-
A Leif Vollebekk Masterpiece: “Sunset Boulevard Expedition”
Brand new Leif Vollebekk! Leif released ‘Revelation‘ on September 27th, and it took me until today to make it to “Sunset Boulevard Expedition,” the penultimate track on the album. Sir. Inject this into my veins and let me live in this track for a few days, please! A slow-building melancholic monster of a tune, 8 minutes and 19 seconds of bittersweet and wistful beauty. The transition mid-song to the dreamy refrain: If I have to live without you / I’m just gonna dream about you / I’m not gonna let you fade away / I’m not made that way – with accompaniment by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the heavenly swells of Sara Pagé‘s harp. The spoken words of the final moments. The genuine ACHE he feels, and the way the song just washes over me as I listen. The drummer on this tune? The legendary Jim Keltner, honorary Traveling Wilbury, who has played with so many popular musicians in the business. Please check out Leif’s story about calling up Jim out of the blue, and how the song came together. It’s here on his Instagram post. Listen to this song. Find and take in the lyrics and the imagery they evoke. Just stunning. Check out Revelation on Bandcamp or Leif’s web site.
Christopher Owens is back with new music
After a (close to) 10-year hiatus of new music, Christopher Owens is back with the recently announced ‘I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair‘ (due in October). Chris was a founding member of Girls, who split in 2012 after releasing…
Ick’s Pick: Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s ‘Texicali’
A dozen years has passed since my last “Ick’s Pick,” so why not pick it back up? I’ve been combing through the HTML wreckage of my web site for the last few weeks – fixing dead links, images and such.…
The Light Nights – Camera Obscura
If my Tuesday night hadn’t been spent catching Kamasi Washington’s Mesa gig, you would have found me Wednesday night at the intimate & awesome Crescent Ballroom watching Scottish band Camera Obscura. I fully realize I missed a terrific and rare…
Recap: Kamasi Washington at the Mesa Arts Center
Kamasi Washington wrapped up the US leg of his Fearless Movement tour on Tuesday (June 11) with a stop at the Ikeda Theater (Mesa Arts Center) here in Mesa, AZ. I became aware of Kamasi Washington back in 2015 with…
Kurt Elling, SuperBlue and Endless Lawns
Kurt Elling. Voice extraordinaire. Born 1967 in Chicago (3 years my senior), raised in Rockford, Illinois. He discovered the wonders of jazz while attending Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. He developed his vocal chops back in Chicago while…
Recap: Springsteen in Phoenix (March 19)
It’s been 19 days since the tour opener of the 2024 incarnation of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. The show took place here in Phoenix, his first show here since March 2016 (!) when Bruce and the Band…
Jeff Tweedy’s “Jesus Wept”
Crikey, it’s been almost 14 years since I last wrote here about the great and underrated Jeff Tweedy. As time chugs along, the presence of Jeff’s music – both solo and with Wilco – are like an ever present, familiar,…
Raul Malo’s Beautiful Playlist + Declan O’Rourke
I’ve been following Mavericks front man and Golden Voice Extraordinaire Raul Malo on Spotify for some time now. He has some hidden treasures there in his many playlists – for me, two playlists in particular have me coming back for…
New from Bruce Cockburn: ‘O Sun O Moon’
In 53 years of writing and recording, there’s been an undercurrent of spirituality in the music of Canadian Bruce Cockburn. He’s always had a knack for painting a picture of his Christian faith in a way that doesn’t hit you…
Galen & Paul (that’s Simonon) – Lonely Town
I’m always curious to find out how former Clash members are spending their time. In the aughts, Mick Jones collaborated with Tony James on the delightfully quirky Carbon/Silicon (moreC/S please!). Paul Simonon released a couple of albums with the Damon…
