It's a cliche to say that sometimes life is like a country song, but there still is some truth in it. Following the career 'upswing', Adler's home burned down. Recovering from that setback, he put together a new band called Cross Country -- only to be stopped by a heart attack.
Some music needs to be heard in concert to be fully appreciated. No amount of spin doctoring by journalists or peer pressure from fanatical fans can justify an act unless one catches said act live.
With a performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman earlier this month and a debut record that reached #47 on the Billboard album charts, JD McPherson is enjoying one heck of a pop cultural high.
Rockabilly favorite Rosie Flores has just released Working Girl's Guitar on Bloodshot Records, and she is an important artist who should not be overlooked.
The Black Keys and Jack White would kill to imbibe whatever magical potion Wray was concocting. And as much as I respect the Keys and White, they'll never achieve the alchemy of Wray. And they would surely agree.
It makes sense that the members of a band that plays songs about hard liquor and crime would, when asked a direct question, point their fingers at each other. It's also true that the Highballers are an exceptionally strong band.
What started out as a mild infatuation developed into a deep affection. So after repeated spins of Sugar + the Hi-lows' debut album, it's time to spread a little lovin'.
You can find out a lot about one's listening habits while out on the road. "Driving Jams," as Free Energy drummer Nick Schuminsky calls them, afford a look into both individual taste and a band's ethos.
With her brand-spanking-new Jack White-produced album, The Party Ain't Over, Wanda Jackson, 73, is making her case not for mere rock and roll relevance. She's cementing her status as royalty.
Fred Kaplan's enlivening 1959: The Year Everything Changed, argues that the '50s -- a decade that saw the invention of the microchip and the creation of explosive art -- has been misunderstood in hindsight.