Gary Clark, Jr. “When My Train Pulls In” (2012)
In 2013 Eric Clapton presented the last – at least at the time it was announced as the last – of five iterations of what was billed as the Crossroads Guitar Festival, so named because they were events held to benefit the Crossroads Centre, a drug treatment facility in Antigua founded by Clapton (and, perhaps,...... Read More
Van Morrison “Wavelength” (1978)
I think most music observers who are fans of Van Morrison – and could there be any who are not – consider this song a bit of a trifle, given the outrageous output that Morrison had already assembled at the point that ‘Wavelength’ was released in the fall of 1978 (just for example, ‘Brown Eyed...... Read More
Lynyrd Skynyrd “I Know A Little” (1977)
There are probably few bands as associated with wailing guitars as Lynyrd Skynyrd, and fewer still as identified with a single song featuring a seemingly endless wall of such wailing guitars (ah, that would be ‘Freebird’ if you’re wondering). Yet, I think my favorite section of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song ever. ... Read More
Lucero “For The Lonely Ones” (2018)
I recently saw the band Lucero in concert at Warsaw in Brooklyn, a cool venue in a former Polish community center where I had a kielbasa sandwich and some tasty pierogies during the show. I’m relatively new to Lucero, a 20-year veteran band out of Memphis, that’s in the country/punk family and lately has been... Read More
Greta Van Fleet “When The Curtain Falls” (2018)
If you even remotely keep tabs on what’s doing in the current music scene, by now you’ve probably heard of the band Greta Van Fleet, who are either the saviors of rock and roll or its sure sign of ruination. Little in the middle seems possible. With the release of their first full-length album this...... Read More
Elliott Smith “Miss Misery” (1997)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck brought Elliott Smith to much of the world, but my son Max brought him to me. And I feel extremely fortunate that he did; Smith’s songs regularly reached a level of poignancy I think few artists achieve, or probably even seek. His sweet, breathy vocals, painfully personal lyrics, and stripped-down,...... Read More
King Missile “Detachable Penis” (1992)
Is this song quirky? Is it just plain weird? I’m not really sure exactly what to make of it, I just remember being amused by it when it came out in the early ‘90’s and I caught it on some late-night MTV show (back when MTV actually played music, of course), and after I listened...... Read More
Blackfoot “Highway Song” (1979)
Obviously, there was ‘Freebird’ and there was ‘Green Grass and High Tides’. That pair seems undeniable and indisputable as numbers 1 & 2. But beyond those two epic southern rock guitar marathons by Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Outlaws respectively, what would come next? I'd allow either of ‘Whipping Post’ or... Read More
JP Harris “JP’s Florida Blues #1” (2018)
He may not look like it, but JP Harris is an absolute traditionalist. When he took the stage at a packed hole-in-the-wall in Brooklyn called Skinny Dennis this past Saturday night, he began by issuing the crowd a tongue-in-cheek warning: “I don’t know if any of ya’ll know who I am, so I hope you’re...... Read More
Parker Millsap “Fine Line” (2018)
This is a hit song, right? A big time, wide scale hit. Listen to it, it’s got to be (but, of course, it won’t be). There was a time when songs like this were played on mainstream rock stations, however that time was long ago. Can you imagine if groups like Marshall Tucker and the...... Read More