Born in 1980 in Boston, singer-songwriter Jesse Dee got hooked on R&B as a pre-teen while growing up in the Boston suburb of Arlington. Listening to his idols, Al Green and Etta James, led to singing in numerous school activities as well as his church choir. He began writing songs by 15 and at 18… [read more]
Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker has always had a more roots-leaning feel as a songwriter, something that isn’t especially evident in the handful of songs he has composed for the band. When he plays with The Freaks, however, Bleeker’s alt-country leanings are quite obvious. On How Far Away, the band’s second album, Bleeker’s songs remain as… [read more]
The Value of Nothing is Eddie Spaghetti’s fourth solo album. Eddie is a gritty Seattle rocker from the band The Supersuckers. His new band consists of The Supersuckers’ original drummer Capt. Chris Von Streicher and the honky tonk styling of Jesse Dayton on guitar. This album truly shows that when you take the rusty sounds… [read more]
2013 is an exciting year for Booker T. Jones, who helped shape soul music as organist of the tight, laid-back ‘60s combo Booker T. & the MGs. In April, he was honored to musical direct a PBS White House concert of Memphis soul. Really, it’s the rest of us who were honored by hearing this songwriter, producer,… [read more]
Much like what the title suggests, Good God! Apocryphal Hymns is a collection of gospel songs that break out of what normally might be accepted as gospel music. Sourced mainly from stock-jacket adorned, independently financed obscurities of the 1970s & ’80s, the music found here clearly shows veins of influence stemming from funk, soul, psychedellia,… [read more]
Alex Pangman, after undergoing a successful double lung transplant to overcome cystic fibrosis, invites us into this playful, nuanced and cheerful romp. Impressive arrangements and originals make you feel like you’re in a roaring Prohibition-era speakeasy. This album features 87-year-old Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar. Pizzarelli shines with rhythmically impressive comping. The addition of violin on… [read more]
The 40th studio album by blue-eyed soul singer Sir Tom Jones is a collection of songs about struggling with faith penned by singer-songwriters and blues greats. Ethan Johns, producer of Jones’s 2010 blues/gospel album Praise & Blame, this time booked Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, England. The studio’s “wood room” has fieldstone walls, wooden ceiling… [read more]
Much like the documentary film this album is a soundtrack of, The Source Family explores the strange world of the enigmatic cult leader Father Yod and his commune. During the 1970’s, the cult recorded a wealth of wild rock music in order to spread their mystical teachings. This album is entirely built out of highlights… [read more]
English rocker Frank Turner is what happens when the tattooed rebel cousin of the Kooks trades thrashing guitars and whisky-drenched snarling for delicate fingerpicking and whisky-drenched crooning. But after listening to his newest album Tape Deck Heart, one canʼt help but feel nostalgic for the punk bark and hostile sound on which he made his… [read more]
The ever-fashionable and ever-retro sextet returns with its sophomore album, More Than Just a Dream. Known for their smart indie-pop-soul sounds that mix genres and traverse generations—from the ‘60s to the ‘80s and beyond—Fitz and the Tantrums bubble with enthusiasm and joy, tempered with touches of soul. While More Than Just a Dream starts off… [read more]
