I think it’s safe to say that Flock will be one of my ten favorite records of the year and Sunset Dreams expands on that vibe. 

2001: A Space Odyssey, Norman Greenbaum’s ‘Spirit In the Sky’, and Ray Bradbury’s tale of a rocket man collide with actor’s real life space experience

Kacey Musgraves crosses from country to pop star, according to The Grammy Awards committees. Maybe it’s time to leave genres to the historians. The marketplace has already moved on without them.

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.