Bruce Springsteen “Mary’s Place” (2002)
Whether Mary's dress waves or sways to open Thunder Road, a character named Mary recurs with peculiar frequency in Bruce Springsteen's songs... Read More
J. Geils Band “Musta Got Lost” (1976)
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
Marshall Tucker Band “Ramblin’” (1973)
A big thumbs up to Toy Caldwell of the legendary Marshall Tucker Band, who played lightning fast lead guitar licks using only, you guessed it, his thumb.... Read More
Bottle Rockets “Better Than Broken” (2006)
I lost one of my best friends of the last 20 years this week, the Bottle Rockets, when the band stunningly announced that they were calling it quits. The decision actually came solely from the group’s ornery but always inspirational..... Read More
Paul Thorn “Bull Mountain Bridge” (2012)
With 'Bull Mountain Bridge,' Gospel-rooted Paul Thorn has a positively jubilant, uplifting tune about a cold-blooded murder. Rejoice!... Read More
Counting Crows “A Long December” (1996)
Music City, matted hair, and a message of hope: A short story via Nashville.... Read More
Alejandro Escovedo “Bottom Of The World” (2012) [performed 2016]
You never know where you might meet up with a famous musician at South by Southwest, maybe even the granddaddy of the festival.... Read More
Oasis “Champagne Supernova” (1995)
They recorded some of rock's greatest songs, but broke up over a decade ago because the two leaders, brawling brothers, just couldn't take each other. Could Oasis ever be together again?... Read More