Category Archives: Music

Elvis Presley’s Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Evolution of Elvis Presley

The Louisiana Hayride was one of the best things that ever happened to Elvis Presley. Sure, Sam Phillips and his Sun Studio gave him his first break, and yes, he had played the Grand Ole Opry (once) before his Hayride … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Louisiana Hayride Classic Country Radio Vols. 1-4, Louisiana Hayride Classic Gospel Radio Vols. 1-2, Louisiana Hayride Classic Comedy Radio

The Louisiana Hayride was one of the most important radio programs for up-and-coming folk, country and rock ‘n’ roll acts in the 1940s and ’50s. Literally dozens of household names in American roots music gained their first exposure to anything … Continue reading

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Candye Kane’s The toughest girl alive

Where to start with Candye Kane? The obvious place is the name. If it sounds like the moniker of somebody involved in the adult entertainment industry … she was. But this isn’t another faded porn star putting out a slick, … Continue reading

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Various artists’ The Pink Lambert

Archeophone Records, a Bloomington, Indiana, company that specializes in releasing CDs of old 78 rpm and cylinder recordings, may just do for  Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley pop what Harry Smith’s anthology did for American folk music. The Pink Lambert: … Continue reading

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Haugaard & Høirup’s Duo for Violin & Guitar

Two highly regarded Danish folk musicians, violinist Harald Haugaard and guitarist Morten Alfred Høirup, teamed up to produce this immensely enjoyable record. The 13 tracks cover a variety of traditional and contemporary Danish folk styles: waltzes, reels, polkas and other … Continue reading

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Cordelia’s Dad’s Spine

Cordelia’s Dad started as a punk band in the late 1980s, but within a few years was approaching older American songs and tunes with a punk-informed verve, energy and wit. The music they play, and their attitude toward it, places … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Swamp Pop

Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues is a companion CD to a book of the same name by Shane K. Bernard. With or without the book, it’s an excellent primer in the Louisiana-based style of rock ‘n’ roll … Continue reading

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Richard Thompson’s Watching the Dark

Richard Thompson is often described as a cult figure, a description that Thompson himself defines as meaning that he does not have hit records and, as a result, does not make a fortune from his art. Even adepts of the … Continue reading

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Sviraj’s Ciganine

This review was written by Naomi DeBruyn. Sviraj (pronounced Svee-rye — with the “r” rolled; and meaning “Play on!”) is a trio of three childhood friends from Pennsylvania, who have been playing their music for twelve years. Their music has … Continue reading

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Waterson:Carthy’s Broken Ground

The Waterson:Carthy extended family is often described as the “First Family of English folk music,” sometimes even as the “Royal Family.” Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson’s marriage in 1972, the year that Martin became a member of the reformed Watersons, … Continue reading

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