The rascally charm of nomadic country-blues singer Boo Ray is on full display in the rollicking “20 Questions,” the standout track off his latest album Tennessee Alabama Fireworks. A strutting blast of Muscle Shoals R&B, the song teems with bright horns and slinky organ, as Boo Ray tries in vain …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Lizzie No, 'Narcissus'
Singer-songwriter Lizzie No first introduced herself as a sharp self-examiner on her folksy 2017 debut, Hard Won. The swooning lullaby that served as that album’s title track was about the inglorious labor of working on yourself, a bittersweet celebration of finally feeling at peace with oneself after years of trying. On …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Arch/Matheos, 'Vermillion Moons'
Back in 1986, a Connecticut band called Fates Warning released Awaken the Guardian, their third LP and a cornerstone of what would come to be known as progressive metal. With its labyrinthine song structures and John Arch’s wildly expressive vocals — which combined swooping, acrobatic range with bizarre melodic invention …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Desertion Trio, 'Twilight Time'
The cool thing about covering a 60-year-old song is that you probably couldn’t copy the original even if you wanted to, so you might as well take it somewhere weird. That’s the approach Philadelphia jazz guitarist Nick Millevoi opts for on the title track of his new album, Twilight Time, …
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