Led by John Phillips, the Mamas and the Papas were one of the seminal pop/folk groups of the mid to late sixties. During the bands brief run as a fixture on the billboard charts, Phillips wrote such classics as “California…
Omar is considered by many to be the founder of nu-classic British soul. After a five year layoff, Omar has released his sixth album, Sing (If You Want It). With guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Common, Angie Stone, and Estelle…
I first saw Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson on the 1980’s television show Kids Incorporated. While the show didn’t indicate that Fergie had great vocal chops, she definitely had a knack for the stage and performing. After minor success in the late…
The first thing that caught my eye about singer/songwriter Rachael Sage’s seventh album is the comic-like cover art. Beyond the cover, Ms. Sage’s latest release The Blistering Sun showcases her diverse talents as both a vocalist and lyricist. She manages…
“Move ’em on. Head ’em up.” Those were the first words spoken by the trail boss before the credits began during each episode of the popular 1959 television show Rawhide. On the air for eight seasons from 1959 thru 1966,…
In the 1930’s and 40’s, Warner Brothers had the largest group of film tough guys in the movie business. Among these were James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, and George Raft. While none of these movies are considered classics,…
In today’s world of laptops, MP3’s and high-speed internet connections, mashups have become a very popular form of music. Girl Talk, the one man creation of Pittsburgh DJ Greg Gillis has used mashups to create one of the most talked…
With the release of Happy New Year I can say with unabashed certainty that I am a huge Oneida fan. Formed in 1997, this Brooklyn band sticks to no specific genre. They mix Rock, neo-psychedelia, stoner metal, and garage punk…
The new two-disc set of Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film Apocalypse Now is rewarding and disappointing, comprehensive yet incomplete. No film fan’s DVD collection is complete without one version of Apocalypse Now, and since The Complete Dossier contains both the…
As my reviews of Barry Manilow’s newly remastered albums continue, I’ve spent the last few days listening to Even Now, Barry’s fifth studio album. Originally released in February of 1978, it soon became impossible to escape the semi-disco beat of…