CD Reviews

The latest from James Lee Stanley is Without Susie, which collects a dozen new originals by the LA-area singer-songwriter who frequently performs locally. Stanley is a prolific musician who has 34 releases over a span dating back to the early 1970s. His music is finely crafted acoustic folk and pop that features his world-wise vocals […]

Tim Flannery is a true 21s-century Renaissance Man, a Kentucky native who was a fan favorite as an athlete on the Padres, continuing in baseball as a coach and manager, then a TV analyst. During more than 30 years in these careers, he was also active making music and writing songs, and he has released […]

If you are unfamiliar with the name Auni Keast, do not despair! Although she has been around music all of her life, she only began her journey as a songwriter, singer, guitar and ukulele player back in 2014 even though she played the cello as a child. Auni’s father, the redoubtable bassist Gunnar Biggs, is […]

The self-titled new album by Donna Larsen and the Messengers finds the singer/songwriter in a full band setting, moving comfortably between pop and rock idioms on a dozen originals. Larsen is a take-charge vocalist who can deliver a variety of personae from lush ballads to fronting a grinding guitar rock crew. Her songs may jump […]

Local Americana fans who have heard one of Bill Hartwell’s four previous releases since 2008 already know that the singer/songwriter plays mellow and endearing folk and country rock. He frames it primarily in acoustic, silk-smooth arrangements and loads the lyrics variously with the introspective and personal, often telling observational stories about his, and our, world. […]

Kevin Roth is a leading innovator of the dulcimer with a worldwide reputation as a player; he writes and sings intimate folk music, ranging from instrumentals to children’s songs. He’s an old pro, first signed to a recording contract 45 years and 48 albums ago, and has played at the White House twice. He moved […]

The Sea Monks are a local rockabilly crew that prove the time-tested sayings about the family that plays together and age just being a number. Their new album is Gasoline, and it is a delight thanks to the three members: dad Jason Kapchinske (bass) and sons Kai (drums) and Noah (lead vocals and guitar). When […]

North Park’s Finnegan Blue wants to be everybody’s everything; the sextet plays originals that touch all the bases with folk-inspired rock, gospel, reggae, Irish and American bluegrass, even NOLA-based horn chart soul music. On their self-titled CD, perhaps the most interesting thing is the sense of surprise brought on by such a range of music […]

When founding member David Crosby was ousted from the Byrds toward the end of 1967 due to conflicting agendas/egos within the group, it was the second significant departure from the quartet that had managed to thrive after vocalist/songwriter Gene Clark’s exit the year before. But when guitarist Roger McGuinn and bassist Chris Hillman were reduced […]