Tim McGraw unleashed a new album this month, his fourteenth: Damn Country Music. He marked the occasion by punching under his weight at the (tiny by his standards) 1,400 person capacity Edison Ballroom. This was in marked contrast to the 65,000 he performed for yesterday at the Homestead Miami Speedway prior to […]
Live Music
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Son Little said it was definitely a hometown show last week at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. The artist has been associated with Philly artists like The Roots and RJD2 whom he has worked with – and he has spent significant time in that city – but it turns out he […]
The Charlatans (officially Charlatans UK here in the U.S. to differentiate from Dan Hicks’ old band) – Underrated, underrated, underrated. The lads from Manchester have had an eventful career and they’ve overcome hurdles that would have tripped a hundred other groups. No American band sounds like them. Britpop bands owe them […]
It was a real pleasure to get to know Black Violin in Austin at SXSW. The hip Florida based outfit just released a tasty new album called Stereo Types and tomorrow night November 14, 2015 they’ll do their thing at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. I’ve never checked the classical, hip […]
Music has the power to free the soul so authoritarian regimes across history have often attempted to suppress it. Such was the case in Pakistan beginning in the 1970’s under a military dictatorship and exacerbated by The Taliban’s influence from the mid 1990’s. The country’s traditional music made primarily with […]
You may know Ian Hendrickson-Smith from seeing him as part of The Tonight Show Band led by Questlove or you may know him from the seven years he played with Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. If not, meet the man already! Adept on all saxes as well as the flute, […]
Cypress Hill released their enduring third album Temples of Boom 20 years ago and they’re celebrating that anniversary with a short tour that rolled through Times Square on Friday night, October 30, 2015. The album, beginning with its cover and continuing into the grooves, is the spookiest record in their […]
Greg Holden isn’t too keen to write typical love songs. He told me as a singer/songwriter he’s already got that cliche to contend with, and he’s not about to sing: I love you…fill in a girl’s name… type songs. They don’t interest him. What does interest the British ex-pat is writing […]
Josh Ritter is Getting Ready To Get Down! His rapid-fire vocal on that lead track from his new album, Sermon On The Rocks, sets the tone for a spirited record that is sure to end up on many a top ten list for 2015. The son of neuroscientists in Idaho recorded […]
You might not necessarily find Bilal’s recordings in the Jazz section of your favorite record store (or on iTunes or on this website!) but as the astonishing singer explains, he’s got a deep connection to the form. Jazz was a natural topic for conversation as Bilal was playing at The […]
Protomartyr, the Detroit quartet who just put out their outstanding third album The Agent Intellect, are in NYC for the 35th annual CMJ Music Marathon. Here’s a look at the performance at Santos Party House and a little backstage conversation about the festival.
The Steely Dan Rockabye Gollie Angel Tour 2015 is ending on a NYC note with no less than 8 shows at The Beacon Theatre. The musicianship, the humor, the dubious characters inhabiting the songs; all alive and well as Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s immortal outfit is again playing whole albums, greatest […]
The Modern Sky Festival NYC happened in Central Park last Sunday (10-4-15) headlined by Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band. The 82 year old widow of John Lennon launched the group along with John in ’69 as a concept; a kind of umbrella that would encompass whoever got involved, even […]
The Zombies are experiencing an amazing phase in their career that began in 1961. The brilliant rock and pop outfit from St. Albans, Hertfordshire in England unleashes their new album, Still Got That Hunger, this week and they’re on tour playing their 1968 masterpiece Odessey and Oracle (sic!) in its entirety for […]
Joan Armatrading has had an amazing career… and it ain’t over yet! The UK based singer/songwriter/mean guitarist/bass player (etc) has, however, decided to stop doing the punishing kind of 18 month treks around the world that’s she currently on and limit herself to a month on the road maximum at […]
Buster Poindexter (alias for David Johansen, frontman for The New York Dolls) has rolled into Cafe Carlyle for a run of shows ending next Saturday October 10, 2015. I spoke to the Staten Island native not too long ago at a gig he did at The Cutting Room.
Smoking hot R&B is what Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats deliver on their self-titled debut album out on Stax Records. Yes, this band is worthy of rebooting the legendary record label. The 8 man outfit crowded into WFUV’s Studio A and duly burned it down! Click HERE for the […]
Stromae is a guy worth knowing! The Belgian artist makes thoughtful songs in a border between Hip Hop and Dance music, and he’s attracted collaborators like Kanye West and Lorde. I spoke with him at SXSW. Catch him at Madison Square Garden this Thursday 10-1-15.
Upon hearing Shawn Colvin had a new album of covers, Uncovered, her first such collection in 21 years, I looked forward to the album release with something similar to the feeling of sitting down for brunch at La Bonbonniere. That is, I knew I was going to be happy. There […]
Vijay Iyer is currently the most acclaimed pianist in jazz. This year he released the third album – Break Stuff – as the Vijay Iyer Trio featuring Marcus Gilmore on drums and Stephan Crump on double bass. I spoke with the Harlem resident (and Harvard University Professor) at the Montreal Jazz Festival earlier […]
Madonna did her Veni, Vidi, Vici thing at Madison Square Garden last week. Ms. Ciccone first headlined here 30 years ago and the seasoned professional entertainer knows what’s she doing.
Photo Credit: Nick D’Agostino It was a brilliant week at WFUV radio where a pair of Juniors – both amazing guitar players – stopped by for conversations with me and to lay down live versions of songs found on recently released albums. Follow the links to hear the chats and […]
I don’t want to put a jinx on her but after spending some time with Melanie Martinez, I’m convinced she’s got an extremely promising future as a recording artist. The 20 year old out of Baldwin, Long Island clearly has a creative vision for her music and whether it’s co-writing […]
Robert Plant is at The Capital Theatre tomorrow night Thursday 9-17-2015 and the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday. The former Led Zeppelin frontman is enjoying playing relatively intimate venues while Jimmy Page recently wrapped up his top to bottom remastering of the Led Zeppelin catalog.
There’s no trumpet (and flugelhorn) player I”d rather listen to than Roy Hargrove. He burns equally bright whether applying his pure lustrous tone to tough hard bop or to smoldering ballads. I spoke with the artist on a sunny late afternoon here in the city over the long Labor Day […]