They have never gotten the attention that they deserve, but Dave Alvin and The Blasters have kept their brand of American music alive and kicking.

Los Lobos are America’s Band

We Free Kings, Kirk’s Work, and Domino demonstrate Kirk’s raw jazz talent

Continue reading Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time–Not so much →

A look at his solo records reveals a couple of winners

I feel badly for Olivia Rodrigo. Here she is with Sour, one of the most incredibly successful albums of 2021 in a period when albums aren’t supposed to be such a big deal.

A description on the front page of Jon Hassell’s website describes him as a “music visionary, continuing his lifelong exploration of the possibilities of recombination and musical gene-splicing.” That is as precise as any description of the trumpet player and musical pioneer who passed away last month at the age of 84.

The Sam Peckinpah movie (that wasn’t) based on the hit song “Convoy” by an artist who was created as part of an advertising campaign

It’s a pleasure to report that the posthumous Tony Joe White release, Smoke From the Chimney is just as great as it sounded on paper. Better, even.