Category: Misc
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Art Farmer, The Many Faces of Art Farmer, Scepter Records, 1964
My copy (as you can see from the images) is an UpFront records reissue from the 70s, retitled as just Art Farmer. UpFront was a sublabel of Springboard International out of New Jersey, which reissued lots of compilation jazz and blues records from artists originally released on other labels (some are advertised on the rear…
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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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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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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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Charles Bradley, Victim of Love, 2013 on Dunham / Daptone.
Charles Bradley is a great story – picked out of relative obscurity into a music career in his early 50s. Sadly he died (of stomach cancer) in 2017. He worked as a Chef in Bar Harbor, Maine, as well as Seattle and Alaska, before becoming something of a James Brown impersonator (under the name Black…
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John Mayall, Jazz Blues Fusion, 1972 on Polydor
Mayall is joined here by Larry Taylor, Freddy Robinson, Ron Selico, Clifford Solomon and Blue Mitchell – adding sax and trumpet to his traditional blues approach. Recoded in Boston (venue unstated) November 18th, 1971 and then at Hunter College in New York on December 3rd and 4th. My copy via a record fair at Mill…
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Laura Veirs, My Echo, 2020 on Raven Marching Band Records
Portland Oregon singer-songwriter who’s been putting out consistently strong records since 1999’s self-titled debut. Produced by Tucker Martine, with a set of musicians including Karl Blau, Justin Chase, Steve Moore, and Tim Young and guest spots from Bill Frisell, M. Ward and Jim James. My copy (on pink translucent vinyl) via Newbury Comics in Boston.
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The Isley Brothers, 3+3 featuring: That Lady, 1973 on T-Neck
The Isley Brothers is one of those bands i didn’t know well but have started to appreciate more as I collect vinyl – whenever i find a record of theirs in decent shape I just pick it up. Picked up this copy via a vinyl fair at Mill No. 5 in Lowell. In addition to…
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Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend, 2008 on XL Recordings.
Debut album from Vampire Weekend, including Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. How could I not love a band with grooves like this and references to punctuation? For the English major (and PhD) to have an indie rock band come out of Columbia with a pedigree involving Dirty Projectors and touring with The Shins…
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Various Artists, Ruby Trax: The NME’s Roaring Forty, 1992 on New Musical Express.
This was a 3xLP box set issued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the New Musical Express – which ran in print from 1952 to 2018 when it went digital-only (though it is said to be coming back). The compilation was full of contemporary artists covering songs that had been covered in the NME during…
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The Blues Project, Live at the Cafe Au Go Go, 1966 on Verve Folkways
Credited on the cover as “featuring Tommy Flanders,” who had left the group by the time it was released. My copy is a 1966 mono version which I found at Island Music on Martha’s Vineyard. The lineup on this release includes Andy Kulberg on bass and flute, Roy Blumenfeld on drums, Danny Kalb on lead…
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Blossom Dearie, Blossom Dearie. 1957 on Verve.
The inimitable Blossom Dearie’s debut album. My copy is the 2022 reissue from Vinyl Me, Please, which includes listening notes by Natalie Weiner. Ray Brown, Jo Jones, and Herb Ellis make up the band.
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Monday, October 17th, 2022 – Moment of Zen
Moment of Zen
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Thursday, July 29th, 2021
I don’t think that’s what white rice looks like.
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Saturday, May 25th, 2019 – Boston Calling Day Two
Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals Dessa
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I am the Moss King
I am the Moss King