ALBUM REVIEW: Rev Peyton's Big Damn Originals Mingle with Resurrected and Revitalized Blues Classics
It's a lot of sound for three damn people. With a big damn voice that resonates like an amped-up street preacher pounding on a 500 pound anvil, Rev. Peyton has no trouble getting his message across by himself. But that's not the only tool in his
THE READING ROOM: Song So Wild and Blue: A Life with the Music of Joni Mitchell is Part Memoire, Part Critique
The songs of Joni Mitchell saved novelist Paul Lisicky’s life. In his loving ode to Mitchell and her music, Song So Wild and Blue: A Life with the Music of Joni Mitchell (HarperOne, February 25), the novelist declares that in these reflections he “wanted to give to others what
ALBUM REVIEW: Max Wareham's Debut Album 'DAGGOMIT!' Showcases Banjo and Bluegrass Variety
On his debut album, DAGGOMIT! Banjo player Max Wareham showcases his expertise, and highlights the masters whose work he studied.
Wareham has toured with Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band for the past two years, and Rowan’s influence is apparent throughout the project; Rowan produced the album and co-wrote three of
ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Thorn's 'Life Is Just A Vapor' Faces Hard Truths With Hope
Paul Thorn opens his new album, Life Is Just A Vapor, with a terse but timely sermon. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” the 60-year-old Tupelo, Miss., native sings over a loping, horn-accented R&B groove. Then he goes on: “If they can do it, maybe we
ALBUM REVIEW: Sunny War’s ‘Armageddon in a Summer Dress’ Keeps the Spirit of Resistance Burning
The world is an alarming, scary place right now. But if you’re looking to escape the turmoil, Sunny War is the last person to turn to. Fiery and blunt, this eloquent singer-songwriter delivers powerful broadsides intended to keep the spirit of resistance burning hot on the rousing Armageddon in
THROUGH THE LENS: A Roots Music Lovers Guide to Analog, Part 6
In what has become a yearly feature, this week's column turns its focus to the latest happenings in the wide wide world of analog, and just a bit more.
You don't have to be an audiophile to fully appreciate well-recorded music available in a variety of