Firefall: Friends And Family (Sunset Blvd Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan I have such fond memories of Firefall from the mid 70s. They were one of those bands that truly defined an era, and their music continues to transport me back in time. The melodic tunes and soothing vocals of Firefall were a staple on AM radio during those years, and their songs served as the perfect soundtrack to many moments in my life. I vividly recall long summer vacations spent with family, where road trips were accompanied by the timeless tunes of Firefall. Whether it was “You Are The Woman“, “Just ..read more

Grateful Dead: Wake Of the Flood: The Angel’s Share (Rhino Entertainment) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan I’ve been listening to this nonstop since its release on August 18, 2023 and it is literally a time machine journey 50 years back. This isn’t for the casual Dead listener, I don’t think this would be a good collection starter. But, for the Deadhead that has everything, this is perfect. You really get to see the curtain peeled back and hear the interaction between the band members. That really is priceless to hear Phil, Jerry, and Bobby in their natural environment just being themse ..read more

Too Sad For The Public: Vol 2. Yet And Still – Traditional American Folk Song Stirring by Dick Connette (Story Sound Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Yes, it is a long title but Dick Connette can do whatever he pleases. He is music royalty. A well respected musician, composer, and producer with a long spanning career and a resume that is a mile long. This project is proof of Dick’s talents and respect he garners. So many other talented musicians and vocalists were part of this project. This album has elements of blues, country, folk, and jazz. It’s put together in such a way th ..read more

Sloppy Heads: Sometimes Just One Second (Shrimper Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan If you took The Pixies, The Velvet Underground, The Black Lips, and The Jesus And Mary Chain and threw them in a blender and ground ’em up real good, you would end up with the essence of Sloppy Heads. This is just what the doctor ordered if you like your music noisy and a little sloppy. And when I say sloppy, I am talking in a good way. How is sloppy good, you ask? I’m glad you brought that up. Sloppy in this context means not terribly worried about playing everything note for note. Leaving room ..read more

Maia Sharp: Reckless Thoughts (Crooked Crown Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Singer/Songwriter Maia Sharp has been doing it a long time. This is her 30th year in the music biz. Although not a household name yet, she has made many significant contributions in her own solo career as well as working with other artists. Reckless Thoughts is Maia’s ninth solo effort. Along with those releases, Maia has worked with many well established artists such as Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark, Bonnie Raitt, Edwin McCain, and Art Garfunkel. That’s a pretty impressi ..read more

Beth Bombara: It All Goes Up (Black Mesa Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Beth did it again. She released another fantastic album that really deserves some serious attention. She doesn’t have a big machine behind her or an unlimited budget. Despite these hurdles, Beth delivers a release that has the sound and feel of a major label release. A professional band, sublime vocals and harmonies, great songwriting, and top notch production and engineering. I just love the opening bars of this album. Some absolutely beautiful pedal steel guitar that just sets off Moment on such a posit ..read more

Nat Meyers: Yellow Peril (Easy Eye Sound Distributed by Concord) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Take a trip back to the Mississippi Delta circa 1900 with Nat Meyers. He is able to assimilate the essence of all those great country and delta blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Furry Lewis, et. al. I mean he nails it like a carpenter fastening two pieces of wood. The music is so complete and so authentic you cannot discern which period of time you are in. The only clue is the recording quality, which is definitely modern. There are no pops, crackles, or warbles ..read more

Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives: Altitude (Superlatone Creative Group under exclusive license to Snakefarm Records) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Get ready to embark on a cosmic journey with Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives as they unleash their new album, “Altitude“. This electrifying album takes the essence of outlaw country and injects it with an undeniable psychedelic flair, transporting listeners to new heights of musical euphoria. With its mesmerizing blend of classic country charm and innovative sonic wizardry, “Altitude” is a sonic experience that will le ..read more

Son Volt: Day Of The Doug (Transmit Sound/Thirty Tigers) – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan I don’t usually pay close attention to collections where an artist or group covers an entire album of another artist’s music. I have in the past and I am usually disappointed. I have a certain expectation about the sound based on the work of the previous artist. Frankly, the tribute album very rarely lives up to the original recordings. Of course there are exceptions to all rules. “Dwight Sings Buck” from 2007 is the first one that comes to mind. That is a collection of Buck Owens tunes that were i ..read more

Alex Blum And The Roadside Quartet: If You’re Even Listening – Album Review Reviewed by Harry Kaplan Alex Blum And The Roadside Quartet have challenged us to see “If You’re Even Listening” to their newest full length album. In the last three years, Alex Blum and company have been busy. This outfit from southwest Washington has put out some great music. Yes, it was COVID time and there wasn’t anything else happening but the band was hard at work releasing singles, EPs, and full length albums. This is their follow up to the February, 2021 EP, “Talk Amongst Yourselves”. The band’s primary songwri ..read more