Ray Davies “See My Friends”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#347 in the Series) is Ray Davies, See My Friends. The pantheon of rock’s elder statesmen for me includes Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, and Ray Davies. There are others, but these are the AARP members that when they put out a new album, I will make it a point to check out their new work. Of this group, Billy Joel has not put out anything new since 1993. That’s right folks, the “Piano Man”, has not put out an album of new material in 18 years. Elton is Elton, and Paul is Paul, that is both of them can do no wrong. They keep their respective fingers...
New Foster and Lloyd album Coming April 19th
FOSTER & LLOYD IT’S ALREADY TOMORROW Pre Order Your Autographed Copy of ‘It’s Already Tomorrow’. (FYI, You will be ordering via Foster and Lloyd’s site, not mine.) All Pre-orders will be shipped the week of April 19th. Price: $15.00 + $4.00 s&h Foster and Lloyd It’s Already Tomorrow Looking back at the history of music, you can pinpoint those times when change takes place…something new replaces the old. Music that once sounded “like this” suddenly sounds “like that.” In the 1930′s, country music was considered to be the sound of hillbilly string bands. When the music was electrified, a honky-tonk shuffle played with a drummer became the new sound. It was still country. In the mid-to...
Robert Plant “Band of Joy”
Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#294 in the Series) is Robert Plant, Band of Joy. Robert Plant? Think about this one…. How many artists from his era are still releasing strong, relevant music at this stage of their careers? Sure, we get some dynamite tours from some of them. However, for most of them, if they play their latest albums on those tours what you’ll usually find is that the restrooms are at capacity when they play them. Not Robert Plant, his work before this was the extremely popular album with Alison Krauss called Raising Sand. It only won about five Grammys! He’s reinvented himself the last decade and done it with-out going the Rod Stewart route. Band...
Gregg Allman “Low Country Blues”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#258 in the Series) is Gregg Allman, Low Country Blues. This album is being released in just a few hours. I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it. It’s the solo album many have been waiting for. A good old fashioned blues album. Gregg covers the likes of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters and Junior Wells. There is also one original song written by Warren Haynes. Low Country Blues was produced by the ‘red hot’ T-Bone Burnett. Has he ever been on a role for a few years now. If your headed out to purchase this album today, please don’t forget your ‘Ma + Pa’ record stores!! I...
Justin Townes Earle “Harlem River Blues”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#250 in the Series) is Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blues. (Bloodshot Records) I’ll be the first to admit. I ‘think’ I had heard of Justin Townes Earle. But I’m not sure. He’s an Americana musician and that pretty much is my favorite genre for years now. Somehow, Justin slid through the cracks. This week changed that. I was watching a few ’DVRed’episodes of David Letterman last night. (I can’t believe he didn’t have ‘Mike Singletary’ on to discuss his firing.) On Tuesday this week, Justin was the musical guest. To say the least I could not have liked his performance more! He was outstanding. I then was able to see that his...
The Steepwater Band ‘Live at the Double Door”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#248 in the Series, and #14, in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is The Steepwater Band, Live at the Double Door. I used to have a gig trying to book gigs for bands years ago. You’d assemble a promo kit and try to get your name in front of agents and club owners etc. One of the questions they’d always ask, and quickly too, was ‘How many members in band, son? Not, ‘Are they any good? Or ‘Where else have you played?’ No it was ‘How many members?!’ If you answered by describing you were representing a three piece…we’ll, you were not very welcomed in the south, southwest suburbs of Chicago and even...
My Morning Jacket “Circuital”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#573 in the Series) is My Morning Jacket, Circuital A Review of Circuital ….With a Slight History and Very Public Secret Crush Thrown in. When I first heard of My Morning Jacket, their genre was described as “Southern Rock”, which instantly made me turn my head and say bleh. Then, shortly thereafter, WXRT in Chicago played a song from their 2001 Release, At Dawn. (Bermuda Highway). I remember being in the car, pausing, thinking, then saying to myself. “Who the hell was that?” You see, that was long before I could look anything up in the car, , and I certainly didn’t have the internet at my fingertips, otherwise known as the Pre-...
