“Snake Farm—sounds a little bit nasty. Snake Farm—well it pretty much is,” was Ray Wylie Hubbard’s opening salvo, and it pretty well described the deliciously naughty set which followed. Hubbard’s songs walk a line of disrespect without ever straying into unkindness, or far from humor. Driven by airline surcharges, Hubbard brought only one guitar and… [read more]
Heading to Rundgren’s sold-out show at the Bearsville Theatre near Woodstock NY, I remembered the ’70s and the slow-paced hits I loved such as “Hello it’s Me.” I knew that Rundgren had lived in the Woodstock area and had a recording studio there, but a little research revealed how many different kinds of performers he… [read more]
The unseasonable May chill last night was enough that you could see your breath at points, but it wasn’t enough to stop a crowd of eager New Yorkers from crowding into Mercury Lounge for Pure X’s album release show. If their new record, Crawling Up The Stairs, were an exact copy of their earlier records,… [read more]
The eighth annual networking event, produced by British DJ/Music Promoter Mike Ashley and New York soul artist Dexter Myers, gave the independent soul music community a big evening for a low $10 cover. 25 performers included guest artists from Nashville, Philadelphia and Baltimore, showcasing with a 4-piece band. Nashville singer/songwriter Jonathan Winstead, a suave heartthrob… [read more]
After blazing through “Coney Island Winter” from 2011’s The King of in Between, the I’m Alive (2006) title track, and a killer-diller “35mm Dreams” from 1977’S Ghost Writer, Garland and his aptly-named band (boys play like a fun, thrilling ride on The Cyclone!) dug deeply into everything except “Ghost Of A Chance” [“Boo!”] from Jeffreys’… [read more]
The Howlin’ Brothers may not be brothers, but everything else about them screams “authentic.” Three multi-instrumentalists pickin’ and clickin’ at breakneck speed could wear an audience out, but these guys just got us fired up. Taking the stage without fanfare on banjo, upright bass and guitar, the boys tore through old-school hill country and bluegrass… [read more]
The reclusive funk pioneer Shuggie Otis is back on the road behind an excellent new album, Wings of Love, and a remastered version of his beloved classic Inspiration Information. Elmore’s Arnie Goodman was there when Shuggie came to the Music Hall of Williamsburg to perform some old classics and his new batch of songs. Check out some… [read more]
Fans of all things Son Volt were treated to a long night of entertainment on April 11th. First up, everyone from the group, except Jay Farrar, formed the band serving as opener, Gary Hunt’s Missouri-based Colonel Ford. When Farrar appeared to lead the same line-up for the main show, the country/bluegrass/western swing sound of the… [read more]
You’d think a man whose day job includes running much of New York City’s most recognizable music and sports entertainment has enough on his plate, but for James Dolan of JD and the Straight Shot, there’s always room for rock ‘n’ roll. Taking the stage at the Paramount before Joe Walsh, JD and the Straight… [read more]
This weekend, the Bell House hosted a benefit for Norton Records (the great independent record label formed by singer/songwriter Billy Miller and former Cramps drummer Miriam Linna) featuring garage-rock pioneers The Sonics. Our own Arnie Goodman was there to capture some the best moments of the night. … [read more]
