The passing of guitarist/folk archivist John Fahey last year makes this new compilation even more poignant. A tireless innovator who re-introduced the lost beauty of the finger-picked, acoustic steel-sting guitar (by way of several samplers on his own Takoma label), Fahey was credited for launching the careers of Leo Kottke,...

In their sophomore release, Ace Troubleshooter has come up with a decent, if formulaic, album. The opening track, "The Madness Of The Crowd," has a huge punk rock hook, full of fuzz guitar and bass and a speedy tempo, along with the required angst ridden lyrics that include, "Here I...

Someone said recently that jazz, while flourishing as an art, is dying as a business. This, regrettably, is true. There are any number of talented young jazz instrumentalists out there who are struggling to earn a living. The problem is radio. Jazz on commercial radio is for the most part...

This album is quite a sizable step outside for the celebrated Latin trumpet player, as Arturo Sandoval sets his main axe aside for a session of straight-up bop and blues tunes behind a grand piano. While he has never been shy with the brass, Sandoval plays with a similar verve...

Everything about this record screams for attention… to say nothing of the singer.  From the name, the title, the biblical cover art absorbed in violet and shadow, to the five colorfully titled personalities that created it, Avenged Sevenfold is like few bands you’ve heard before—and about five in one.   At...

I'm not sure how big a sports fan you are, but I wanted to pass on a new phenomenon I've noticed lately. At a couple different events, both college and pro games, I went down to the in-stadium sports bar to find the place packed.  Not that unusual, except that...

Seattle band Boss Martians have succeeded in combining their initial stylings of retro garage/surf rock with just the right touch of new wave/punk flavor and created a hard rocking, hook driven, power pop, good old fashioned rock 'n roll sound on their 4th LP, "Making The Rounds." From the opening...

Considering that some of us spent most of the '90s kicking Mr. O'Dowd while he was slippin' on the skids, his rebirth as a club DJ makes a lot more sense. Having a sensitive ear for the singers helps (especially those with wistful, vulnerable bends). However, DJ George works at...

Up front I must warn you this is no ordinary album. It's the soundtrack for Criss Angel's supernatural freak show, "Mindfreak," which he also wrote, produced, directed and stars in at The World Underground Theater in NYC. The show opened in December of 2001 and has been extended to January...

For some reason, while trying to listen to Custom, I got the idea to write this review by parodying Van Morrison's "Gloria." It actually came out half decently, but I ultimately decided that I could sum it up with the lines "and this disc is B--O--R--I--Nnnnnnn/B-O-R-I-N-G/Borrrinng!"  Oh yes. Custom is...