The Subdudes may not be among the New Orleans musical legends that the average Joe could immediately name. But examine the band’s track record, which stretches back a couple of decades, and its seamless blend of riveting rock and roll, nimble rhythms, and sinewy roots. It’s clear the Subdudes have…
Julian Dawson Deep Rain juliandawson.com Julian Dawson’s something of a journeyman, a musician whose good-natured delivery and crossover appeal finds him equally amenable to the folkier realms of his native U.K. and the down-home environs of Nashville. The latter is where he recorded this latest LP, Deep Rain. Like all…
James Dunn The Long Ride Home jamesdunnmusic.comEven the title boasts an air of familiarity, one that translates to the sound of the songs themselves. It breeds a connection that finds these muscular melodies recalling the angst-filled anthems of Bruce Springsteen as they might sound if sung by Jackson Browne. Indeed,…
The Matthew Herbert Big Band There’s Me and There’s You matthewherbert.com Despite the name, the Matthew Herbert Big Band has as much in common with Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong as Dave Grohl does with Barry Manilow. Instead of bringing brass to the fore, it’s mined in the mix, creating…
If the resilient spirit of New Orleans could be summed up with a sound, it would likely reflect the music of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a group whose synthesis of jazz, blues, bop, funk, and R&B has made them the Crescent City’s cultural ambassadors for the better part of…
When you have been playing guitar professionally since age 12, are employed by the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and gig nearly 300 days a year, it’s obvious that free time is in short supply. Derek Trucks, the nephew of Allman Brothers percussionist Butch Trucks, knows that dilemma all…
South Florida bands must have a preoccupation with auto interiors. How else to explain the striking similarity in the handles of two bands that reside in such close proximity — Boca’s Dashboard Confessional and Miami’s Dashboard Saints? No matter; both have made names for themselves, although admittedly the latter has…
Caroline DoctorowAnother Country www.carolinedoctorow.com Caroline Doctorow’s penchant for crafting descriptive narratives comes naturally. The daughter of author E.l. Doctorow, she has released six albums that spotlight her ability to meld astute observations and genuine folk finesse. It’s fitting, then, that this latest offering should find her paying tribute to the…
James McMurtry’s penchant for lyrical detail would seem to come naturally; he is, after all, the son of novelist Larry McMurtry, author of the Lonesome Dove sagas and other gritty narratives forged from the American heartland. It follows, then, that over the course of eight albums, the younger McMurtry’s carved…
A covers album from a South Florida combo is hardly breaking news, considering that this a locale where well-crafted original music is a rare commodity. But when you’re talking about the sophomore set from the Postmarks, a group widely hailed for purveying a distinctive style, it’s initially surprising that, two…
You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter (Epitaph) Hmmm. It seems this local duo has renamed itself appropriately. If you’ve never heard of I Set My Friends on Fire before, it’s the same two Miami homeboys — Matt Mihana and Nabil Moo — who used to play around town as We…
Great Big Sea Fortune’s Favour greatbigsea.com U2 and Coldplay aren’t the only ones to claim an anthemic stance. When it comes to rousing the masses, they don’t have anything on Great Big Sea, a band from the shores of Newfoundland, Canada. Taking the traditions of their hearty environs, they retrace…
Although it would be a misnomer to define Bright Eyes as a pop sensation, in recent years, its musical mainstay, Conor Oberst, has moved his ever-shifting ensemble more toward the mainstream. Their last album, Cassadaga, proved to be their most accessible yet, an apt follow-up to the band’s true breakthrough…
Suffice it to say Sarah Brightman is one class act. Known for her soaring soprano and waif-like demeanor, she’s musical theater’s leading lady… a diva deluxe… and, it might be noted, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s ex. She’s also a pop princess, with credits that include more than 26 million albums sold…
The fact that Duncan Sheik brought home an armful of honors at the recent Tony Awards — thanks to his sensational smash-hit musical Spring Awakening — may have led some unaware observers to believe that he has always been a Broadway bard. In fact, Sheik started his career as a…
We ‘R’ Us is a lot better album than its self-serving title might imply… so much better, in fact, that it could be one of the best local rock albums released in recent memory. Chock-full of effusive grooves, resilient melodies, and supple hooks, it finds the New Planets in a…
Legend has it that during Ronald Reagan’s first run for president, his wife, Nancy, suggested that using Bruce Springsteen’s then-popular anthem “Born in the USA” as a campaign song might be one way to siphon off the youth vote. So Nancy arranged for a backstage visit after one of Springsteen’s…
The Floating Men Pleasurado! floatingmen.com Formed in Nashville in the early ’90s, the Floating Men were quickly classified as Americana due as much to their hometown as anything. Having maintained a strict indie ethic over the past 15 years, the group has released a steady stream of melodically endowed offerings,…
Jeff Finlin Ballad of a Plain Man With a voice that’s as fluid as molasses, Finlin sings from a weary but resilient point of view. Sounding like a cocksure barfly, he balances himself precipitously between a swagger and a stagger while crooning songs that run an emotionally frayed gamut, from…
The case of Charlie Pickett is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s classic stories of almost-was. The Dania Beach homeboy spent much of the ’80s working the road from here to the heartland, producing three highly acclaimed albums and an EP, and he garnered a rabid local following in the process…
Patrick Bloom Moses Memorable melodies, haunting refrains, and breathtaking performances find Moses echoing the influences of earlier pop prophets. No matter that Bloom hails from Iowa — here’s an album etched in the tradition of Jackson Browne, Brian Wilson, and other singer/songwriter types of the ’60s and ’70s. This music…
Classic Albums Live performs the Doors’ self-titled debut album
