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“Twenty-seven-year-old Brit James Blackshaw has lately emerged as a major force in the world of instrumental guitar, his epic, austere compositions and unpretentious 12-string technique perching him somewhere between John Fahey and Robbie Basho. But guitar isn’t the first thing you hear on “Litany of Echoes”; rather, it’s the tense piano plunking on opener [...]
“When G. Love & Special Sauce released their self-titled debut in 1994, the Philadelphia trio created a distinctive new recipe for beat-driven summer chill-out music. “Superhero Brother” demonstrates further seasoning, as frontman/songwriter Garrett “G. Love” Dutton adds reflections on politics and fatherhood to his unique and variable hip-hop/blues formula that otherwise pays tribute to [...]
“Those who believe it’s been far too long since Alison Krauss + Union Station’s Dan Tyminski released his 2003 solo debut will be thrilled that his sophomore effort is at hand. Marked by the fine picking, strong vocals and well-chosen songs that AKUS fan have come to expect, “Wheels” is a stunning second effort. [...]
“When “Exile in Guyville” was released in 1993, its lo-fi sound and frank lyrics about female sexuality and desire were seen by many as revolutionary. Fifteen years later, the pendulum has swung so far the other way that ditties about oral sex and girls kissing girls top the pop chart and can be heard [...]
“After gaining recognition for backing Jenny Lewis on her 2006 solo debut, “Rabbit Fur Coat,” the Watson Twins make a move to the forefront with their first Vanguard album. The set follows in the same folksy vein as the Louisville, Ky., natives’ work with Lewis, touching on elements of country, folk and pop, and [...]
“A blues band featuring a 16-year-old lead guitarist/vocalist, a 13-year-old bassist and a 9-year-old drummer might well strike blues fans as little more than a novelty act. Indeed, Ryan Perry (the 16-year-old, his brother Kyle (bass) and sister Taya (drums) have a novel thing going on, but blues lovers will do well to listen [...]
“Around for more than a year, Sam Sparro’s “Black & Gold” has created the kind of viral buzz you can’t buy. It’s a Gershwin-meets-Goldfrapp song of tragic love, delivered by Sparro with a plaintive soulfulness that breaks hearts. On his debut self-titled full-length, the Australian-born, Los Angeles-residing singer/songwriter doesn’t try to repeat “Black,” because [...]
“This 20-track collection is inspired by love (”Love Ultra”), women (”Travelin Girl”), sex (”Blow Your Mind”) and all the ups and downs of relationships (”Free As a Bird,” “Workin On It”), underlined by attractive production, pretty compositions and Dwele’s supple voice. The narratives break from the norm on tracks like “I’m Cheating,” where he [...]
“If Alejandro Escovedo’s 2006 album “The Boxing Mirror” was a reflection on mortality and the hepatitis C that nearly killed him, “Real Animal” buttresses the case for artistic immortality. The songs are richly textured, heartfelt autobiographical snapshots. “Nun’s Song” concisely evokes the ethos of the Nuns, the San Francisco punk band in which Escovedo [...]
“On his latest solo album, Ry Cooder intones, “Time is all you got,” and it’s the ravages of time that have informed the California trilogy he wraps up with “I, Flathead.” But while 2005’s “Chavez Ravine” and last year’s “My Name Is Buddy” pondered losses—of places, communities, solidarity—”I, Flathead” takes us back to a [...] |
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