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Steve Goodman, Steve Goodman, 1971 on Buddah Records
Steve Goodman’s an under-appreciated American singer songwriter, mostly known as the guy who wrote “City of New Orleans” (as in, Good Morning, America, how are ya? Don’t you know me I am your native son . . . ). He also hung out with John Prine and Kris Kristofferson in the Chicago folk scene before…
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The Suburbs at the Icehouse, November 3rd 2023
While I was in town for my mother’s 80th birthday, I was able to pick up tickets to see The Suburbs at Icehouse. (I guess this is the time of the 80s bands for me, having seen The Violent Femmes, U2, and now The Suburbs all in the course of ~4 weeks). It’s an all-GA…
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Nancy Sinatra, Movin’ With Nancy, 1967 on Reprise
Full subtitle: The Soundtrack from Her Television Special with Special Guests Dean Martin, Lee Hazlewood, and a very close Relative. The “very close relative,” of course, would be dad (and Reprise label CEO) Frank – perhaps not credited by name for legal reasons? Dean Martin takes a duet on “Things” and Frank takes “Younger Than…
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Los Lobos, Native Sons, 2021 on New West
This is a three sided LP, with an etching on the fourth side. Los Lobos, proud Angelenos, covering songs by other Los Angeles bands, including folks like Stephen Stills, Jackson Browne, and the Beach Boys, but also Lalo Guerrero, Thee Midnighters, and Percy Mayfield. The band sounds great as ever, and I love hearing their…
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Japandroids, Celebration Rock, 2012 on Polyvinyl
Japandroids are a duo out of Vancouver BC – while this was their second album (the first was 2009’s Post-Nothing), it was their big breakout record and was pretty unavoidable in the early 2010s. My copy is the 2023 reissue by Vinyl Me Please, on what they call Fire’s Highway vinyl.
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Bob Marley & The Wailers, Legend (The Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers), 1984 on Island Records.
This was required listening and a mandatory part of any healthy CD collecting heading into college in the 80s. It didn’t matter what musical subculture you came from, this was the lingua franca. I went on to many other Marley albums and deeper knowledge of Reggae and Caribbean music, but this was the one everyone…
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Washboard Sam, with Big Bill Broonzy and Memphis Slim, Feeling Lowdown, 1971 on RCA Victor
Released as part of the RCA Victor Vintage Series, “created to bring you selected reissued performances, unavailable for some years, by great personalities of the popular, jazz and folk music worlds.” Washboard Sam, aka Robert Brown, recorded for Victor and Bluebird between 1935 and 1949 – these recordings all come from sessions in 1941 and…
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Astrud Gilberto, The Astrud Gilberto Album with Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1965 on Verve
A few weeks back I posted Getz Au Go Go from 1964 – this was released about a year later, and recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood in January of 1965, mastered by Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Creed Taylor. The liner notes (by Jack Maher) start off: “Astrud Gilberto is no longer just…
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U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere in Las Vegas (10/18)
I’m not really a Las Vegas person. I don’t gamble, I don’t love the desert, and I’m not in to high-end shopping, strip clubs, or whatever else Sin City is supposed to offer. To me it’s usually just a hot, crowded, series of smoke-filled rooms and broad streets I have to navigate through in search…
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Sara Watkins, Under the Pepper Tree, 2021 on New West
I’ve been a big fan of Sara Watkins going back to Nickel Creek, I’m With Her, and her solo work. Great versions of “Pure Imagination” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.” Produced by Tyler Chester and with guests from I’m With Her and Nickel Creek My copy direct from New West
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Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material, 2015 on Mercury Nashville
The follow up to her break out Same Trailer, Different Park, released in 2015 on Mercury Nashville. Love the songwriting here – modern twist on classic country songwriting, co-produced by Musgraves with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. My copy is the Vinyl Me Please reissue on gold nugget vinyl, with listening notes by Amileah Sutliff
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Santigold, Santigold, 2008 on Downtown / Lizard King
My copy is the recent Vinyl Me Please reissue on “gold nugget” vinyl. This is a 15th anniversary edition with an “art print” by Isabelle Lumpkin (Narcissister) who designed the original cover. Originally released as a self-titled album by Santogold, she later changed her name to Santigold based on legal action – so the later…
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Stray Cats, Stray Cats / Pin Up, 1981 on Arista
This was their debut album – after forming in NY they moved to the UK and this was first released there in early 1981. It wasn’t released in the US until after Built for Speed, which included six of the tracks from this debut. Produced by Dave Edmunds and the band. The cover and spine…
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Stephane Grappelli, with The Hot Club of London, I Got Rhythm, 1974 on Black Lion
Recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London November 1973, and featuring Diz Disley, Denny Wright, and Len Skeat along with Grappelli. Liner notes by Alan Morgan. My copy via Mystery Train Records in Gloucester MA, which has a pretty impressive Jazz selection
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Violent Femmes at MGM Music Hall
Last night the Violent Femmes played MGM Music Hall in Boston – great venue tucked under a corner of Fenway park. This was a stop on the tour of playing their debut self-titled album in its entirety, celebrating the 40th annivesary Please Please Please Do Not Go Gone Daddy Gone I’m Nothing Gimme the Car…
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Erika Lewis, A Walk Around The Sun, 2022 self-released
I knew Erika Lewis from Tuba Skinny, of which I’m a huge fan, so I picked up this solo album when I heard it had been released. It was produced by John James Tourville of The Deslondes. It’s a different register than the Tuba Skinny repertoire – more in a roots / americana / even…
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Kevin Morby, City Music, 2017 on Dead Oceans
Morby‘s fourth solo album and second on Dead Oceans – he was previously in Woods and The Babies. Includes a cover of “Caught in My Eye” by the Germs and a passge from Flannery O’Connor My copy is the Vinyl Me, Please reissue from 2023 on white & orange tie-dye vinyl, which includes a 12…