Category Archives: Music

Various artists’ Festival au Desert: Live From Timbuktu

The Festival in the Desert has been held in the arid northern region of Mali annually since 2001. In January 2012, however, just after that year’s festival, a rebellion in the region began that has since spiralled into civil war, … Continue reading

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Tinariwen’s Amatssou

I’ve been a fan of the music of Tinariwen since their 2004 sophomore release Amassakoul, and although I’ve not followed their every release I’ve always remained aware of them. I’ve reviewed several albums by some of the other bands that … Continue reading

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Felipe Salles’ Home Is Here

Brazilian American Felipe Salles has used his Interconnections Ensemble big band to explore themes around the immigrant experience on its debut and sophomore releases in 2018 and 2020. The Lullaby Project was a personal journey of exploration of Brazilian lullabies, … Continue reading

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GracieHorse’s L.A. Shit

Los Angeles based singer songwriter GracieHorse has played quite a bit of music, including in a Boston fuzz rock band called Fat Creeps and contributing vocals to a lot of indie bands. But she’s been on a hiatus for several … Continue reading

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Mary Prankster’s Lemonade: Live

Mary Prankster has left behind, at least for now, most of her punk trappings and recorded an album of acoustic country music. And that’s not even the biggest change in her life or career in the past year. In early … Continue reading

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Dropkick Murphys’ Live on St. Patrick’s Day

I suppose if you want to go from the sublime to the ridiculous, this album might just do it for you. I had heard some good reports about this band from my youngest son, who has seen them live at … Continue reading

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Dropkick Murphys’ The Warrior’s Code

Dropkick Murphys for nearly a decade now have been making an energetic blend of hardcore punk and Irish folk music, with a vigorous dose of Boston pride thrown in. It’s something like The Pogues with more rock and lyrics you … Continue reading

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Steve Ashley’s Live In Concert

This is such an innocuous title for a CD of such an important event! Let me elaborate a little. Live In Concert was recorded in Cheltenham, UK, on March 12, 2006, to celebrate Steve Ashley’s sixtieth year on the planet … Continue reading

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Dave Swarbrick’s Live at Jacksons Lane

This reviewer would not lightly claim that anyone is “a legend in his own lifetime.” In Dave Swarbrick‘s case, however, it is justified: in 1999, a zealous staffer on the London Daily Telegraph got a little carried away by news … Continue reading

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The Celebrated Renaissance Band’s REAL LIVE American Music

Allied to bluegrass is American old time music. Old time as I have come to know it is derived from a fusion of the blues, minstrel show, gospel, rural Southern folk song, and even jug band music. In my experience … Continue reading

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