Tag Archives: rock and roll

M. Ward’s Post-War

M. Ward is on a roll. With Post-War, he has released his fifth full-length CD (third for Merge), and against all odds he keeps getting better. He’s still recognizably the same singer-songwriter he was on his first, Duets for Guitars … Continue reading

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M. Ward’s Transistor Radio

Ever since his first album Duets For Guitar, No. 2 was released by Howe Gelb’s Ow Om label around the turn of the century (where it remains one of the label’s best sellers), Matt Ward has produced albums with a … Continue reading

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M. Ward, September 30, 2006, Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

One of the things that immediately attracted me to M. Ward was his muscular guitar playing. Sure, he was sometimes lumped in with the early ’00s crop of sensitive male singer-songwriters dubbed emo, for the way they often wore their … Continue reading

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Ritchie Valens’s The Complete Ritchie Valens, limited edition DVD

Tell me all you know about Ritchie Valens! … umh … “La Bamba” right? … Airplane crash … and that’s about it! Well, there is a story to tell about Ritchie Valens and a new DVD from Whirlwind Media tells … Continue reading

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Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1

So who can keep up with all the books about The Beatles? Not me, obviously. I’ve been a fan since Beatlemania first broke on these American shores in early 1964, and in my life probably the only thing I’ve done … Continue reading

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Gary’s favorite roots, rock, and Americana music of 2021

There was plenty of good Americana and roots music in 2021, but I didn’t hear a lot of great music in those categories. Which is fine, and understandable. We’re all struggling to stay afloat. These selections mostly reflect music that … Continue reading

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The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, U.S. version

Exactly 56 years ago I was perplexedly listening to this new album by my favorite group. I was 10 years old and had been a fan of The Beatles for what had only been two years but seemed like several … Continue reading

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George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary

This album has been one of my favorites since I got it in December 1970. It was a monumental achievement and a towering artistic statement by the young man who had been called “the quiet Beatle,” toiling in the shadow … Continue reading

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The Beths’ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

So, rock and roll. Two guitars, bass and drums. Loud, messy and emotional. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I still need it. And who better right now to provide the catharsis of rock and roll than Auckland, New … Continue reading

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Michael Murphey’s Michael Murphey

Before Michael Murphey traded in his outlaw country cred and became Michael Martin Murphey, the Americana Adult Contemporary singing cowboy, he created a couple of my favorite LPs from the 1970s. Now that two of his first three albums are … Continue reading

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