The Donnas “Take It Off” (2002)
A ripsnorting tune I can relish over and over, just like the ridiculous movie "Dodgeball" in which it memorably appeared.... Read More
Focus “Hocus Pocus” (1971)
A bizarre series of solos leads to the conclusion that some records are not meant to be broken... Read More
Eryn Allen Kane “Piano Song” (2015)
Belying its nondescript title, this referral really built up to be something remarkable.... Read More
J. Geils Band “Musta Got Lost”
Peter Wolf rapped rock's greatest intro (before rap was even a thing)... Read More
Hound Dog Taylor “Give Me Back My Wig” (1971)
Hound Dog Taylor brought us genuine house rocking music from the south side of Chicago, playing raw slide guitar blues that utilized five of his six fingers (yes, you read that right).... Read More
Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” (2011)
Ten years ago Fleet Foxes released Helplessness Blues. Making the record was torturous and ultimately destroyed leader Robin Pecknold's long-term relationship. The result was so beautiful even his ex could see it was worth it.... Read More
Eagles “Those Shoes” (1979)
A familiar looking pair of shoes led to an unfamiliar office fiasco.
"Oh no you can't do that, once you started wearin' those shoes."... Read More
Kamasi Washington “Change of the Guard”
Only a truly epic show could've rescued what had turned into a disastrous last day at Jazzfest. Kamasi Washington delivered just that, with a prodigious performance of his momentous work, The Epic.... Read More
Freddie King “Going Down” (1971)
Guitar tone. It's a hard-to-pinpoint aesthetic that's challenging to define or describe. Yet it's still easy to recognize that Freddie King had some of the greatest tone of all time.... Read More
The Nighthawks “Destination” (1982)
The Nighthawks, George Thorogood, and an unexpected tag-team tandem, formed the alchemy for what I consider my greatest concert night ever.... Read More