Music
Motel Radio, The Garden (Single Lock Records)
Growing up in rural places, I knew many farmers, gardeners and ranchers. A common through line between all these folks was the understanding that a person’s work only amounted to […]
John Saavedra, Swingin’ with John Saavedra (Independent)
Guitarist and vocalist John Saavedra looks back to the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s for material, including a range of jazz styles, on Swingin’ with John Saavedra. It opens with […]
Tyron Benoit, Waitin’ on Friday (Independent)
Tyron Benoit’s debut is without doubt the best swamp-rock album ever to open with a Cure cover. His version of “Just Like Heaven” is surprisingly faithful—even with his accordion taking […]
A Spike Perkins Connection, Up in Carrollton (Independent)
Spike Perkins is a journeyman bass player and has remained active on the scene in New Orleans for decades. He is adept in a variety of styles and showcases several […]
Dave Easley, Byways of the Moon (Big Ego)
The best way to approach this one is to forget everything you knew about how a pedal steel is supposed to sound, and how these songs are supposed to sound. […]
Renée Gros, Temporary Love (EP) (Independent)
After regularly singing with both Russell Batiste around town and Billy Iuso at Jazz Fest, Renée Gros, a 26-year-old singer-songwriter born and raised in New Orleans, announced the release of […]
The Dirty Rain Revelers, Live From the Porch (Independent)
When I described one of last month’s reviews as being one of the first pandemic-inspired records that had crossed my desk, I hadn’t heard the Dirty Rain Revelers latest, Live […]
Dustin Dale Gaspard, Hoping Heaven Got a Kitchen (Independent)
Dustin Dale Gaspard, under various configurations, is no stranger to Lafayette’s robust roots-centric music scene. The funky soul sextet DG & The Freetown Sound comes to mind. But for his […]
Old Barstools, Wishing (Independent)
I really like the chords that the Old Barstools use to create their appealing blend of country and rock ’n’ roll. You might think you’ve heard these songs before until […]
Dash Rip Rock, “It Ain’t a Party ’Till Somebody Dies” (Single) (Independent)
Dash Rip Rock hasn’t done an outright party record in some time, usually putting their serious roots-rock side up front on CD releases. But this one makes up for lost […]
