Listening Booth »
Listening Booth: Ry Cooder, “I, Flathead”
The final entry in Ry Cooder’s California trilogy, I, Flathead finds Cooder exploring the Southern California drag-racing culture that centered on the state’s salt flats. Much like the first entry in the series, 2005’s
Read More »Listening Booth: Brian Vogan, “Little Songs”
Brian Vogan – Little Songs (2008) purchase this album (CD Baby) I didn’t mean for it to be this way — and every time I review one of these, I grow more afraid that
Read More »Listening Booth: Sia, “Some People Have Real Problems”
It was either Soren Kierkegaard or Wayne Campbell from Wayne’s World who said: “Once you label me, you negate me.” And so it goes with Sia – whose latest release, Some People Have Real
Read More »Listening Booth: Various Artists, “Ten Out of Tenn, Volume 2″
Various Artists – Ten Out of Tenn, Volume 2 (2008) Way back in the Paleolithic, when I still fancied myself a recording artist/label owner, I spent some time in Nashville writing songs for one
Read More »Listening Booth: Andrew Ripp, “Fifty Miles to Chicago”
Andrew Ripp – Fifty Miles to Chicago (2008) purchase this album (Amazon) Name an album Fifty Miles to Chicago — or pose for a cover shot while you’re walking in the desert in a
Read More »Listening Booth: Brandon Schott, “Golden State”
Brandon Schott – Golden State (2007) purchase this album (Amazon) Brandon Schott is a patient man. As those of you who read Jefitoblog might recall, I assembled a “staff” of writers at one point,
Read More »Listening Booth: Love as Laughter, “Holy”
Stylistically, Love as Laughter have jumped around a fair amount over 14 years of existence. Holy, the sixth release from frontman and founding member Sam Jayne (who seems to be the only consistent name
Read More »Listening Booth: The Notwist, “The Devil, You + Me”
Looking at the six years between The Devil, You + Me, the newest release from the Notwist, and Neon Golden, the release that threw them into American ears, leaves a deceiving impression. Markus Acher
Read More »Listening Booth: Alejandro Escovedo, “Real Animal”
We’ve been hearing the “rock is dead” pronouncements for so many years now that we don’t even listen anymore. “It is what it is,” we blithely proclaim, pretending not to care. But if you’re
Read More »Listening Booth: Artist of the Year, “Big Night”
Here’s the deal: Every once in a while one stumbles upon a group or whatever that just knocks you on your butt and you gotta broadcast your discovery to the world. Last night I
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