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The love affair began over a fuzzy guitar lick topped with a greasy organ swirl. Keyboardist Nicole Laurenne and guitarist Michael Johnny Walker were in a band rehearsal when the other musicians stepped out for a smoke. Walker noticed a fuzz pedal … Continue reading
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Though the band now resides in Austin, Meat Puppets and the brothers Kirkwood (Curt and Cris) will be forever tied to the Valley of the Sun whence they sprung. That connection has gotten stronger to with the addition of Curt’s … Continue reading
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If your blood runs even a wee bit green, then the Musical Instrument Museum‘s “Experience Ireland” celebration is a must-see happening. The weekend event (March 16 and 17 — of course) features a plethora of events, performances and activities celebrating St. Patrick’s … Continue reading
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Bassist Victor Wooten has always been musical innovator, challenging the limitations of the electric bass and, in the process, developing new sounds and ways to play the instrument. His songwriting follows the same pattern. Whether composing as a founding member … Continue reading
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Blues guitarist Keb’ Mo’ is something of a household name at this stage in his career. He’s got a pocketful of Grammys and assorted other music awards and was a central character in Martin Scorsese’s miniseries The Blues. His most recent album, The Reflection, was a deviation … Continue reading
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Eric Bibb and Habib Koité, Musical Instrument Museum, 2/11/13 The distance between Memphis, Tennessee, and Bamako, Mali, West Africa, is geographically large, but last night that distance in musical terms was no more than the three feet separating Eric Bibb … Continue reading
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Jackson Browne, Orpheum Theatre, February 13, 2013 Back in 1975 Olivia Newton John lyrically asked the question “Have you ever been mellow?” Such a question would never be posed to Jackson Browne. The singer/songwriter has to be the mellowest rock … Continue reading
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PDP is not the newest designer drug or texting acronym. No, it’s the hip way to name-drop Poi Dog Pondering, the cross-cultural band that flirted briefly with mainstream success in the 1990s and has managed to stick around without it. Why? … Continue reading
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Blues Control duo guitarist Russ Waterhouse and pianist Lea Cho travel the spaceways of indie rock on an undulating platform of psychedelia, electronic, jazz, prog, and new age conventions. The combined result is music that flows from blissful quiet to … Continue reading
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Think one-man band: cymbals on the elbows, drum on the back, horns under the arms, and tambourines on the knees creating a cacophony of sound designed to annoy passersby. Now, try to envision That 1 Guy, a.k.a. Mike Silverman, as he … Continue reading
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Was Tito Puente the first Latin funk pioneer? The bandleader behind many driving albums blending Latin traditions with swinging jazz would have been hard-pressed to say yes — funk wasn’t yet invented. But by the 1970s, there were no doubt about the … Continue reading
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It’s hard to know where to start with The Residents. The band’s press release claims that they neither exist nor play any instruments, and yet they have released more than 60 albums, a smattering of videos, DVDs, and short films, … Continue reading
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Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite Get Up! (Stax) There’s always been a bluesman bottled up inside slide guitarist Ben Harper. Subtle elements of the blues can found even in his most hook-laden rock songs. With harp virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, Harper … Continue reading
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It’s always interesting hearing an alternate version of a popular song. That’s one of the appeals of live music. But that version is especially worthwhile when it’s the original version by the original artist. Such is the case at a … Continue reading
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Listening to the North Mississippi Allstars‘ debut album, Shake Hands with Shorty, in 2000 was like getting hit in the face with a giant blues paddle. I mean, where did that sound suddenly come from? The music was loud, aggressive, and up front, and … Continue reading
