Be prepared!! This is psychedelic!! This is experimental!! This is…well, this is rock of a particular sort. Check out “1000 Machines ft John Z” if you don’t believe it. Maybe you’ll want to listen to “Our Friday Is Your Wednesday.” Those selections from Amaro Dolce (2008) are not dance music. They certainly don’t qualify, in this [...]

Prepare yourself! This isn’t easy listening music. Try out “Fight Back” (Punch Your Country 2008) for instance. Just staying with the guitar breaks will wear the listener out. So the question is, how does this guy Eric do that? It helps to be young and a bit angry. The title tune from the EP is another [...]

It’s impossible to keep up with the work of all the good musicians working today, so it’s fortunate that someone has put the name of Michael Rhodes on the table. Apparently Rhodes, an accomplished bass player, has caught the ear of dozens of the top names in the music business, especially with a group of [...]

This St. Louis-area singer and songwriter brings, first of all, a bit of The Beatles from earlier days, as well as a bit of the Gilbert O’Sullivan feel. However, there is some hidden humor here, so listen closely. In fact, those who have listened to this young artist from the beginning invoke the name [...]

Some would say this guy’s been around the block, judging from his success at song writing and his strong following in Canada. But J. P. Houston really hit the media/airwaves in 2001, according to biographical information from Web sites associated with this Canadian singer/songwriter/producer and player of numerous instruments. According to several sources, in 2001 Houston [...]

Judging from the words being thrown around about this singer, he is gaining fans right and left. He’s appeared on a couple of top radio shows and has been heating up the blogosphere. One comment tossed his way at the L.A. Music Awards was that “Wave” (Cumulonimbus 2008) was very, very good. He’s pop and alternative, [...]

This folk duo has a CD for you. Try out “How Am I To Be” from Fire Songs (2008 Vanguard). This doesn’t strike the listener as earth-shattering stuff, but it is sort of nice to listen to. They are twins, and they will travel together to, well, nearly everywhere this summer. This tour will take [...]

Almost from the first note, this group called The Paper Tiger has something. In spite of the fact that this listener has described everything from punk to soul, Abba to ZZ Top, I can’t quite put the idea into words. Perhaps it’s the fact that half of the songs are instrumental. The other songs have [...]

There may be a surprise in store for those who go looking for Soulbucket the band. In fact, this musical project is Jay Wright, a singer and songwriter based in New York. He has been recognized for a unique ability to fuse folk, urban music and soul, all the while giving the listener “socially conscious [...]

Unlike some other true, new rock/alternative bands, Paper Street Saints are alive and well. “Wrestling the Angel” is a 2007 kicker that hits the listener in the face. This and other pieces should be on the card when PSS take to the road, with a June 24 show in Ferndale, Michigan, a June 29 show [...]