The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
As smooth as butter, and as creaky as a porch swing, the soul coming out of this record hits all the right notes. It’s the latest, and fourth solo LP from Son Little, originating out of Philadelphia. This one is called Like Neptune, and like that sea god controlling the tides, this impressive singer ebbs and flows with steady downbeat rhythms. Production wise it’s subtle with sparse instrumentation, blending acoustic with electric, but also takes more electronic turns that actual became the best highlights of the album. He touches on different moods as well, from sensual R&B to painful blues, delivering certain lyrics that will occasionally break you from the trance of his terrific voice. The love of the genre is really felt on this one, by a truly talented artist.
The Omega to the Week Starter Alpha, Week Ender is the song we want to send you into the weekend with.
An effortlessly funky soulful rootsy bluesy mix to kick off the weekend? Don’t mind if we do. “For Free” by alliteration lover Emily Elbert is such an easy, unforced, natural feeling groove that it almost feels like something that was found in nature. A perfectly cool woodland stream bubbling and dancing through a remote forest on a hot day and also the stream gets you tipsy. How good is this song? So good that we’re writing a bad fantasy short story about it. Come, gather your allies around and drink from the magical musical stream that will make you drop your chainmail and shake a tail feather (figuratively for the humanoids, literally for bird people in your group).
Mike’s Monday Muse is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
Ry Cooder in The Irish Times: “Nobody didn’t like Brownie and Sonny. Everybody liked them, especially white people who’d never heard of the blues, didn’t know what it was, wouldn’t have wanted to know what it was.” Mahal: “The blues haven’t gone anywhere; it is the people who’ve disappeared.” Cooder and Mahal’s tribute album to McGhee and Terry called Get On Board comes out April 22 on Nonesuch Records. It’s pure greatness.
Mike’s Monday Muse is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
Beverly Guitar Watkins was eight years old in 1947 when she taught herself to play “John Henry” on a Stella guitar bought from Sears Roebuck. She won a talent show playing “Blue Suede Shoes” on that Stella in high school where she also learned to play piano, bass, and trumpet. In Paris is a new release of a 2012 live show out now on Music Maker Foundation. She sleighs covers of “You Send Me” and “What I Say” on the album and two songs, “Red Mama” and “Sugar Baby Swing,” are named after her guitars.
Friday 5×5 is our segment where we give you five new tracks to check out and give ourselves the challenge of describing said tracks in only five words.
Holy hell, is it Friday again already? Time keeps on slipping, but this music does not. Check out our micro-reviews of new music from MOWESBY, Jake La Botz, Adee Gershon, Shrill Carder and Robert PM after the jump. . .
It’s the end of the world and Ringhold feel dark and vibey as hell. On “Latest News” the Estonian duo lay down a bewitching minimalist groove via Kalle Tikas reverbed out electric guitar and eleOnora’s vocals – which give us everything from Nico to Beefheart, often within a single passage. If it all feels a bit fatalistic, well that’s because it is, with lyrics focusing on ecological extinction and an experimental vocal passage in the middle that sounds first like animals dying and then humans dying (it works, trust us). If the end is nigh, and lately signs point to yes, there’s nothing that says we can’t have a great soundtrack as we ride into oblivion.
Wordless Wednesdays is our new weekly column where we spotlight the best new instrumental tracks.
With the world wide word shortage due to Wordle becoming “a whole thing,” we’re doing our part by presenting you with two new instrumental tracks from Captain Rico & The Ghost Band and John DiStase Music.
Well, well, well if it isn’t Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band dropping yet another absolute banger of boot stomping, can shaking party blues complete with an equally fun and creative music video. This is what we in the music blog bizness call “the good shit.”
Mike’s Monday Muse is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
Alan Lomax first recorded Muddy Waters in Stovall, Mississippi in 1941-1942. In 1943 Muddy went to Chicago to pursue a music career and I Can’t Be Satisfied was released in 1948 on Aristocrat (Chess) Records. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and so many other rich white rock bands have been ripping off Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Leadbelly, Ma Rainey and so many other amazing black musicians for decades. We all got to go along for the ride.
Mike’s Monday Muse is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
Sunny War is a blues and folk artist creating songs inspired by her experiences from living on the streets and coming together as a community. She made her most recent record, Simple Syrup, in Venice Beach and founded a Food Not Bombs chapter in LA during the pandemic.
