Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Wow! Kind of slow, but has a wonderful groove all throughout the album. A little bit country and a lot rock and roll. Definitely reminiscent of the Velvets, Jesus And Mary Chain, Dinosaur Jr, and Parquet Courts. Very lo fi and minimalistic but it totally works and sounds truly amazing.  Maybe I am still stuck in the late 80s early 90s alternative thing, but I really believe this album transcends that. Although a lot of the same elements can be heard in both eras, this record is modernized and sounds fresh. There is also a nice undercurrent of ambient, shoe gazer  noise that adds some nice touches. (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Very nice original music from Tacoma, Washington. It is a lovely mix of folk and country and even a little Neil Young and Crazy Horse thrown into the mix. The Far Field started in the Fall of 2014 by Jon Borcherding as a creative outlet for his songwriting. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by Ted LeCompte on keyboards. Borcherding and LeCompte form the core of The Far Field, which is always evolving and changing. Their self titled debut contains a lot of very talented local musicians. In addition to the duo of Borcherding and LeCompte, there is Graham Hammond on bass; Ben Johnston on drums; Melissa Guthrie on backing vocals; Maggie Booher on violin; Bronwyn Haggerty on cello; Dave Harmonson on pedal steel; and, Caleb Baker on backing vocals. The lineup looks more like an orchestra than a folk band. But all of the players are put to good use and create a rich and beautiful album that is very listenable.

I am reminded of the joke from the Blues Brothers movie, “we have both kinds of music – country and western”. The Far Field have both kinds of music as well country and folk. But, they also have some Celtic and some rock and roll. So that would actually make four kinds of music, if my math skills are correct. They play all four genres extremely well. I am partial to the country numbers that have pedal steel, Killdeer and This Old River. However, there is a little something for everyone. If you like some Neil Young style songs, then Roses For You, Little Blue Ball, and First Frost will scratch that itch. If you are fan of the more Celtic sounding songs, you will love Fir Tree, The Flood, and Gone. There truly is something for everyone. A very impressive collection from The Far Field. 

Listen and buy The Far Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

I know, I know. This isn’t country music or anything close to it. But it’s The Stooges, damnit! Therefore, it’s fair game. The movie Gimme Danger came to theaters on October 28, 2016. It is the story of The Stooges narrated by the members of the band, most notably Jame Osterberg (AKA Iggy Pop). This is their story in a film by Jim Jarmusch (Down By Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, etc.). I couldn’t think of a better filmmaker to make this documentary than Jarmusch. It doesn’t hurt that he has been a Stooges fan most of his life. I guess it takes a little away from the objective nature of documentaries, but who cares. It’s The Stooges!

It’s also about time. The Stooges had been marginalized for years and excluded from any radio play other than college radio and maybe a few indie stations. The Stooges were most definitely ahead of their time. They still may be. During a time in the late 60s and early 70s when peace and love was everywhere, The Stooges had nothing to do with any of that nonsense. Their music was loud, aggressive, sloppy, irreverent, not played particularly well, but none of that mattered. The whole was certainly greater than the sum of its parts. There were basically the opposite of every other band in existence during that time save The MC5 and The Velvet Underground. You will never hear The Stooges played on classic rock stations even though their music is square in the timeline for classic rock. The closest you may get is Lou Reed singing Sweet Jane or Take A Walk On The Wild Side.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

My, oh my, this is fantastic! If you like down and dirty blues, you will dig the heck out of this. This is not just your standard hard blues band. Midwestern Exposure can get loud and rambunctious, and they do. But they can also sing and play at a lower volume. Their sound is really explosive but also contains tons of feeling. A hard combo to pull off effectively. Clearly this trio are very adept at their instruments. And all the instruments blend really well together. Even the drums, which are usually just background sounds, are astonishingly noticeable. And played at the highest level. Jeff Goldman does a dynamite job on the kit with help from Forrest Wright with some of the percussion duty. Wright also does some backing vocals and some lap steel work. Cam Clark has the guitar, vocals, and harmonica under control.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

This album is ten years old but due to a technicality,  a vinyl reissue, it is fair game for review. I am quite elated that I could find a “loophole” to qualify this album for review. I jest, but normally I would not review a release that is ten years old. I have standards, ya know. If there ever was an older release that would get review consideration without a new event, this would be the one. It is flawless from note one through the final sound. Eilen (pronounced ee-lin) has a perfect voice in the same vein as Nora Jones, Gillian Welch, and Madeleine Peyroux. I am astounded that I have never heard of Miss Jewell before now. I will use my canned excuse, so much music – so little time. (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Disclaimer: If you are offended by cartoon nudity, maybe you should pass on this review. There is a hand drawn female nude next to a skeleton and she is holding a foreign object that may be offensive to some people. OK, this concludes my public service announcement. I don’t get the feeling that Bullrider is that concerned about offending people. Their songs are full of references to sex, meth, heroin, booze, and smoking. Having said all that, this is a great album. It is well produced, has great vocals and musicianship and well written lyrics. Definitely not for the little ones, but a really great listen to those of us over 18 years of age. It is mix of punk, country, rockabilly, and psychedelic rock. Quite a mix and it really comes together nicely.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Nice filthy dirty, uplifting rock and roll record. I hear some AC/DC, Stooges, T Rex, a little Skynyrd, and maybe even some Boston. What that turns out is a very interesting record that is a blast to listen to. It has elements of 70’s rock but the vocals are much rougher and have more of a punk rock feeling. Vocals are definitely more Stooges leaning. This is a great Saturday night listening party record when you feel like breaking something. That is not a prerequisite, but I don’t think the Matt Truman Ego Trip would mind.  (more…)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Split Lip Rayfield, the quirky bluegrass trio from Wichita, Kansas has been together for about 20 years now. On My Way is their first studio album in over eight years. Understandable, considering the tragic loss of Kirk Rundstrom in 2007. Rundstrom was one of the group’s founding members. The band made a decision to continue after Rundstrom’s untimely death. I cannot imagine the bittersweet emotions that the surviving members have been holding onto for the past nine years or so. Luckily for us, they decided to release a follow up to 2008’s I’ll Be Around.  (more…)