Music
George Porter, Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners, Can’t Beat the Funk! (Independent)
The Meters are in the DNA of all New Orleans funk, but it’s only natural that with time it becomes less obvious. The bands that they influenced have influenced bands, […]
Wayne Toups, Steve Riley, Wilson Savoy, The Band Courtbouillon (Valcour Records)
There’s never been a recording quite like this one. Three highly accomplished Cajun revivalists—each representing a successive generation, each a musical pioneer, and each a highly respected bandleader in his […]
Jesse Moore, Live at the Old Point (Threadhead Records)
Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, a singer-songwriter places the onus on his songs, his voice, and his picking to separate himself from the downy snowstorm of similar arrangements that […]
C.J. Chenier, Can’t Sit Down (World Village Records)
C.J. Chenier’s last album, The Desperate Kingdom of Love, went about as far outside the zydeco mainstream as you can get—ominous title, PJ Harvey title track, generally downbeat feel. But […]
Johnnie Allan, Shine On (Jin Records)
This 15-track collection commemorates Johnnie Allan’s 60th anniversary in professional music with mostly previously released material (1979-1999) now appearing on CD for the first time. One of Allan’s classics, “La […]
Supagroup, Hail! Hail! (Foodchain Records)
People like their rock ‘n’ roll serious—Springsteen, U2, Coldplay. The more humorless, the better. I assume this has something to do with the degree to which people find identity in […]
Various Artists, En Français: Cajun ‘n’ Creole Rock ‘n’ Roll (Bayou Teche Records)
UPDATED What happens when producer Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers translates rock classics into contemporary Cajun/Creole music? Alchemy, pure alchemy. Not that the originals by the Who, the […]
Peter Novelli, Peter Novelli (Chalet Music)
How does a little-known if perfectly-capable blues guitarist get heavyweights Dr. John, Texas Tornado Augie Meyers, Baton Rouge blues great Raful Neal and ace drummer Big Johnny Thomassie—the latter two […]
Bob Andrews, Chills and Fever (Independent)
Former Brinsley Schwarz/Rumour keyboardist Bob Andrews has immersed himself in New Orleans piano since moving to the city. On this self-produced album, he largely and agreeably leans toward the R&B […]
The Mumbles, Annunciation St. (Independent)
The Mumbles can be forgiven for accidentally borrowing their album’s title and cover concept from the subdudes, whose own Annunciation was released in 1994. But the subdudes never wrote a […]
