This is the first in a series I’ll be doing about open jam nights in Fairfield and New Haven counties. We’ve been having a wonderful time attending them and look forward to trying out the few we still have to attend. The Horseshoe Tavern  is a Southport landmark. They hold an open jam every Monday night. The first thing we noticed was that energy in the bar is great and the patrons seem to genuinely be having fun. The crowd is certainly older, mostly 50’s and 60’s and there isn’t much diversity in the music being played. But if it’s straight ahead classic rock and roll you are looking for ..read more

A few years back, I was sent some music. My blog was on the newer side and I was still listening to just about everything anyone sent me. Steve Wexler , the Father Jones drummer at the time ( he’s sidelined now due to some personal reasons, but remains one of the best drummers I know) , was pretty well known locally, and I trusted him when he emphatically stated that I’d be blown away by that record. I loved it upon first listen. In fact, I was so enthralled that I interviewed them, went to a live show and wound up being so impressed that I married the keyboard player. Talk about life-changi ..read more

FLOWER MOON Upon first hearing this album I was quickly whisked away into a mind blowing psychedelic trip leading me through a myriad of adventures and experiences. This album is not just something you listen to, but one you immerse yourself in with all of your senses. An interactive journey of the soul. Artist Ryan David Platt embarked on this solo project as a mad scientist of sorts. He’s amazingly adept at expertly mixing sounds and effects that you might not ever imagine working well together, but somehow he nails it, every single time. On this album, Platt is responsible for almost every ..read more

By Jennifer DiSilvio This past week has been the most difficult one I can ever remember in this country in my lifetime. Already in the midst of a global pandemic, which left us the hardest hit nation in the entire world , we were forced to witness yet another cold blooded murder of a black man at the hands of a police officer(s) . Our President and his minions, who hold a very large responsibility in the extent of the Covid19 outbreak, due to ineptitude and denial and dismissal of both the human cost and the medical evidence, have quite literally begun shooting rubber bullets at peaceful pr ..read more

By Jennifer DiSilvio It started a few years back when I had a press pass for Drive-By Truckers. It was a free show outside on the waterfront in NYC, so of course, not everyone there was a true fan. I remember being proud as I looked up onstage and saw the “Black Lives Matter” sign the band had hung up. These guys were not only one of the best bands around, but they were true artists, never afraid to stand up for what they believed in, even if it meant getting pushback or losing fans. I wasn’t the least bit surprised, however, when I heard a bunch of guys in flannel and baseball caps, most like ..read more

By Jennifer DiSilvio I keep reading reviews for Bob Mould’s latest album, “Sunshine Rock “ and except for a very small percentage of them, I’ve come to the conclusion that either they’re all missing something or that I am. Most reviewers are touting this album as Bob finally bringing his music out of the darkness and into the light. To me, even though this album certainly contains some more upbeat tracks, there is still the requisite darkness, albeit a more mellow and more self reflective gloom. Bob battling himself and his demons. But why is it that the vast majority of the reviews of this la ..read more

I once had a session with a psychic intuitive that told me that my life’s theme was “Justice”. She explained that theme only applies to about 5% of the population. If The Proletariat’s latest release is any indication, singer/songwriter Rick Brown is among that 5%. Justice has been a theme in the Proletariat’s music since the very beginning. And this album is certainly no exception. It is filled with songs about police brutality and racial inequality and gun violence. In the Trump era, the rage in singer Rick Browns voice has become even more palpable. Many bands of this genre and era have put ..read more

2018 was a hell of a year for most of us. No matter what was going on in our personal lives, most of us suffered through the constant streams of hatred, violence, misogyny and racist and anti-immigrant vitriol that we were bombarded with on a daily ( and sometimes hourly) basis. It was a very dark year for humanity and this country. Many of us watched helplessly, many of us tried to resist, but for the large majority of us, hopelessness and disbelief were the two most prevalent emotions. Sometimes, immersed deep in the bowels of the ugliness that presides over our society currently, music was ..read more

I was first introduced to the band X in 1981, at the age of 13. A friend and musical mentor listened to them frequently and was a huge fan. As with most of his music suggestions, I loved what I heard. In fact, X quickly became one of my all time favorite bands and have remained so for the past 35 years. X  has a sound that is a unique mixture of rockabilly, punk and even folk and country. They  remain one of the few bands in the world that always produced a  sound that was uniquely their own. From the poetic lyrics to the slightly off-kilter harmonies of ..read more

J. Mascis is  best known for his role as the front man of Dinosaur Jr., a band that’s legendary loudness has been deafening its willing fan base for three decades. J. has long been the force behind the creative control of the band, and the acrimonious departure of bassist Lou Barlow back in 1989 allowed him to explore other areas of sound that Dinosaur Jr. may not have had Barlow remained a constant in the band. For a while, Mascis was able to explore and expand creatively in a way that most artists can only do when going solo. Mascis seemed to be  grasping for something that seemed ..read more