blues

A collection of 31 posts

blues rock

245. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS by Derek and the Dominos

This 1970 record by Eric Clapton, Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers Band) and others, together comprising Derek and the Dominos, is another that had a profound effect on me during my formative years, especially two tracks - 'Bell Bottom Blues' and 'Layla' (more the former rather than the latter)

blues

242. TEXAS FLOOD by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

I previously covered Stevie Ray Vaughan when I discussed a record he made with his brother Jimmie here as well as the live album he recorded with Albert King here. However, up to this point I neglected to pay homage to SRV and his band Double Trouble. That ends today.

folk

195. ENTERING HEAVEN ALIVE by Jack White

This 2022 record, fresh out today, is a welcome respite from White's previous album (released just 3 months ago and covered here), where he played the mad scientist and we his guinea pigs. As promised back then, Entering Heaven Alive (ascension in the religious sense) gives us the mellow, acoustic,

blues

179. IN SESSION (LIVE) by Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan

I've been listening to a ton of blues lately which lead me down a YouTube rabbit hole of Albert King videos. The highlight is this 1983 audio recording of King and SRV's Canadian TV appearance. The great thing about these old blues legends are the stories they tell. Thankfully, King

blues rock

173. FAMILY STYLE by The Vaughan Brothers

Ah brotherly love - it's a precious thing. Cherish it if you have it and don't take it for granted, as it's not a given in this life. I mention this because by the time Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan got around to making a record together, Stevie Ray Vaughan

folk

169. LED ZEPPELIN III by Led Zeppelin

I've been listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin lately and so thought I'd discuss this 1970 record as it doesn't seem to get as much love as I, II or IV. It was a bit of a departure from the hard rock/heavy metal roots of the band, focusing

soft rock

166. CONTINUUM by John Mayer

This 2006 record by John Mayer tops many lists ranking his albums from worst to best. It reflects somewhat of a shift from his previous two studio records in that the sound is more soul and blues oriented, both in his guitar playing and in his singing. His writing had

garage rock

158. RUBBER FACTORY by The Black Keys

This 2004 record, the third for Ohio's garage-rock-blues outfit The Black Keys, seems to crystallize what they had been working towards on their debut and sophomore efforts. And, in this case, the third time's definitely a charm. The entire album is recorded by two guys in an abandoned tire factory

blues

142. BUFFALO NICHOLS (self-titled)

Houston-born, Milwaukee-raised and, now, Austin-living Buffalo Nichols offers a contemporary take on the blues with this just released 2021 record. Pairing his smokey voice with nimble guitar playing, he covers themes ranging from the overtly political/social commentary on ‘Another Man’ and ‘Living Hell’ to dealing with isolation on album

blues

129. TRES HOMBRES by ZZ Top

I wasn’t yet 3 years old when Texas blues rock outfit ZZ Top released their third record in 1973. This band has always held a special place in my heart, not just because they hailed from the Houston and surrounding area, but also because I was lucky enough to

americana

128. CLICK CLICK DOMINO by Ida Mae

There’s something oddly endearing about a couple of Brits landing across the pond and into the Americana music scene. Such is the case with Nashville transplants (by way of London) Ida Mae and this recently released 2021 record. The wife/husband duo of Stephanie Jean and Chris Turpin have

blues

121. CELEBRATE THE JOURNEY by Erwin Helfer and the Chicago Boogie Ensemble

This 2021 record by the famed 85-year old Chicago blues and jazz pianist is a breath of fresh air despite its harkening back to old time Dixieland jazz and blues. Accompanied by bass, drums and two saxophones, the music puts you in one of those moods - one of those

blues

118. THE MOON AND STARS: PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DREAMERS by Valerie June

I’ve been waiting for this 2021 record to be released ever since I heard the first single. And, based on the additional songs that have come out in the interim, this has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year, despite not having heard the full release.

indie

117. ZACH PERSON EP (self-titled)

I never thought I would be mentioning American Idol in this blog but, well, here we are. Houston native (from age 13) and Austin transplant Zach Person was a contestant on the show during the 2016 season. Though he didn’t make it far, he definitely got noticed. Considered a

blues

102. BINGO! by The Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller started out in the mid-1960’s as a bluesman before shifting to AOR (album-oriented rock) for the bulk of his career. That period of music is probably what you’re most familiar with when you think of him. However, this 2010 record finds him revisiting his roots by

blues

95. UNCIVIL WAR by Shemekia Copeland

Continuing our blues theme for the time being, this 2020 record is hot off the presses. Copeland, daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Copeland, has been in the business since the mid-1990’s or so, delivering powerful vocals on whatever she puts down on tape. This album is no exception.

blues

94. KILL OR BE KIND by Samantha Fish

This 2019 record from blues rocker Samantha Fish is probably more rock than blues though she mixes the genres up on the songs pretty nicely - there’s even some soul-style horns scattered among the tracks. Putting out albums and touring relentlessly over the past 10 years or so, she’

blues

93. KINGFISH by Christone Ingram

Twenty-one year old blues guitar phenom Christone “Kingfish” Ingram released his debut record in 2019. Considered a child prodigy from a very young age, he was noticed and nurtured by several big names in blues music, culminating in this album release and subsequent tours. The maturity in his playing and

folk

87. QUEENS OF THE BREAKERS by The Barr Brothers

Canadian-American band The Barr Brothers released their third record in 2017. Kind of a mix of folk, some blues and even West African instrumentation, the songs here are an eclectic combination of music that should keep the listener engaged for the full 50 minutes or so. While there are several

blues

83. COBAIN AND CORNBREAD by The Black Tones

The Black Tones are a twin sibling duo from Seattle, WA. Their brand of blues/punk music has garnered a large following in the Pacific Northwest and rightly so. Their songs tell stories and make statements. Just check out ‘The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead),’ for example. Lead

blues

76. BLACK HOLES by The Blue Stones

What’s with guitar/drums blues rock duos naming themselves after colorful objects? There’s The White Stripes, The Black Keys and, now, The Blue Stones. Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, the similarities with the aforementioned bands don’t stop at the color wheel. This 2018 record (actually 2015 but

country

52. LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND (self-titled)

I think if Texas’ own nerdy country crooner Lyle Lovett would have come up through the ranks over the past few years (as opposed to during the 80’s), he would have been considered alt-country or something similar. This is because his music doesn’t sound “country” to me (in

jazz

51. BLUE TRAIN by John Coltrane

While Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” is considered by most people as his best work ever, this 1958 album (recorded in 1957) is my personal favorite of his. Let’s face it, sometimes the more experimental or avant-garde jazz records can be a slog to get through - listening to

blues

49. HINDU LOVE GODS (self-titled)

Fans of the band R.E.M. surely already know about this 1990 record. If on the off chance that you don’t, then you’re in for a treat. Hindu Love Gods = R.E.M. - Michael Stipe + Warren Zevon. So, that leaves you with Mike Mills, Bill Berry,

blues

48. THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS (CENTENNIAL COLLECTION) by Robert Johnson

This is where it all began. Two days, two cities, 29 songs and 13 alternate takes. Just a man and his guitar. Whether you subscribe to the notion that most (all?) modern music has its roots in the blues, one thing is undeniable - Robert Johnson and his 29 songs