The new Apples In Stereo album, Travellers (sic) In Space and Time, finds the band traveling back to the ’70s and ’80s to dutifully recreate the sound of pop music…
Ken Shane
830 Articles
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Gene Chandler scored a career-defining hit with “Duke of Earl” in 1962. Topping it wasn’t easy, but he found success again in 1964 with “Just Be True.”
Ken Shane
4 Min Read
A case could be made that Exile on Main Street (Universal) is the greatest rock and roll album ever made. After all, it’s got everything, from the full-tilt boogie of…
Ken Shane
3 Min Read
It was 1969. One warm summer night I found myself parked on a quiet street not far from my Atlantic City home. The girl’s name was Dorothy. We could never…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Garnett Mimms and the Enchanters had a massive hit in 1963 with “Cry Baby,” but it’s a less well known 1964 b-side by the group that has stuck in Ken Shane’s memory.
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
By the time a 24 year-old Otis Redding arrived in Los Angeles in 1966 for appearances that included a Hollywood Bowl show with Donovan, Sonny & Cher, and the Mamas…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
It’s the dobro on the song “The Sweet Part of the City” that you hear first on the new Hold Steady album Heaven Is Whenever (Vagrant Records) . Your immediate…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
When I first encountered the legend of the Magnificent Men, it was like something out of a movie. According to the story, this group of white kids from Harrisburg and…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
You probably decided whether you are going to watch the latest installment of the great PBS series American Masters tonight when you saw the title. Because when it comes to…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
A funny thing happened to Everest on the road to releasing their second album. The plan was to release the album on Vapor Records, just as they had released their…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Released during the tumult of 1968, this Judy Collins album served Ken Shane as an oasis of serenity during some dark days.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In 1968, Aretha Franklin had a hit with “Sweet, Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone),” but it was the B-side that broke hearts among soul music fans everywhere.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Every once in awhile I have the opportunity to report on an artist who continues to grow and evolve with each new release. It’s one of the most gratifying things…
Ken Shane
3 Min Read
I have mixed feelings when it comes to telling people about some of the shows I’ve seen. After all, the Beatles in ’64, Dylan in ’65, and the Stones in…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
“Big Audio Dynamite was born from the ashes of the Clash, something Mick (Jones) was never allowed to forget (hell, why should he!), and I was always aware of the…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
Joni Mitchell is a long-time member of my personal pantheon. It’s a short list of artists who I revere not just for what they produce, but for the journey that…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Impressions were responsible for some of the most compelling anthems of the civil rights era, but Curtis Mayfield also had a way with a romantic ballad.
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
I love Shelby Lynne. I’m not given to starting my reviews with such proclamations, but I think it’s important that you know where I’m coming from. Not only is Shelby…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
When it comes to soul music, there’s only one King of the saxophone: King Curtis. Ken Shane begins his new column with a look at Curtis’ most famous song, “Soul Serenade.”
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
There is a group of great American songwriters who make the process seem so effortless that sometimes their brilliance is taken for granted. Their chord structures are simple, mostly played…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
I don’t know how strange it’s been, but it has certainly been a long trip for Matt Pond PA. The band’s story begins in Philadelphia in 1998, before relocating to…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane is giving away a vinyl copy of Jeff Beck’s new album. Find out how you can win!
Ken Shane
4 Min Read
The venerable Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey, began life as a legitimate theatre in 1922 before being converted to a movie theatre in 1929. The venue fell on hard…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
I am certainly not about to knock any songwriter who includes a song called “Shane” on his album. In this case, Martin Sexton is writing about his son, but his…
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
I like the good old three chord rock and roll as much as any other jaded music writer does. But I also like innovation. I love hearing young bands trying…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Retro-soul is a musical style in which contemporary artists attempt to recapture the sound and feel of the great soul music of the ’60s and early ’70s. Musical touchstones include…
Ken Shane
3 Min Read
“The general theme of this record is trying to find balance in your life and being okay with decisions, mistakes, and even triumphs. Being satisfied with whatever world you’ve carved…
Ken Shane
3 Min Read
On February 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived in America, and everything changed. When I say everything, I don’t just mean music. The world was never the same. The societal upheaval…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane looks back on the many memorable events of 1968, including the release of a classic Simon & Garfunkel album.
Ken Shane
4 Min Read
The famous story goes that T.A.M.I. Show (Shout Factory) Executive Producer Bill Sargent wanted the Rolling Stones to close the show. The Stones, however, had seen James Brown’s act, and…