. Even on moderate-tempo songs they maintain a driving rhythm that would make any hard-rocker envious. Their spot-on three-part harmonies have a sufficiently gruff edge to keep them from being too mainstream-country slick. The band treads [...]

In some circles, Tom Verlaine is a legendary musician. As a member of Television in the late ’70s, he and Richard Lloyd cut a swath of influence far and wide. Collector’s Choice is now releasing his two solo records that followed the breakup of that band. While 1982′s Words From the Front is a strong [...]