“Ginger Baker” won’t be the first name that comes to mind when considering influences on Afro rock, but his hiring of Nigerian musicians for his post-Cream explorations of African fusions created a powerful ripple effect once those musicians formed their own groups. Nigeria Rock Special features 15 bands eager to apply psychedelic/funk jamming to more […]
cd In the quest for authentic world musics, few labels support young white teenagers eager to re-live other cultures. Not all traditions (so they assume) have a universal code that can be broken without living the history embedded in the lyrics. Beirut channel the spirits of gypsies, tramps and thieves on the worldly debut, Gulag […]
London’s Bloc Party offer a classier celebration on their second album, A Weekend in the City. Not on the guest list: hipsters. cd Bloc Party avoids the sophomore curse by doing what too few alternative bands do well—improving their original energy level while finding the delicate point between its core sound and the need for […]
cd The country-based awe shown to Gram parsons sometimes makes us ignore the influence of R&B and blues on his writing, even though his choice of cover songs proves James Carr touched him as deeply as George Jones. Despite his lethal habits, the temporary Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother leader was smart enough to sense […]