Mike Bennett reviews the latest from Wilco, Chris Stamey, Poor Luther's Bones, The Zombies, Reigning Sound and The Delays. Mike also presents capsule reviews of releases by The Contrast, The Cucumbers, The Well Wishers, Roy Loney & The Longshots, The Shimshaws, The Breakup Society, Various Artists -- Shake Yer Popboomerang, Volume 2, My Record Player, Stratocruiser, The Lackloves, Tamas Wells and Starflyer 59. Mike also has another CD-R of The Month.

Gary Glauber reviews the latest from Chris Stamey, Cliff Hillis, Butterfly Boucher, Greg Johnson, Johnny A., The Argument and a Salute to Teenage Fanclub.

Shona Winfrey reviews the debut release by timewellspent. Kurt Sampsel returns with reviews of reissues by T. Swift & the Electric Bag, The Matador and Various Artists: Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults. Michael Allen Potter debuts with the latest from William Hut. Michael Lynch reviews a reissue by The Bruthers. David Fufkin reviews the latest from Eliot Wilder.

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Elvin Jones (1927 to 2004)

On May 19, 2004, the world lost possibly the greatest drummer of all time in any genre. Elvin Ray Jones is best known for his seminal work as drummer for John Coltrane between the years 1960 to 1966. With Coltrane, he recorded the masterpiece, A Love Supreme, possibly the one CD besides A Kind of...

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An Interview with Serge Bielanko of Marah

by David Fufkin

Marah is a band championed by many, including the great rock writer Nick Hornby. Their sound is hard to define, except one word to describe them may be musical. Their music pulsates and has soul like a living, breathing thing in and of itself. Their new CD, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky, comes out this month and is destined for many Top Ten lists. It was our privilege to chat with Serge Bielkanko, guitarist of Marah.

DF: You guys are the posterboys for diverse...

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Lyrics: How Much Do They Mean?

by Mike Bennett

Last month, Entertainment Weekly ran a piece by Rob Brunner and Chris Willman, where the two scribes debated the merits of rock lyrics. Perhaps the best take on rock lyrics comes from Lemmy, who once said that the only reason that Motorhead songs have lyrics is because the record company wouldn't allow the band to release an album of instrumentals. Or maybe Chuck Klosterman is more on the money. In his excellent essay collection Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman explains the significance of country music by noting how the lyrics...

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In Search of Lost Souls

by Jon Bard

By now, the story of Howard Tate has become part of music industry lore. A brilliant debut album, a solid follow-up and then thirty years of silence. Tracked down by dedicated fans, he's found living in a small town, making ends meet as an itinerant preacher. He's reunited with his producer and goes on to create one of 2003's most transcendent records, appropriately entitled Rediscovered.

It's a great story, but...

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So Much Music....So Little Time

by Kevin Mathews

I don't buy compact discs anymore - and this has nothing to do with the fact that the compact disc will ultimately share the same fate as the vinyl record - it's just that with the sheer number that arrive in my mailbox each week (facts, not boasting), I can't very well justify new CD purchases to myself (not to mention the missus!) when that 'to be reviewed' pile continues to rise and rise and rise…here's a sample of what I mean.

Blurb-O-Rama3

Todd Rundgren Liars (Sanctuary)
Touted as...

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Further Observations of a Jangly Music Fan

by Eric Sorensen

The forces that shape the climate in the mid-Atlantic looked favorably on the assembled crowd of 100,000+ WWII veterans and tourists over Memorial Day weekend. The Washington, D.C. area had been suffering through some very hot and humid "dog days," but May 29th was sunny, mild and even featured a breeze to keep the crowds comfortable at the WWII Memorial dedication. While the Harley-wheeling members of Rolling Thunder saluted fallen comrades, I was glad to be indoors studying a more melodic sound - the excellent crop of pop albums and tunes that I acquired during the past month. As usual, here is my summary of the new discs and songs that should keep fellow Boomers and the rest of you jingle-jangle enthusiasts entertained:

Saving Faded Dreams - by the Strawmen. I'm not...

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The World is Round

by Alan Haber

A Note to Who Came Before

I'd been out of college 11 years, still trying to find my way in the working world, when I fell into the most rewarding professional experience of my life. I do not expect it to be equaled, or surpassed, before I die.

Having talked my way into a public relations job in New York City just four years before-I went in as a secretary, a position I...

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Gary Pig Gold in The Mad Kingdom of Robin Stanley

by Gary Pig Gold

During the very midst of that most-summery Summer of 1983, after several years spent power-poppin' 'round Southern California with my latest bunch of musical Loved Ones, I somehow found myself night-managing instead a brand new 7-Eleven in Vancouver, British Columbia …in order...

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Additional Writers Needed

We are looking for additional writers with significant working knowledge of at least one genre of music, past or present.

E-mail us for more information. Take out the no_spam so that all you are left with is fufkin.com. Spider programs harvest our address and the spam is unbelievable.

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