Blabber n' Smoke: String Theory
Nothing fancy theme-wise this time around. Just three fine albums either by violinists or prominently featuring violins. Besides, when I try to get topical with…
Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs
"I used to be disgusted, now I'm pissed." Prompted by the birth of his son, Ed Hamell is mad as hell and armed to offend.…
Blabber n' Smoke: The Dearth of the Cool
Where's my winter?!? As Joey Ramone once said, "It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow," and let me add that it sure as hell…
Blabber n' Smoke
Greetings, and welcome to Blabber n' Smoke, which is my attempt to build a nice little home for jazz within the otherwise rocking confines of…
What Comes After the Blues
What Comes After the Blues may be the best album Neil Young never recorded. Jason Molina retired the Songs: Ohia name in an attempt to…
Soft Dangerous Shores
These days, only the most isolated cultures live sans electronics, so the notion that folk music requires au naturale acoustics ain't exactly… well, folksy anymore.…
In Tongues
Over the course of In Tongues' 10 tracks, I had to keep checking to make sure my CD player to make sure it hadn't somehow…
All the Residents' Men
The biggest problem with mysteries is that sooner or later they have to be solved. And the solution to any mystery is invariably a letdown.…
Georgia Hard
Robbie Fulks' first album of new material in four years can't help but be something of a disappointment, if not in its songwriting (which is…
Birthright
Just when you think that nothing new can come of the blues, here's James "Blood" Ulmer to prove you wrong. White boy blues-rockers and houserockin'…