Bloggerhythms

I'm sure it's a good bet to say that Rob Bowman's Soulsville U.S.A. is the most comprehensive book ever written about the legendary Stax Record company of Memphis, TN. Many people consider him the ultimate authority on this long defunct label that closed in 1975 due to bankruptcy. Bowman is a Canadian born music writer who completed a PHD in ethnomusicology at the University of Memphis in 1993. In addition to this detailed history of Stax he won a grammy for his lengthy liner notes written for a box set of Stax-Volt singles in 1996. The book tells the tale of how Jim Stewart, a white, country music fan started a record company that in the 1960s became second only to Motown as a label offering rhythm and blues almost exclusively. The company's name came from combining the first two letters of its founder's last name with the first two letters of his sister's last name. She was Estelle Axton, who eventually became a major Sta...

The veteran Americana rock band, The Jayhawks , had been whittled down to a trio by the time they took on an all-acoustic tour that made its way to their hometown of Minneapolis where they played live at The Woman's Club on April 26, 2002. The performance was recorded and released on two CDs, both with a few studio demos and outtakes added as a bonus. It's the only acoustic tour the band has ever done. Gary Louris stars on vocals and acoustic guitar; Marc Perlman plays bass, mandolin and guitar; and drummer Tim O'Reagan also plays guitar and sings. The band played twenty-eight songs during the evening that included much of their standard repertoire: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Save It for a Rainy Day," "Blue," "Waiting for the Sun," "I'd Run Away," and a few other gems. The sound of the show is very good and the crowd noise is minimal, so the songs are front and ...

From its cover to its overall mood  Who Believes in Angels  looks and feels more like a classic Elton John album from the 70s than one from Brandi Carlile. You're in for a surprise if you expect this ten-song set to sound like her breakthrough record,  The Story , or any other music she's made. Even so, don't be deceived. This isn't an Elton John release featuring guest star Brandi Carlile. It's a true collaboration from two artists who truly admire each other and love working together. At no point does the rock icon - age 77 - try to upstage or condescend to his much younger friend (43). She often overpowers his voice on the duets and takes the lead on many others. Carlile has always been considered an Americana artist, but she has rocked hard in the past and does so here. At the same time John hasn't sounded this interested since his chart-topping days. Who Believes in Angels is much closer to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Capta...

Medleys are a group of unrelated, short songs that are joined together when played. The majority of side two of The Beatles' Abbey Road  is a significant example. Suites are different. They're also a group of individual songs or movements played together, but they are related to each other in some way. Audio Apartment  defines a suite as:  "an ordered set of individual pieces or movements tied together by themes or tonalities." According to the website CLRN :  "The concept of a suite dates back to the Baroque period, and it has evolved over time to incorporate various styles, forms, and instruments." By the late 1960s suites became part of the burgeoning, eclectic pop and rock music scene. It was a device frequently employed by The Moody Blues and Chicago in their early years, but one of the most prominent examples was the second single by the wonderfully talented composers and harmonizers, Crosby, Stills & Nash. ...

Terry Chimes - born July 5, 1956 in London, England and credited as Tory Crimes on The Clash's eponymous, debut album - was their original drummer and is a member of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of his former bandmates. Chimes is a very fascinating individual who is not your proto-typical punk-rocker. In his short, 167-page autobiography, The Strange Case of Dr. Terry and Mr. Chimes , the teetotalling vegetarian and spiritual rocker relates tale after tale about the rock 'n roll lifestyle and great insights about his famous band. He also tells us why he left the music business for a totally new, unrelated career. Unusually for a punk-rocker, Chimes grew up in a loving, stable family with two parents. That difference immediately set him apart from Joe Strummer and his mates, so Chimes often felt like he didn't fit in. In addition, Chimes was not aligned with the angry, political left as the other members of The ...

Although credited to Ringo Starr there should be no argument that the drummer's new country influenced album is a true collaboration with Joseph Henry "T-Bone" Burnett who produced it and wrote or co-wrote nine of its eleven songs. Look Up is a very nice set of tunes that Starr mostly sings in a laid-back style where he always sounds the most comfortable. He also plays drums on every track. Each song has its merits. Without disrupting the mood "Rosetta" is the only arrangement on which the Liverpool legend and his sidemen work up a sweat. Perhaps that's due to the presence of his brother-in-law - rocker and Eagle - Joe Walsh. The rest will easily appeal to Nashville's country establishment where most of the album was recorded. The first single and hands-down standout is "Time on My Hands," a breakup song that Starr sings without any vocal support or multi-tracking. H...