The Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci has revealed that the band are set to begin work on new material. Taking a break after an extensive world tour, The Killers have kept fans guessing. Brandon Flowers released a hugely successful solo record, while various members have embarked on solo projects. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci is amongst them. Recording a number of solo tracks, new album ‘Big Talk’ is set to be released through his own micro-label Little Oil this summer. Speaking to XFM, the drummer enthused about his own material before revealing that The Killers were preparing to get together to work on a few musical ideas. Claiming that they had “piles” of songs, the Las Vegas group are apparently near the...

Gram Parsons has been gone for over 35 years now. Yet his influence on Emmylou Harris isn’t just hinted at in her sound. No, every so often, she gathers up that internal feeling and writes another great song to honor her dear friend. See: Boulder to Birmingham. I want to make sure that people know the other side of the story. We always hear how much Gram had to do with Emmylou’s early career. I want to make sure that people realize that this wasn’t a one way street. Emmylou may have helped Gram even more. Yes, you read it right. I’m referring to the Flying Burrito Brother era of Gram’s career and even into the period where he...

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...

By Charlie Olvera, March 15, 2011 I came of age listening to rock and roll right around the same time that R.E.M. came of age in the eyes of progressive rock radio and the critical press.  R.E.M. had been a “buzz” band since the early/mid 80s, but it wasn’t until the early 1990s that Out Of Time and Automatic For The People came crashing through the gate along with a host of other “college rock” bands: The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, etc.  Back then, it was hard for R.E.M. to do any wrong.  Their collaborations with producer Scott Litt, which started on 1987’s aptly titled Document and continued through 1996’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, consistently set the bar...

By Larry Carta, March 13, 2011 One of the best parts about publishing this website is getting turned onto new bands, new albums, new music. Today I’m going to spotlight a new album by a band from Nashville, Tn. Let me introduce you to Ashley Beth, Dave Beth, Al Plourde, Russ Dean and Dan Leveillee. Collectively, they’re known as Sugar Lime Blue. Yes, I indeed did mention Nashville. However this is not a country act.  Sit back, close your eyes and think about artists like the Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Edie Brickell and even Renaissance’s Annie Haslam. Now mix them  in with R & B acts Al Green, Bill Withers, maybe some Otis etc. Ok, now you have the idea!...

  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...

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...

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...

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...

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...