Space Invader – Ace Frehley – Sure, he is the father of hair metal and really, he still is a giant of bubblegum metal and a riff monster. But his songs suck – B
Decimation Blues – Castanets – Experimental tones share space with some fine melodies and many changing moods by this San Diego band of thoughtful rocks – B+
Palo Alto Soundtrack- Devonte Hynes – The best album soundtrack I’ve heard since Fall On Your Swords Another World, like FOYS it stands without the movie as a haunting composition by one of our great songwriters – B+
Ske Dat De Dat – The Spirit Of Satchmo – Pleasant enough, indeed not unlike Smokey And Friends, but I can’t get behind the song choices (cmon, at Least “Sleepy Time Down South” and “Gully Low Blues”), essentially it sounds like Dr. John and friends singing random Armstrong songs – B
Can’t Even Do Right Wrong – Elvin Bishop – Still fooling around, still falling in love on this fine pub rock r&b album – B
The Golden Echo – Kimbra – I thought I’d never forgive her for the Gotye song, but she has a soulful voice and this is a fine selection of deeply felt modern pop songs, if the writing was stronger it would be major – B-
Look Again To The Wind: Johhny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited – Various Artists – His 1965 concept album in support of the Native Americans (again, in 1965 -before “Bury My Heart At Wounded Hill”) is given some fine performances by the Milk Carton Kids along with an A List of country stars (Emmylou, Earl, Kristoffersson like that) and I for one didn’t know the original but love this folk album very much – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
The Truth – Ledesi – She doesn’t have a great voice, but she knows how to sing soul funk very very well – B
60/50 Ocean Way – NEEDTOBREATH – If you listen to only one Christian rock band I guess you’d go with The Devil Wears Prada, but if you have room in your heart for two these rockers are so great the first time I heard em I didn’t realize they were a Christian band – B+
Blue Dream – Orenda Fink – The other half of Azure Ray releases a set of songs about the death of her dog and the dreams she had after, so it should be twee beyond belief but what it is is a beautifully realized set of songs about the mystery of life – B+
Influence Vol 2: The man I Am – Randy Travis – One of country’s great singers performs his very own Moondog Matinee – B+
My Type EP – Saint Motel – From glam rock to Spanish beats and swinging songs and art pop, it can’t be bad – B+
Smokey & Friends – Smokey Robinson – Hit and miss… but hit from time to time – B-
4 Track Mind – The Strypes – More of the same pub rock via Ireland – B
Great Divide – Twin Atlantic – Scot rockers with a big sound that does well in the UK and might well crack the States with this one – B-
Forever: The Love Poems Of Pablo Neruda – Ute Lemper – The incredible Cabaret singer tackles the great Chilean poet… well over the top and worth digging into – B+
Apples And Bananas – The Wiggles – One of the great things about my Orlando Great-Niece and Great-Nephew when they were in their early childhood was listening to the Wiggles with them. They grew up, I forgot to, the addition of a chick singer hurts at all – B
Blacc Hollywood – Wiz Khalifa – Looks like a pop move to me, what else explains the Nicki Minaj track? – C+
