Willie Nelson’s 67th album, Last Man Standing, (yeah 67th, you read right) opens with a great wry country funk title track addressing the 85-year-old country legend’s specific place smack dab in the center of lots of his famous friends dying. Willie may indeed want to be the last man standing, but he’s also rockin’ across these 11 new tunes.

On the eve of the YES50 celebrations, the progressive monster group releases a brand new mix of their album Fly From Here-Return Trip. Featuring the “Drama” lineup of Yes-Geoff Downes, and Trevor Horn, both joining in 1980, replacing Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson, respectively, plus dearly departed Chris Squire, and Steve Howe and Alan White-with Benoit David and new lead vocals by Trevor Horn, this album, originally released in 2011 is a long-awaited treat for all Yes heads.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Soul of a Woman (Daptone Records) I first heard of Sharon Jones through a friend and knowingly […]

Alex Chilton A Man Called Destruction (Omnivore Records) Here’s the thing about cult artists: if you’re already in the cult, it’s hard […]

weeping strings and the chimes of a clock start “Punchline,” the opener of The Motel’s new album, Last Few Beautiful Days. Leader singer, songwriter, original member Martha Davis is in fine voice, maybe slightly more limited than in her MTV-heyday when this band was kicking hits like “Only the Lonely” and “Suddenly Last Summer” out of the park. But the band-guitarist Clint Walsh, drummer Eric Gardner, bassist Nicholas Allen Johns and sax, piano and clarinet player Marty Jourard-provide some nice counter keyboard melody, soft guitar work and a steady beat for this first tune and weave their tight 80’s-sounding tapestry throughout.

Baths Romaplasm (Anticon) A taste for the vocal delivery on a good chunk of Romaplasm is definitely an acquired taste, but it undoubtedly catches […]

Sango In the Comfort of (Last Gang Records) The album begins with “His Name.”  This strong intro makes it easy to appreciate the […]

Guordan Banks Unpopular (Bank on it Entertainment) Music is in a really good place, a really really good place, but for many […]

Avenged Sevenfold The Stage (Capitol Records) The Stage is Avenged Sevenfold’s first concept album, featuring themes of creation, destruction, and the relentless […]

Ministry AmeriKKKant (Nuclear Blast) Perhaps one of the few contexts in which I can tolerate Trump’s voice is when it’s slowed down […]