Genre: Folk/Country Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6.5/10 Commentary: John Prine is one of those song writers who just can’t produce a bad album. This one is classic John Prine – dark but with strategic doses of optimism deployed just when things seem about to collapse from too much self-deprecation. It isn’t Prine’s very… Read More »
Genre: Rock Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6.5/10 Commentary: This album is surprisingly good. A series of left-over lyrics and writing fragments from Johnny Cash, made into songs by an interesting range of artists. There are a few forgettable entries (“Why do we still listen to Elvis Costello?”) but also some great standouts, especially… Read More »
Genre: Jazz Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 8.5/10 Commentary: Hugh Masekela–the great South African trumpet player, musical virtuoso, and activist–just died this year. This great first retrospective brings together a lot of hard-to-find music, showcasing his diverse musical styles and political edge. More info: here. Listen: here.
Genre: Pop Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 7.5/10 Commentary: This album has been getting inflated reviews from lots of folks who don’t understand much about country music and are just utterly flabbergasted to here such a solid pop album. It is still a very good album; “Butterflies” is a perfect radio single. And, despite… Read More »
Genre: Hardcore Punk/Thrash Metal Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6.5/10 Commentary: Great politically-charged cross-over metal. Music to be make you angry, and get you out on the streets. Lots of sound samples of Trump sounding stupid about walls and Mexicans and everything else. The band–originally from the Dominican Republic–moves effortlessly between Spanish and English… Read More »