If the album subtitle—“Can’t Give it Away”—is modest, the starring cast is anything but. With backing by local staples sax man Eric Traub, guitarist Cranston Clemens and Jim Markway on bass, and with keyboardist and singer Marc Adams in the director’s chair, Grooves for Sale promises some heat. It doesn’t waste any time delivering. [...]
They bill themselves as a combination of reggae, funk, hip-hop and progressive rock, and on their self-titled, debut release, Slang Angus attempts to carve out a niche for this brave mix. In reality, Slang Angus is a rap album. The verses dominate every song, often to the point that choruses and instrumental breakdowns seem like [...]
In the two years since Katrina, hip-hop/world music quartet E.O.E. has endured much, including a reorganization, a rechristening and a long exile from New Orleans. Now the band formerly known as Atman Roots is coming home, and celebrating its return with a suite of shows in the city. “The hurricane hit right as we were [...]
While lively crowds tend to be the rule at Tipitina’s, the one that gathered on May 27 was significant. A benefit concert titled “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home” boasted an impressive list of headliners, including the Indigo Girls, Damien Kulash from pop-rock band OK Go, Matt Nathanson, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Al “Carnival Time” [...]
Combine a traditional New Orleans jazz repertoire with an aesthetic a la Art Blakey and you get Soft Shoe, Leroy Jones’ latest effort as a bandleader. If the album is missing Blakey’s legendary energy, it is still both exuberant and clever. For the most part, the songs chosen are nothing out of the ordinary—standards such [...]
Dear Miles exhibits all of the artistry and polish one would expect from jazz icon Ron Carter, yet it remains a puzzling album. Ostensibly a tribute to the bassist’s former bandleader, it’s a curious homage with precisely one Miles Davis composition on the entire record. The rest are tunes “associated” with Miles, including a number [...]
Often, what translates well at a live show fails to do so on a record. The new album by New Orleans blues rock trio I Tell You What is an example of this unhappy but all-too-common predicament. Though many of guitarist/vocalist Adam Crochet’s songs are catchy and nuanced in a shuffling southern rock way, the [...]
L’il Queenie and the Percolators were one of New Orleans’ premier acts in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Now, after a 25-year hiatus, they’re giving an encore performance. The event, dubbed “Jimmy’s Music Club Reunion Concert starring L’il Queenie and the Percolators”, will take place at Southport Hall on Sunday, April 29. The Percolators [...]
The album name is fitting as Tishamingo’s third release is aggressive, straight-forward Southern rock, foregoing the stylistic diversions and musical vignettes that marked their previous records. This is a shame. There is something unsatisfying about The Point, despite the fine musicianship and songwriting. While the songs are energetic and appealing, it seems as though anything [...]
This here’s a tale of two country albums. Gill Landry’s new record is a walk on the wild side, while the Bourbon Cowboys offer a more mainstream, rocking country show. Don’t expect too much frontier spirit from A Taste For Whiskey, but do expect a foot-stomping show. It’s a lively, fun album that possesses spunk [...]
