BOB MARGOLIN Vizztone Records My Road 12 tracks Bob Margolin from Brookline, MA, is one of the best blues guitarists alive today. He has spent seven years in Muddy Waters’ band and appeared in Scorsese’s The Last Waltz, leading to his current status as an icon His latest release, due out January 8, is very different from what one would expect, knowing his past inclinations. Not only does Margolin write most of the songs but his playing moves beyond … Read More >>
Category Archives: CD Reviews
GOLI Valicious Cellocity This is Not a Love Song 13 tracks By golly, Goli has finally released their second album, seven years after their wonderful debut. That’s a lot of time to reflect and ponder the next step. Not that they’ve been idle – constant gigs, busking, session work, graduate studies at New England Conservatory, time spent with family and friends – which adds up to a lot of living to invest in their new material. And eureka, this disc … Read More >>
HUMMINGBIRD SYNDICATE “Waterfall Away”/”I Want You to Stay” 2 tracks This Boston/LA combo delivers a delightfully chirpy-cheepy bit of countrified bubblegum on their debut single. Both sides infuse the warm melodies of the Beach Boys with chewy hooks of the Brill building. Sure it’s retro, and like all sunshine pop, there’s an underlying hint of Laurel Canyon-esque death-cult dread billowing through the grooves, but that only sweetens the deal, really. For the most part, it’s all popsicles on a bright … Read More >>
TWINK Dust Bunny 11 tracks Last winter nearly killed all of us. That’s a fact. What did you do to wile away the hours? I mean, after masturbation and booze and sobbing? I tell you what our pal Twink here did. He made a disco record on toy pianos. Would he have done this if he had his wits about him? No, no one would. So we have twenty feet of snow to thank for the fragile insanity of Dust … Read More >>
KIER BYRNES & FRIENDS The Best Days of the Summer 7 tracks The title track of this Americana-suffused summer-themed album is a good-natured loping tune about the mishaps of summer, full of lyrical and musical hooks. “Dud” is a lonesome lovelorn plaint with vocals by Jay Dibiaso: “Ain’t it right, we broke up tonight?/ My heart’s a bursting Milky Way/ Now I’m single, on Independence Day.” The uptempo country lope “M80s and Bottle Rockers,” with Evan Gavry on vocals is an … Read More >>
MICHEAL J. ROY Eclectricity 14 tracks Michael J. Roy is the long time guitar star and handsome fashionista of Boston and NYC bands Fox Pass and Tom Dickie & the Desires. The players here are Stephen Gilligan on bass and Lenny Shea, Jr. on drums of Stompers fame. Line up wise this is essentially Fox Pass sans Jon Macey. Roy is and has always been a sensitive, painterly guitar player who added color and emotion to the songs of the … Read More >>
BUTTERSCOTT Ka-Bling!! Presents the Slick Overproduced Commercial Pop Thing™ 36 tracks Here follows a Skeleton Key to the Finnegan’s Wake of Rock Albums. Well, not exactly. More like Bizarro Superman comics. But anyway, note the interpolated commercials, just like that ’60s classicThe Who Sell Out (and don’t think for a minute they have never heard that album). Butterscott, in case you don’t know because you’ve been living in a cave on Mars … Read More >>
COURTNEY SWAIN Secret Dog Brigade Records Monstre 8 tracks You never know when that musical thunderbolt is gonna come out of the sky and knock you to the floor! Never heard of this woman (or her formidable avant-rock group, Bent Knee) until a few weeks ago, but – whoosh – I’ve been sucked into her orbit. Also, got lucky to see her perform in the interim… an immediate peek at an extraordinary talent. This is Courtney’s second … Read More >>