It’s no small irony that Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural once refused to play zydeco music. Long before he became the genre’s biggest name, Dural had grown tired of the unique style of folk music that he grew up immersed in in his native Louisiana. “My daddy played accordion,” he said this… Read More →
Listening Room contributor Jared Zeide uncovers a hidden treasure and wonders what else he might be missing. The other day someone in my office gave away a box of tapes and in it was the Rolling Stones’ 1967 album Between the Buttons. Since this was one of the few Stones… Read More →
Robert Parente Listening Room columnist Today, January 28, English musician Robert Wyatt turns 65. A founding member and drummer of the 1960’s British rock/jazz experimental band, Soft Machine, he has maintained a low profile in the music industry but has been very influential on other artists. The Tears for Fears… Read More →
Tyson Kindell was a prodigy, picking up piano, accordion, violin, clarinet, saxophone and a host of other instruments from the time he was barely 4 years old. What his mother wouldn’t tolerate was guitar lessons — as the son of Big Band musician Tommy Kindell, Tyson’s mom just didn’t think… Read More →
The Hope for Haiti telethon that aired Friday showed the power of music, having raised a reported $61 million so far. Musically, the show was better than I expected. Highlights were Dave Matthews and Neil Young peforming Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken” and Jennifer Hudson’s cover of “Let it Be.”... Read More →
Listening Room contributor Jared Zeide offers his thoughts about the music of the past decade. Every decade brings us wonderful new music and new artists. However, not every decade lends itself to a potent mix of creativity (i.e. 60/70’s vs. 80’s). As we begin this nameless decade, I’m left wondering… Read More →
This band really has a lot more life than most fans realize. Formed in the late ‘60s, the Scorpions put out 21 albums since 1972 — and the German-based metal stalwarts are due to release their 22nd album in March. That’s a lot of time on the road and a… Read More →
Here’s a quick rundown of recommended upcoming shows here in the Big Apple’s northern ‘burbs. The list starts tonight with singer-songwriter Willie Nile, who is scheduled to play the Towne Crier in Pawling. Sorry for the short notice, but Nile is worth the haul if you have the night free…. Read More →
It’s funny how forgotten music finds you sometimes. This week it was through a Seinfeld episode. It was a 1993 show titled “The Smelly Car,” where a restaurant parking valet with body odor infects Jerry’s car with the foul smell. Jerry and George return to complain, and have a run-in… Read More →
This is good news for garage band rock fans. The word is that New York City’s The Del-Lords are back in the recording studio and planning concert dates next month, a full 26 years after they got together in the Big Apple. Their only gigs right now are scheduled for… Read More →
Johnny Copeland earned his fame the hard way. The Louisiana-born blues man spent countless years playing small clubs in the “Texas Triangle” of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas before working his way into bigger markets and drawing the attention of mass audiences. But it was time well spent: Copeland, nicknamed “The… Read More →
This time it was no contest. We also didn’t get as much interest as in our last four polls. Maybe our readers aren’t as passionate about the ladies, maybe it was the post-Holiday blues, or maybe we just threw too many polls at you too quickly. Either way, we still… Read More →
How does someone who grew up on metal defend a guy whose song was covered by Celine Dion? Well, I’m going to give it a try. The truth is that I’ve been a fan of Eric Carmen’s voice since I was a kid and my brother came home with a… Read More →
Six local bands are on tap for this year’s Battle of the Bands contest at the Westchester County Center. The bands were picked from audition CDs submitted by more than 25 local bands, which are made up of young musicians between 15 and 20. Who knows? There could be some… Read More →
Peter Green is the forgotten guitar legend. “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard,” B.B. King once said of him. “He was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.” Long before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks turned Fleetwood Mac into a pop sensation, Green established the British… Read More →