Category Archives: Music

Johnny Cash’s Johnny Cash At San Quentin

In the late 1960s, Johnny Cash was on a roll. He was finally getting his life together after a disastrous decade of drug abuse which led to lots of legal problems, a divorce and a growing reputation as an erratic … Continue reading

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Various artists’ The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show, 1969-1971

American musicians always have, for the most part, understood that the various categories of American music are mostly imaginary. They’re marketing tools drawn up by those in the business of selling music to the public, and they cater mostly to … Continue reading

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Chris Whitley’s Hotel Vast Horizon

Chris Whitley first took center stage with a stunning debut album called Living With The Law in 1991. Slide guitar, solid rhythms and Chris’s vocals in a Lousiana gumbo … it was beautifully funky. After a couple of changes of … Continue reading

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Podcast review: Discord & Rhyme episode 125, The Beach Boys’ All Summer Long and Sunflower

I was never a super fan of the Beach Boys. I liked all of their hit singles – and there were a LOT of them – at least those that were played on the radio after I started paying attention … Continue reading

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Trond Kallevåg’s Fargo single

One of the albums I listened to the most during the darkest days of the Covid pandemic was Norwegian guitarist Trond Kallevåg’s Bedehus & Hawaii, released by Hubro in 2019. So I’m especially happy to learn that Hubro is scheduling … Continue reading

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Emilia Lajunen’s Vainaan perua: Satavuotinen Sakka (Legacy Of The Dead: Deep In The Dregs)

”Plays like a village full of haunted fiddlers,” wrote the leading Finnish newspaper about Emilia Lajunen. I found this quote on Finnish fiddler Emilia Lajunen’s website while looking for more information about her staggering new solo album. It’s titled Vainaan … Continue reading

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Emmi Kuittinen’s Surun Synty

Finnish folk singer Emmi Kuittenen and her trio of backing musicians delve into various shades of nostalgia, longing and mourning on her debut album Surun Synty (The Birth of Sorrow). Solidly based in Finnish folk traditions but with touches of … Continue reading

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Straight Furrow’s Get Your Breath Back

Michelle Erica Green wrote this review. Straight Furrow began life playing Norfolk barn dances and now perform Celtic music all over East Anglia with a blend of traditional and innovative instrumentation. While their website emphasizes the weddings and parties that … Continue reading

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Ron Sexsmith’s Retriever

Rick Hayes wrote this review. Ron Sexsmith has been flirting with major success for a number of years now, always on the edge; close, but no cigar. Record sales have never been great, but he has received the accolades of … Continue reading

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Seven Nations’ The Pictou Sessions, and Seven Nations (self-titled)

Some months back, I raved about Seven Nations’ 1999 release The Factory. Now I’m back with a pair of releases from one of the best Celtic rock bands out there. The Pictou Sessions, released in 2000 on their own label, … Continue reading

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