Music
Mary Weiss, Dangerous Game (Norton)
Mary Weiss was the lead singer of the Shangri-Las, and pairing her with garage rock classicist Greg Cartwright and the Reigning Sound seems like a match made in heaven. […]
Betting on a Benefit Album
It’s lunchtime on a Wednesday and banjo player Don Vappie is running through an arrangement of “Look at Me,” a song he recorded on 2005’s Swing Out. He’s recording the […]
Magic Cats and Happy Trees
Miss Pussycat is sharing her puppet show magic with the world, courtesy of the Internet. One-time New Orleans resident Gabe Soria asked the maraca-shaking half of Mr. Quintron and Miss […]
Various Artists, Songs form the Basement, Vol. 5 (WTUL)
There have been few if any benefits for New Orleans underground bands since Katrina, and there hasn’t been any outcry, “Don’t let our underground rock die.” That’s to some […]
Matthew Stearns, Daydream Nation (Continuum Books); Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation (Geffen/Universal)
In Daydream Nation, Matthew Stearns’ contribution to Continuum Books’ 33 1/3 series of books about classic albums, he describes Sonic Youth’s breakthrough album from 1988 as having passages that […]
Candi Staton, His Hands (Astralwerks)
After Rick Rubin’s American Recordings with Johnny Cash and Jack White’s production of Loretta Lynn on Van Leer Rose, it’s tempting to think of recordings with career artists by […]
Quintron, Jamskate (Rhinestone)
Jamskating is a cool new variation on roller skating that brings elements of breakdancing to the classic skating bounce. Considering the sound of Quintron’s organ, it was probably inevitable […]
Richard Thompson, Sweet Warrior (Shout! Factory)
Thompson has a distinctive musical voice, and the album is a solid addition to his impressive body of work on his own, with Linda Thompson and with Fairport Convention. […]
Judith Owen, Happy This Way (Courgette)
Judith Owen treats songs as art, making beautiful piano-based songs that draw on jazz, pop, folk and R&B traditions, effectively dressing up a number of songs with strings. They […]
Marc Broussard, S.O.S.: Save Our Soul (Vanguard)
At first glance, an album of soul covers such as “Respect Yourself,” “Love and Happiness” and “Inner City Blues” seems a little short on inspiration. Marc Broussard records them […]
