When last we left our heroes, they were down one member (Slipperman reference intended). Would they pack it in or soldier on? Turns out they had no intention of breaking…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Brad Mehldau Trio – Day is Done (2005) purchase this album You wouldn’t know it from listening to Day is Done — or a lot of Mehldau’s other stuff —…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
The Fabulous Thunderbirds – Painted On (2005)purchase this album Yep, those Fabulous Thunderbirds. Whether you’re a patron of the blues, or you just listened to enough FM rock in the…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Hey, all — if you’re home tonight around 8:30, get UPN, and want to see an official FOJ (that’s Friend of Jefitoblog) on TV, make sure you tune into Love,…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Jamie Cullum – Catching Tales (2005)purchase this album Cullum’s introduction to American audiences was last year’s Twentysomething, a pleasant, slightly quirky set of jazzish tunes that instantly established him as…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Dar Williams – My Better Self (2005)purchase this album Dar Williams has written some great songs, and recorded some fine albums. I’m particularly partial to her bittersweet “When I Was…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine (2005)purchase this album Once upon a time, just listening to Fiona Apple made me grit my teeth. This was during the Tidal era, when critics…
Jeff Giles
9 Min Read
[Note: Just as another reminder, this week’s Guide has been thoughtfully guest-blogged for you and me by Joe at Illicit Noise. Please join me in giving him a round of…
John C. Hughes
2 Min Read
Argh. I really tried to get this up by Halloween, but it took quite a bit of work, i.e. rummaging through old VHS tapes, then some encoding, blah blah. So…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Whoa. It’s November 1 already? As some of you already know, or may have guessed, my wife and I are the proud owners of a shiny new baby. Her arrival…
John C. Hughes
3 Min Read
Being the total music geek that I am, I can tell you the first CD I ever bought. Well, make that the first two CDs I ever bought, since they…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Halloween’s around the corner, so for the next two weeks, we’ll focus on some seasonally themed Lost in the 80’s tunes. As SCTV’s Count Floyd would say, “Scary stuff, kids!”…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Hey folks, I hate to have to do this, but my mp3 archives are over their bandwidth limit again. Last month was our first month with the new host, as…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Just popping to share this, from E! Online… NEWS FROM PORT CHARLES: Singer-actor Rick Springfield reprising his role as Dr. Noah Drake on ABC’s General Hospital starting December 2. Wowza….
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Pat Metheny – One Quiet Night (2003)purchase this album Not that I ever have what could rightly be described as a “rough day” — I mean, I make stuff look…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
When I was a kid, The Cars were a good, but majorly overplayed, pop band. Think “You Might Think.” Or “Magic.” Or “Drive.” Or (shudder) “Tonight She Comes.” So take…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Does anybody else remember this guy? It’s Fatlip, formerly of the Pharcyde, and his solo debut is finally coming out in a few weeks. It’s called The Loneliest Punk (or,…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
My Morning Jacket – Z (2005)purchase this album Before listening to Z, everything I knew about My Morning Jacket had nothing to do with their music. They’re Southern! They have…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
John Cale – Black Acetate (2005)purchase this album Aside from one time when I listened to a Velvet Underground album (and I don’t remember which one), I have no experience…
Jeff Giles
17 Min Read
How you feel about Jackson Browne probably depends largely on your level of appreciation for songcraft in general; if you’re the type of person who thinks that, say, the Sex…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
If you’ve been searching for this week’s Guide, not to worry: It’s been written. Actually, it’s been written for hours now. It’s just that I’m apparently hosting with Our Lady…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
The Shout Out Louds – Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (2005)purchase this album I know, I know, I’m way behind the times on this; it was originally issued overseas in 2003,…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Various Artists – I Believe to My Soul (2005) purchase this album I’ve done it with increasing regularity this year, but I always feel a little uneasy when I buy…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Here’s a first – a pre-emptive Lost in the ’80s post to make up for a set of reissues that, while nice, will be missing something… November 15th will see…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Charlie Sexton – Cruel and Gentle Things (2005)purchase this album Charlie Sexton has been kicking around the business since 1985, when — at the tender age of sixteen — he…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Depeche Mode – Playing the Angel (2005)purchase this album I think songwriters do an important job. By taking the multitude of life’s experiences and rephrasing them in ways that strike…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Today’s detour into Bootleg City takes us to One Jellyfish Lane, the deserted doorstep of a band I dearly miss. The shifting crew of Bay Area pop fiends who called…
Jeff Giles
13 Min Read
Beach Boys, “You Still Believe in Me” — from Pet Sounds (1966)purchase the album I just had a conversation about this album, and this song, a few days ago, the…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Tracy Chapman – Where You Live (2005)purchase this album My first reaction on seeing this was “Tracy Chapman still has a record deal?” My second was “Huh. Sounds like a…