Hal has been a professional music journalist since 1994, writing predominately about country, blues, Americana, roots rock and singer/songwriter genres for a variety of publications. He won the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive award for journalism in 2009.
Wilder WoodsFEVER/SKY(Dualtone)3 out of 5 stars NEEDTOBREATHE frontman Bear Rinehart used the COVID lockdown to take a few extra breaths and resuscitate his Wilder Woods side project. That band, titled after the first names of two of his sons Wilder and Woods (he has another child named Water, keeping the “w” thing going), released its More
Ally VenableReal Gone(Ruf)4 out of 5 stars Sisters are doing it for themselves once sang The Eurythmics. And nowhere is that more obvious than in blues with the emergence of powerful female guitarists in a genre that has typically favored men. From Ana Popovic and Susan Tedeschi to Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joanna Connor, More
The Temptations’ 1970 classic “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” was, and remains, one of the archetypes of a genre dubbed psychedelic soul. What is Psychedelic Soul? The style became popular in the late ’60s as a collusion between rock, R&B, and the drug culture which had already embraced the mind-expanding dynamic More
GA-20Live in Loveland(Karma Chief)4 out of 5 stars Those who complain that they don’t make blues today like they used to, haven’t heard GA-20. This Boston based trio with the unique lineup of two guitars (Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs), drums (Tim Carman) and no extraneous bass to clutter the sound, has been burning up More
Daddy Long LegsStreet Sermons(Yep Roc)3 1/2 out of 5 stars You don’t need to traverse the rough side of New York City to understand what living there is like. Just push play on this, the fourth studio release (there was also a roaring live set), from the Big Apple’s Daddy Long Legs, the area’s most More
Mike Zito/Albert CastigliaBlood Brothers(Gulf Coast Records)4 out of 5 stars What’s better than one veteran blues-rocking guitarist working at the peak of their powers? How about two of them? That’s the deal as Mike Zito and road warrior buddy Albert Castiglia, both headliners in their genre, join for this debut as musical collaborators. The album’s More
The Cold StaresVoices(Mascot Records)4 out of 5 stars Chris Tapp loves his riffs. The guitarist/keyboardist/singer/songwriter and overall auteur for Nashville’s The Cold Stares fires them as incessantly as an AR-15 on this, the band’s sixth full-length. On the face of it, little has changed in Tapps’ overall direction. He and drummer Brian Mullins still grind More
The War and TreatyLover’s Game(Mercury Nashville)3 out of 5 stars There aren’t many acts based out of Nashville that have made more fans and friends in the short time they have been there than Tanya and Michael Trotter Jr. The married couple, originally based in Albion, Michigan, took the somewhat unusual pseudonym of The War More
The Nude PartyRides On(New West)4 out of 5 stars The pride of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina (where they formed), The Nude Party’s third album continues the outfit’s multi-hyphenated musical evolution. The sextet’s combination, some may say collision, of blues, swamp, and twang are once again dragged into the garage, dusted with Todd More
Matt AndersenThe Big Bottle of Joy(Stubbyfingers/Sonic Records)4 out of 5 stars Canadian soul/blues singer Matt Andersen is a big guy. And a big guy deserves a big band, which is what he returns with on his first electric album since 2019. His eight-piece backing unit, appropriately named The Big Bottle of Joy (also the title More
Drayton FarleyTwenty On High(Hargrove Records/Thirty Tigers)4 out of 5 stars Impressive as singer/songwriter Drayton Farley’s first two albums were-both stripped down to just acoustic guitar and his emotional voice— this one with a full band introduces him as an Americana artist whose time has arrived. Produced by Sadler Vaden, longtime guitarist in Jason Isbell’s 400 More
Marc BroussardS.O.S. 4:Blues for Your Soul(Keeping the Blues Alive)3 1/2 out of 5 stars The dividing line between soul and blues can be awfully thin. So much so that the term “soul/blues” is used to describe such artists as Robert Cray, Keb’ Mo,’ Little Milton, Delbert McClinton, and too many more to list. Buddy Guy’s More
