Having been sent this album by Salisbury – created by guitarist/singer/songwriter Eric Lysaght – after listening, I am grateful for something to take away the sting of cold winter nights. …
Rob Ross
1030 Articles
Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?
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A name I’ve heard over time but had never actually listened to, musically. Jobriath (real name Bruce Campbell) was supposed to be a “star” when he signed a $500,000.00 dollar…
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To me, the music of Stax Records, the seminal soul music label from Memphis, has always been sacred, from the time I was a child. All of my life, Stax…
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I never cared about/for or paid much attention to the “riot grrl” movement (or any musical movements/”flavor of the moment”) in the early ’90’s, nor did I have any interest…
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So the enigmatic former frontman for The Smiths – and solo star for a quarter century – finally gave in and wrote his “tell all” autobiography. And in truth, to…
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I’m not sure how one could describe the music of the French duo Alcest. Maybe “ambient metal” – maybe “nouveau dark metal shoegazers”. Maybe neither is fair. But there is…
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FINALLY… the story of England’s Dr. Feelgood – the seminal pub-rock band who were the crucial bridge to the beginnings of punk rock – is finally available in the United…
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Quality documentary about what could be considered the musical flashpoint to hip-hop’s rhythmic beginnings. Narrated by Gene Simmons, Sample This is the story of how Michael Viner, a music industry…
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I’ve been unbelievably fortunate to have the opportunity to hear/be exposed to new artists who know how to craft great pop material in the tradition of those performers who I’ve…
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Breakneck tempos, the sound of a stuck CD, deep “metallic” bass with old-fashioned hardcore punk guitars – such is the delivery of Japan’s Melt Banana on this, their tenth album,…
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This fifth release (hence, titled Moistboyz 5) from Pennsylvania’s Moistboyz (featuring Ween’s Mickey Melchiondo as Mickey Moist) has a great, straightforward ROCK-ness to it. From the opening track “Protect And…
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It’s not often that I enjoy music videos – but when I do, I feel it necessary to help give them exposure. And it would be unprofessional of me to…
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Once again, author Heather Augustyn hits hard and deep, this time with her study of a forgotten musical legend – Jamaican trombonist Don Drummond. Acknowledged by many but heard of…
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New Jersey “all stars”, Speed The Plough are wonderfully represented here with this retrospective that looks over their now 30-plus years career (courtesy of the fine folks at Bar None…
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There’s nothing more pleasing – especially in a day and age where concert ticket prices are criminally high – than to get your money’s worth and then some from a…
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In the words of my wife, “it came off like a strange mistake of a movie”. And in a nutshell, that sums it up. This ill-conceived, misinformed and poorly executed…
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The Butterfly Ate The Pearl is the fifth album from English singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andria Degens, who goes by the moniker Pantaleimon. This is an interesting and riveting collection of soundscapes, melody…
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This Jersey Shore trio of power-popsters are another find, courtesy of Deirdre Gilmartin’s The Independent Stage radio program and quite a find they are. It may be inappropriate to say…
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Does Ezra Furman ever get tired? No sooner than The Year Of No Returning appears, he (along with the fine folks at Bar None) delivers Day Of The Dog, an…
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Ska: The Rhythm Of Liberation is a very serious study of the upbeat, rhythm-based music that was born in Jamaica. While other books have been written about the “2 Tone”…
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This double CD compilation by England’s Smoke Fairies – Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies – is a delightful gathering of early material. Rich with harmonies, guitars, melody and nods towards…
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Seeing The Bongos live is always a joyful event. But last night was the first time I had the chance to see them on the heels of a new album…
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This autobiography from the Hollies/Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young mainstay isn’t your standard book of revelations. It is one of those rare musical life reflections that, although dishing some “dirt”,…
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This Portland, Oregon trio – Carolyn Berk, Emily Kingan and Kerby Ferris – bring a strongly rhythmic, atmospheric 7th album. Themes of love, longing and loneliness permeate the lyrics. The…
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Mud Sharks is the first novel written by former Adam & The (original) Ants and Bow Wow Wow drummer Dave Barbarossa and it is a remarkable debut. A powerful story…
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When I spoke with Richard Barone back in February, we covered a lot of topics, one of which was the unreleased Bongos album, Phantom Train. At the time, it seemed…
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It’s no secret that Alex Chilton is one of my heroes. So this unexpected release is a happy reminder of what made this late musical giant so great. The story…
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It’s a wonderful testimony that not only did Cool Blue Halo strike an emotional chord in many hearts when it first appeared on Passport in late 1987, but it remains…
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I’ll start by being concise – this is one of the year’s best albums, hands down. Memphis legends Van Duren and Vicki Loveland team up to release a 12-track gem…
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It is nearly impossible for me to distinguish the reviewer from the fan; I will fail miserably in my job as the reviewer but succeed in saying, as a fan…