Cover of Reckoning My sister-in-law Yvette posted this challenge on Facebook: Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. They might not be what you listen to now, […]
One of my favorite bands, Son Volt, is playing a show at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma on March 31. The main creative force behind Son Volt is Jay Farrar, formerly a member of the influential “alt-country” band Uncle Tupelo, whose other main creative force, Jeff Tweedy, later formed the band Wilco. Jay Farrar’s solo albums are more acoustic (they are categorized as “Americana”, although I’m not exactly sure what […]
As a REM fan/fanatic since 1982, the last few offerings since the departure of drummer Bill Berry have been disappointing. Up seemed like an odd experiment that went sideways (too much techo-instrumentation and overly restrained Stipe vocals). Reveal was better, with stronger songwriting and a more let-it-rip feel. I was wondering where the band would go with its latest CD, Around the Sun. For the first few listens, I confess […]