Music
Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show, Reclamation of the Pie-Eyed Piper (Threadhead Records)
For those of you who aren’t on the Paul Sanchez tip, he may be the best songwriter in this town chock-full of good songwriters. Since leaving Cowboy Mouth, he has […]
Ben Sandmel, Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans (Historic New Orleans Collection)
At last, Ben Sandmel’s long-awaited tome about singer Ernie K-Doe, possibly the wildest character to call the Crescent City home, has arrived. In Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New […]
Ernie K-Doe vs. Reality
Ben Sandmel’s long-awaited book, Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans, is finally here. He first heard K-Doe’s “Mother-In-Law” as a kid, but he didn’t really get into him […]
The Revivalists, City of Sound (Independent)
The Revivalists seem to be the next up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll band from the Crescent City. Their live shows have an inviting energy, and they have a new recording, City […]
The Louisiana Music Factory at 20 Years
When it started, it was a long, rectangular room with a couple wooden racks for records and CDs on a section of North Peters street that had very little going […]
Ani DiFranco, Which Side Are You On? (Righteous Babe Records)
The new Ani DiFranco record is the latest entry in DiFranco’s musical and lyrical view of the world and current events. Over the years, she has perfected her sound, and […]
Kidd Jordan, On Fire (Engine Records)
The art of listening, whether on the bandstand or in daily life, is a highly underrated skill. As Kidd Jordan continues his formidable yet underappreciated career, his playing shows more […]
Ruthie Foster, Live at Antone’s (Blue Corn Records)
Ruthie Foster has a cult/fanatic following. People either have never heard of her or they think she has one of the best voices of our time. Her new CD Live […]
Sun Ra, This Planet is Doomed: The Science Fiction Poetry of Sun Ra (Kicks Books)
Few people know that Sun Ra, besides being an avant-black futurist big band leader, was also a poet. He and his band would recite chants and poems during and between […]
Best of the Beat Heartbeat Award: Mary Howell
For more than three decades, attorney Mary Howell has been at the frontlines of police misconduct and civil rights litigation in New Orleans. She has represented plaintiffs in the Algiers […]
