Sazerwrap 2026

In years past we have delivered a Sazerwrap to catalog our personal New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival experience, so we will continue that this year. 

The fried oyster salad with shrimp at Atchafalaya

We have reviewed some of the shows we caught already and it should be stated: Jazzfest in New Orleans is RtBE's absolute favorite time of the year. 

Album Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band - Future Soul

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Future Soul

** out of *****

Following up on their stretched out, expansive four album collection I Am The Moon, Tedeschi Trucks Band has scaled back ambitions releasing eleven shorter tracks via their new album Future Soul. While professional and pleasant the group never lives up to the album title promise. 

Live Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - 2/21/26 Radio City Music Hall, NY, NY

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here.

It is of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's recent live show at Radio City Music Hall here in Manhattan. 

Year In Review 2025 - Favorite Albums of 2025

Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2025. This is the year end review, all in one place.

Below are our picks for RtBE's favorite albums of the year. It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.

We also took some time to discuss our favorite album artwork, our favorite archive/live album releases and favorite live shows from the year if you are interested.   

Thanks for reading. Until next year....

Year In Review 2025 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions & Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2025's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation, click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE also worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20, so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of'', these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

2026 New Orleans JazzFest Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2026 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced soon, but RtBE got the early scoop...

Album Review: Kathleen Edwards - Billionaire

Kathleen Edwards

Billionaire 

*** out of *****

The singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards returned in 2020 after almost a decade away from music, delivering the acclaimed Total Freedom. After a covers EP, she now releases Billionaire, a collection of ten tunes that move between generalities and specifics, produced by Gena Johnson and Jason Isbell who also play throughout the album. 

Album Review: Jason Isbell - Foxes in the Snow

Jason Isbell

Foxes in the Snow

**** out of *****

For his most recent effort, Foxes in the Snow, the singer/songwriter Jason Isbell stripped down to as basic as it comes. Isbell set up shop at Electric Lady Studios with just an all-mahogany 1940 Martin 0-17 acoustic guitar and his impressive vocals. Working with producer Gena Johnson over the span of just five days, Isbell's open, raw and hypnotic tunes are enchanting. 

Album Review: Sadler Vaden - Dad Rock

Sadler Vaden

Dad Rock

*** out of *****

The newest album from Sadler Vaden is titled Dad Rock and from that alone, you pretty much know what to expect; mid tempo guitar/bass/drums/keys that would sound just fine blasting out of a Camaro. 

2024 New Orleans Jazzfest Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced tomorrow but RtBE got the early scoop...

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums of 2023

Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2023. This is the year end review, all in one place.

Below are our picks for RtBE's favorite albums of the year. It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.

We worked with the Glide Staff on their list as well, so there may be a few overlaps if you read that already. 

We also took some time to discuss our favorite album artwork, our favorite archive/live album releases and favorite live shows from the year if you are interested.   

Thanks for reading. Until next year....

Album Review: Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan 

S/T

***and1/2 out of *****

The fourth full-length studio release from singer-songwriter Zach Bryan is a self titled effort that looks to focus his career with a strong set of narrative tunes that touch on a range of Americana sounds rooted in the country music tradition, but not confined to the genres rigid rules.

There is a lot here to digest, as if Bryan had a flood of ideas and put them all out there to sort through as the sixteen tracks discuss relationships from all angles, lots of late nights in bars, too much booze and not enough love; throughout Bryan plays with melodramatic moods, restrained vocals and honest thoughts. 

The whole thing begins via a very Woody Guthrie sounding poem as Bryan rambles and tries to set the mood before the fuzzy, rocky, Drive-By Truckers influenced "Overtime". While there are quiet a few direct influences here, perhaps none is larger than Jason Isbell who Bryan seems to be using as a muse throughout the self-titled record as he evolves as a songwriter. "Summertime's Close" complete with odd last line, the auto biographical sounding "Ticking" and the unique bass and fuzzed up guitar work of "Tourniquet" are all reminiscent of phases of Isbell and the 400 Unit; all also happen to be excellent tracks on their own.

Other highlights are "East Side of Sorrow" which blends twangy Americana and rock with galloping banjo, horns, and drums while "El Dorado" seems to be towing between genre lines excellently before wrapping up right when it might get truly going. That sense of just missing something truly special is here often as well though, "Jake's Piano - Long Island" is a tune that reaches for epic heights only to be let down by sparse lyrics while "Tradesman" feels on the cusp of a breakthrough mixing classic picking with modern sounds, but is overdone with echoing vocals. Both efforts show Bryan's desire and range, but also the need to keep pumping away. 

One area he doesn't need much help from is choosing of guests as all who show up here support the main artist well. The easy swelling duet of "Holy Roller" with Sierra Ferrell is the best of the bunch but they are all solid, with the fluid, rolling "Spotless (feat. The Lumineers)", the down and out heart wrenching duet with Kacey Musgraves on "I Remember Everything" and the slightly poppy "Hey Driver (feat The War and Treaty)" all work well.      

Bryan wraps this album up with an instant theme song from the Oologah, OK native, as he delivers an honest accounting with the straight ahead ballad "Oklahoma Son". When an artist already into their career releases a self titled album it usually acts as a reset, and Zach Bryan is doing that now, moving onward and upward from his more traditional country roots. This mostly successful transitional record is at times moving, affecting, and spiritually satisfying.     

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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions & Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE also worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some very excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of'' these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Album Review: St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Angels In Science Fiction

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Angels In Science Fiction

*** out of *****

The fifth full length album from St. Paul and the Broken Bones was inspired by the impending fatherhood of front man Paul Janeway as lyrics speak directly to a child. The Birmingham, Alabama based outfit deliver their sounds with a mix of hope and fear as Angels In Science Fiction flows out around excellent production from Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price)

Recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee the band continues their move away from the retro soul of their debut and luxuriate in any sounds possible, expanding things, while also moving more to the middle of the road. There is no doubting Janeway's passion in falsetto vocals, but musically the band can come off as bland at times this go around.   

Bookended with the piano ballads to his unborn daughter Janeway sets the scene and dominates as his vocals rise and soften with theatrical touches and flair. Both opener "Chelsea" and closer "Marigold" are simple odes to a child with strings and ivories twinkling. Things pick up on the funky swelling of "City Federal Building" as the orchestration swells and the thick, rich bass keeps things bumping. 

The funky drumming and keys highlight "Sea Star" and "Wolf In Rabbit Clothes" has a distorted disco feel that works incredibly well, but the highlight of the album is "Magnolia Trees". The falsetto singing and slow soul, lead to a triumphant break through as Janeway jubilantly sings ""It won't last, but today I feel like a warm breeze through the magnolia trees". This joyous tune is the peak for the band on Angels In Science Fiction. 

Outside of these efforts, things feel a bit restrained. The acoustic ditty "Lonely Love Song", the warbling guitar of the sparse "South Dakota" and the out of place ominous strings of "Heat Lighting" are all fairly forgettable. The orchestration gets overdone on the building title track and "Easter Bunny" is a rising pop song that could use a bit of a freak-out. All of these efforts are fine, but never hit home as particularly memorable. 

St. Paul and the Broken Bones has been moving in this direction for a few albums now, starting with the excellent Sea of Noise and continuing with the strong Young Sick Camellia and the scattered The Alien Coast. Angels In Science Fiction turns out to be the least adventurous musically, but perhaps the most emotional lyrically as Janeway in particular has found inspiration with new life.    

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Support the artists, buy the album and peep some video below:

 

Album Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Weathervanes

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Weathervanes

**** out of *****

The newest collection of stout songs from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, titled Weathervanes, is yet another example of top notch song writing in a discography full of them; every release since Southeastern has been must hear and excellent. 

New Single from Jason Isbell "Death Wish" New Album and Tour Coming Soon

RtBE favorite Jason Isbell has a new album Weathervanes coming in June with supporting tour dates.

You can check out all of the supporting dates and the first single, "Death Wish", which is out now:

NOLA 2023 Jazzfest Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced tomorrow but RtBE got the early scoop...

Full Show Friday: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Live On My Green FM Music Festival 2020

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit! 

This week we head to Live On My Green Music Festival back in 2020 for Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit's set. 

Having caught Isbell and crew this summer, and multiple times before that RtBE can attest to their live prowess. 

Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Full Set List Below.  Enjoy! 

Intro: 00:00:45 If It Takes a Lifetime 00:01:03 24 Frames 00:05:03 Stockholm 00:08:30 How To Forget 00:12:10 Traveling Alone 00:16:19 The Life You Chose 00:22:04 Decoration Day 00:26:19 Speed Trap Town 00:34:04 Alabama Pines 00:39:09 Codeine 00:44:10 Cover Me Up 00:51:20 Super 8 00:58:15 Something More Than Free 01:03:25 Flagship 01:07:25 Never Gonna Change 01:13:10 Children of Children 01:21:25

Live Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit @ Pier 17 NYC 9/2/2022

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Friday night's live show from Bully and headliner Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. 

Top notch stuff and an even better venue. Pier 17 has quickly leaped to the top of the list for outdoor venues in NYC. It is dynamite, if a touch expensive for drinks, but wow about everything else.  Will certainly be returning the next time I can. 

Check out the review and peep some video below:

Dylan Cover #527 Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires "The Man in Me" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires playing "The Man In Me"

Every April (and first week of May) we have a special focus in our ongoing Monday Bob Dylan Cover Series on artists who will be playing Jazzfest in New Orleans. Today we highlight, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit who play the best festival in America on Saturday April 30th.

Thoughts on Original:
Almost a forgotten throw away track from Bob, which proves how great he really is, this peach of a song originally appeared on New Morning. The famous La-la-la's are so unlike Bob it instantly stands out as unique in his back catalog. "The Man In Me" is playful, loving, sincere yet deceptive. It took on an added life after showing up in the cult classic The Big Lebowski and now has a whole new generation digging its quirky sounds.  

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:

RtBE are big fans of Isbell, Shires and the Whole 400 Unit having seen them, reviewed them, and written about them a bunch. 

Thoughts on Cover:

Fantastic, like most music Isbell and Shires touch. A little more gravity than Dylan's original, but the duet is a gem on every level, from Jason's vocals to shires violin, A+ stuff.