A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Meet King Leg LP by King Leg. The beauty of working in a pop culture-identified medium like pop music is that, while the music does initially have finite appeal as ‘new music,’ the basic structures and forms can easily be revisited, re-purposed and re-presented as often as new artists are willing to rediscover them. Any music can be reborn with the power of belief Take King Leg’s new album, Meet King...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Trinity Lane LP by Lilly Hiatt. I must confess that I slept on Lilly Hiatt and her Trinity Lane LP when the album first arrived in my office. Regrettably, there was no good reason for it; given the timing of when it arrived, the album just kept getting shuffled under one thing after another. I did not give it the attention that it deserved, and it was only very recently –...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Certified edition of Oooooooohhh… On The TLC Tip by TLC. From a historical standpoint, it’s always remarkable to observe how and when a dynasty began. Take TLC, for example; to date, the group comes second only to The Supremes in regards to how far their influence reaches on both musical and cultural levels. That statement is made here with no hyperbole at all, it is just a FACT. The group’s sophomore...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the TX Jelly LP by The Texas Gentlemen. It might not be so easy for readers to remember now, but TX Jelly – the debut LP by Texas Gentlemen – actually springs from a tradition which once favored allowing an album to build and develop organically as musicians made it in the studio. Back before punk rock and all its myriad sub- and side-genres instilled a sense of brevity, “get in, get...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Water Records vinyl reissue of the Album – Generic Flipper LP. In music, as is the case in chemistry, the most important element is the one that ultimately provides the catalyst which sets everything else in motion. In chemistry, for example, the right combination of sulfer, charcoal and saltpeter can still remain perfectly inert but, when a spark gets added to that mix, the results are explosive; the aforementioned chemical compound...
Jaws Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by John Williams We can argue all night about what the best New England movies are, but for my money nothing comes close to Jaws. OK Second Sight might be a worthy contender, but the sheer terror of Jaws probably still overpowers it. Jaws is one of these movies that terrified us as kids and manages to stay with us in our deep consciousness. And for me, I also grew up on an island with...
Mike Watt Contemplating the Engine Room All artists are defined by one piece: the one thing that defines their work the best, has the most appeal, or has made the greatest impact. Few bands are lucky enough to have their One Work actually be good. But “luck” isn’t something that comes to mind when thinking of Mike Watt. Contemplating the Engine Room is Mike Watt’s One Work. The man has had an incredible history and is beloved by many. He’s...
Batman Returns Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Danny Elfman The Batman movies are more than great movies (for the most part). They’re a window into our soul. Let me explain. Picking your favorite Batman is like picking your favorite late night talk show host. There’s always been one we enjoy the most or can relate to the most and our choices are can tell us a lot about ourselves. The (arguably) five different Batmans are: Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the “Flesh & Bone” 7” single by Dan Rico. On first play through Dan Rico’s “Flesh & Bone” 7” single, many listeners will likely be struck and dazzled by what they hear. They’ll be excited by the tone and tenor of both “Flesh & Bone” and its B-side, “Gold Volvo,” because both tracks sound tightly and classically composed, in the finest tradition of the best power pop records. That is indeed a...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Stuyedeyed/Birds split 7” single, released on Greenway Records. It’s always kind of incredible how great a gamble a split 7” single release can be for the artists involved. Over the years, lots of bands have made great ones, yes, but there have been an equal or greater number of weak or soft efforts which feel lopsided because either one band or one song is far superior to the other. It’s a...