Album Review: The Breaks - Self-Titled

The Breaks

S/T

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

Three great modern day funk-soul-jazz artists come together to form The Breaks, a new organ/guitar/drum trio that instantly hits the ground running on their infectiously joyful debut full length. 

Album Review: NOi!SE - Fate of The Union

NOi!SE

Fate of the Union

*** out of *****

The Tacoma, WA based street punk outfit NOi!SE deliver a hard hitting offering, Fate of the Union that screams against the current state of American affairs, calling for unity. The first full length release from the band in ten years arrives at the perfect time. 

Album Review: Frank Migliorelli and the Dirt Nappers - Abnormal Conditions

Frank Migliorelli and the Dirt Nappers

Abnormal Conditions

**** out of *****

The Red Hook, NY based roots-rockers Frank Migliorelli and the Dirt Nappers are back at it with a collection of tracks that run the gamut from escapist fantasy to protest anthems as Abnormal Conditions tries to make sense of these wild times by both digging in and tuning out. 

New Single/Video from New Radicals and Michelle Branch "The Game of Love"

The Los Angeles based New Radicals team up with Michelle Branch for a reimaging of their song "The Game of Love". 

About the song/video Branch states:

Album Review: The Womack Sisters - The Womack Sisters

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

It is of The Womack Sisters self-titled debut album. 

New Single from Steve Earle & Los Lobos "Volver a Celaya"

Two Americana legends, Steve Earle and Los Lobos team up for the first time on the new single "Volver a Celaya". 

Album Review: Leopard Hounds - Too Hot for Snakes

Leopard Hounds

Too Hot for Snakes

**** out of *****

The debut full length from the new blues/rock outfit Leopard Hounds finds the New Orleans quartet looking to the past for inspiration while writing originals about their Bywater neighborhood. Too Hot For Snakes works up an appetite and uses a protesting political spirit, while never forgetting to have fun. 

Dylan Cover #744 Jason Herr "Buckets of Rain" 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 Herr playing "Buckets of Rain"

Thoughts on Original:
From our first take on a cover of this tune:
Dylan's mid-career masterpiece closes out with this song and to me it always seemed tacked on whimsically.  After going through a ton of raw emotion with "Idiot Wind" and other tunes, Blood on the Tracks finishes with this ditty.  Honestly, never one of my favorites, it acted more as a palate cleanser but a sweet one at that. 

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is the first time we are hearing Jason Herr who is a Cary, IL based musician.

Thoughts on Cover:

A perfectly played live acoustic cover. Straight ahead and lovely on this Monday. 

New Single/Video from Dee Mula "They Can't Count"

The Memphis based rapper Dee Mula has a new single/video out "They Can't Count". 

Check out the bass bumping, skittering effort below:

Full Show Friday: Live - MTV Unplugged 1995

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...Live!

Some months our Full Show Friday's will have a special focus on specific artists, years, venues, tv shows, festivals or some combo of it all. 

This months Full Show Friday Series focuses on concerts from MTV's Unplugged Series.

Album Review - Gorillaz - The Mountain

Gorillaz

The Mountain

*** out of *****

On the ninth studio effort from the Gorillaz (the partnership between the musician Damon Albarn and the artist Jamie Hewlett) the themes of loss, India's artistic culture and remembrance flow throughout the cohesive album. The Mountain is large and high, bloated, but a heartfelt tribute to past friends and family members, making for a long, cathartic ride.   

Album Review: Sari Jordan - Perfect Be The Enemy

Sari Jordan

Perfect Be The Enemy

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

For their full length debut, Sari Jordan artistically strolls through the ever changing facets of relationships in nuanced fashion. Perfect Be The Enemy finds Jordan's voice in the spotlight with free floating backing from a host of New Orleans musicians. 

Album Review: Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts - As Time Explodes

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

As Time Explodes

*** out of *****

Neil Young, at 79, took to the road yet again in 2025 with his newly formed backing band The Chrome Hearts for a 31 date international Love Earth tour. As Time Explodes (a Record Store Day release) is a document of that tour recorded at various stops, and while far from vital, it is a nice snapshot of Young and this talented band. 

New Video/Single from Ellis "All That I've Got"

The Hamilton, Ontario based songwriter Ellis (aka Linnea Siggelkow) has a new single/video out for "All I've Got". 

Of the track, Ellis explains:

Album Review: Somi - What Does It Take To Bloom?

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

It is of Somi's newest album What Does It Take To Bloom?

A New Single/Video from MuMu "The River"

The NYC based artist Madeline "MuMu" Rhodes has a new single/video out, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The River". 

About the cover choice MuMu states:

Album Review Primus - A Handful of Nuggs EP

Primus 

A Handful of Nuggs EP

**and 1/2 out of *****

Before going out on his Claypool Gold Tour this summer, Les Claypool released a double album with Sean Lennon, an EP with his Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and this EP, A Handful of Nuggs from Primus, so that each act on the bill would have new material to display on stage. Primus is Les' main squeeze, but out of the three, it got the shortest shrift, as there isn't a whole lot to dig into. 

Dylan Cover #743 Virgil Kinsley "Highway 61" 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 Virgil Kinsley playing "Highway 61 Revisited"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:

A great blues rock number that has a touch of silly from Bob with the "Siren Whistle". The original version of this tune found on the album of the same name strikes me as a bit of a put on. Bob obviously loves the historic feel and the bizarre middle American heritage but the lyrics and whistle soften the blow. The track gets increasingly better in the live versions where Dylan's backers can rev up the honky-tonk and boogie down south as the group did for us up in Saratoga back in 2000. 

Tony Garnier the bass player for the group lead things on a thumping rollick in the encore and the band all hopped on board as Dylan sang about God/Abraham. It was the last rocker the group played that night pulling out a ton of 6-string energy. (They would go on to finish with the crowd singing along to "Blowing in the Wind").

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:

This is our first time hearing Virgil Kinsley who is a musician with a special focus on Bob, so this may not be the last time he shows up in this series.... 

Thoughts on Cover:

A sped up number that finds Kinsley delivering the solo upbeat blues with ease. Most surprising is the use of the Siren Whistle, I am not sure any of our other covers of this tune deployed it? A fun cover with the original whistle sound added for extra spice. 

 

New Single/Video from little image "Always Ends"

The Dallas, TX alt-rock outfit little image have a new video/single out, "Always Ends".

Check out the European shot, black and white video below:

Full Show Friday: 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged 1993

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...10,000 Maniacs!

Some months our Full Show Friday's will have a special focus on specific artists, years, venues, tv shows, festivals or some combo of it all. 

This months Full Show Friday Series focuses on concerts from MTV's Unplugged Series.