Music Street Journal - Music News & Reviews

Sade might be the lead singer’s first name, but it is actually a band.

This set seems to be a concept album in some ways. At least, at lot of the songs are about Native American history.

This is an intriguing collection of music. It's interesting to note that music is a secondary career choice for Chris St. John.

So much modern music is overproduced to the point of feeling "fake." I doubt anyone will accuse this song of that.

This is both a Christmas song and children’s song.

This set isn't, at least to my ear, all power ballads. It's not even all ballads.

This collection of music from a rocker who was seen as potentially becoming competition to Elvis Presley is rather a mixed bag.

I came into this album with a really positive bias toward it because I love the cover.

I like this set a lot. The quickest explanation for the type of music within would be to call it “Latin music.”

Mary Sarah is only 18 years old.

This new holiday release is pretty cool.

Jennifer Saran's new album includes guests like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Carlos Santana and Narada Michael Walden. I previously reviewed her Christmas album.

When it comes to jazzy, adult contemporary type music, Jennifer Saran's vocals are just about the best around these days.

This is such a cool album. Not everything here blows me away, but nothing here is really lacking, either.

It would be pretty simple to just label this “bluegrass music.” The bulk of the disc fits nicely into that category.

I have a shocking confession to make. I have never really been a huge Michael Schenker fan…until now.

This double live CD set captures a special event - Michael Schenker performing one show with three singers who recorded some of his most influential albums with him.

A Minneapolis based musician, Jon Arthur Schmidt has created a classy set of tunes here.

A pop rock album, much of this feels quite retro in texture.

Elliot Schneider has been plying his musical trade for a long time. He played his music for Les Paul in the late 1960s.

This jazz album is pretty cool.

This disc has a pretty wide range of sounds. Parts of it land firmly in country music territory.

This is quite an intriguing set of music. Most of it lands in a very retro jazz zone.

This is a very interesting set. It's odd, but also very entertaining. It's just a lot of fun.

This act looks to groups like The Eagles for musical reference. At least that's what the official buzz around them says.

This is quite an interesting set.

The mix of sounds here has a healthy dosage of electronic music built into it. .

I know a lot of people these days really like the country music that is more closely tied to rock music or pop. You know what I'm talking about, right?

If you like 80s music, and particularly The Cure, you are likely to really enjoy this. A four song EP, everything here is strong.

This new single is intriguing. It's not overly unique or original. It works well, though.

The music here is definitely hard to pin down. We get electronic dance music on a couple of the tracks.

Misha Seeff may have been a teenager when he wrote and recorded this music, but his experiences lend a more mature feeling to it.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Pete Seeger, but you really have to admire the influence he has had on music over the years.

This set seems to have boundaries that include progressive rock, jam band sound, psychedelia, alternative rock and much more..

There's no missing the fact that these guys are big Motorhead fans. The title of the album refers to Michael "Wurzel" Burston to whom the album is dedicated.

I really love the mix of sounds here. We get folk music, some psychedelic vibes and more.

The sound here is certainly unique. This music seems to blend modern alternative rock based stuff with country and more.

There is a real timeless quality here. This feels very much like it could have been released in the 1970s.

I have to say that I'm not a big fan of a lot of modern pop music. This new single from Sereda, though, is an exception to that rule.

This is a new acoustic album from Sevendust.

This is kind of hard to classify.

Overall this is more or less modern dance type pop music.

Celtic rock with a punk element seems to be almost a cliché.

What an intriguing set this is. It’s cut from the alternative/college rock cloth.

I need to allay some confusion here. I've previously released another single from this artist.

This album has a lot of great songs.

Tony Sheridan was a big part of the same Hamburg scene from which the Beatles ultimately came, He became overshadowed as their fame grew. Based on this release, though,

I previously reviewed another set from Sam Sherwin. Like that one, this is sort of a mainstream singer-songwriter rock release.

This set has quite a range of sounds. I suppose roots music is an underlying element throughout, but this is nothing close to monolithic.

I have reviewed several songs from Shihori. This is one of my favorites, actually.

In some ways this occupies a lot of the same territory as the music of Gary Wilson. It has a lot of the same charms.

Jim McCarty was probably the biggest claim to fame of this group. This band was formed after his work in the Yardbirds and the original version of Renaissance.

I have to guess that these guys really like Shrek. I mean, they named their act after the character and every song on this EP is based on the movie.

Alternative rock is probably the one consistent element here.

The first thing to mention here is that there is no Sidney Green Street in this band. Sidney Greenstreet was a British actor and the band sort of borrowed the name.

If you are a fan of the hard rock that came out in the late 60s to mid 70s, you will probably love this.

This three song EP is quite cool. The music here borders modern electronic progressive rock of acts like Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief.

This is a reissue of the self-titled album from Michael Des Barres' first band. There is very much a glam vibe here.

There is a gentle beauty to this set. It also showcases a lot of artistry.

This is the second set from Jeri Silverman that I have reviewed. The mix of sounds here lands somewhere between folk music, pop rock and other rock sounds.

The vocals are what really sell this EP.

This EP from 2020 has quite a range of musical styles. It's all pulled together by Mae Simpson's potent vocal performance.

In addition to this new single, I've also reviewed a 2020 EP from this artist in the latest issue.

This music on this EP is largely folk based, but it also has a leaning toward sort rock and on one song country. This sort of music often feels under-produced a little amateurish from others

I previously reviewed a four-song EP from David Singley. It was made up of four singles.

Parts of this set lean toward heavy metal. The majority, though, is in the vein of modern pop rock.

The quickest description of this would be “alternative rock.”

There are a couple ways you can stand out as an artist.

There is a cool type of music that has a dark, spooky take on rockabilly at its heart.

It's definitely appropriate to have this review in the October issue of Music Street Journal.

This is my first exposure to this band. They are considered a punk band, and really they are, but they land on the more melodic end of that equation.

This massive collection of music from Scottish punkers Skids gathers up five live recordings and one acoustic studio release. It's all included in a cardboard clamshell box.

It's hard to review something like this without mentioning Nine Inch Nails. Really NIN probably is at the heart of the entire industrial, techno style of music.

If you like alternative rock based styled sounds, there is plenty to like about this. It's a mainstream rock set with a good range of texture.

This is a set from Japanese punk rock legends Slang.

While this isn’t Earth shattering in terms of creativity or impact, it is definitely fresh sounding in a lot of ways.

There is really some cool alternative rock built into this EP.

The concept of doing a track by track review for a punk album is a bit absurd. Still, all Music Street Journal's album reviews are track by track, so here we are.

Here is a brand new single from a band called "Sleep Science." If you dig alternative hard rockers, you are likely to enjoy this.

This is quite a cool disc. It covers a wide range of musical territory and does it all quite effectively.

Some people really hate dub-step. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard it before.

This double CD set is apparently a special edition of the group's latest album, with a bonus disc of the previous one.

This EP features a nice blend of sounds. Country, folk, pop rock and more are heard here.

This is a collection of well-written music and strong performances of those songs. The music is generally in the folk rock territory, with some variation in terms of the style within that concept.

Neal Smith is probably best known for his work with Alice Cooper.

This collection has some real strong points.

Neal Smith is probably best known for his work as Alice Cooper's drummer. The fact is, he's released quite a few albums under his own name.

This live album captures SNAFU at their peak. The group played a form of soulful, funky blues rock with some jazz and more in the mix.

I like the way this album is divided with bits of almost atmospheric music with spoken parts over the top distributed at various points.

Snakecharmer consists of former Whitesnake members Neil Murray and Micky Moody, along with others, namely Adam Wakeman on keyboards.

This hip hop EP is a mixed bag. Two songs are extremely good.

There is a big roots music movement under way. This fits well into that concept.

This thing almost landed under progressive rock. There is a lot of electronic music basis here, calling to mind people like Synergy and Kraftwerk.

This is an unusual set.

This new single is all class. It has a lot of modern sound, but there are definite classic leanings at its core.

Any time six years go by, it's going to be interesting to hear what a band that has been around long enough is going to come up with.

This is a new release from a modern Australian band. I started the review with that statement because if you just start spinning this, it will definitely not be apparent.

These guys land in the territory of the modern alternative rock based pop music. Much of the music here is a bit on the generic side within that heading.

This EP is described as a tribute to Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and each song has links to that (most of the time through spoken samples at the very least).

This is very much set in an electronic new-wave type of territory.

This is a cool album. It’s more or less folk music, but there is quite a bit of range within that concept.

The cover might give you the impression that Karen Souza is a jazz torch singer. While some of the music here is definitely jazz, not all of it is.

This is a crazy ride. It has a lot of psychedelia built into it, but it doesn’t start there.

This is quite an effective modern rock set. The only real problem is that taken as a whole album, it has a tendency toward feeling a bit monolithic.

This new single is sure to appeal to fans of modern pop coming from other female artists. It feels similar in tone and style to a lot of that stuff.

This new CD single includes two versions of the same song. The tune has an intriguing sound that leans toward proggy art rock in some ways.

This music is unique. It's also strangely familiar.

This is a new release of an album that was recorded in 1982. You really don't have to know that when you listen to it because the sound makes it clear that this is a product of a previous decade.

This four track EP is pretty impressive.

This album has a lot of guest performers. It has about as many different styles and moods, too.

This set isn’t always completely successful, but it’s always entertaining.

This new set seems to create a sound that's both traditional and modern. It's set within the new roots music revival.

The latest by Jeremy Spencer, this is a bit of mixed bag.

This new three-CD box set is very cool. It is made up of a lot of unreleased songs, demos and such.

I'm sure you'll get disagreement as to which album from an artist is their best, but it's a safe bet that Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus is up close to the top for most Spirit fans.

This disc is quite strong. There are a couple tunes that don't work as well for me, but overall, this is effective.

Although this is my first exposure to this material, it is apparently a reissue of an out of print live album.

It can sometimes be a daunting task to review children’s albums.

How many bands have forty five years between studio recordings?

I love James Lee Stanley’s blend of sounds.

You can always count on James Lee Stanley to deliver great music. This album is no exception.

This is such a special album. I've always said that if you are going to cover a song, you should make it your own.

This is a great disc, plain and simple.

This is such a great album.

You really can’t go wrong with Michael Stanley. The man consistently releases solid material.

This compilation set is classy stuff. Of course, you can say that about anything Michael Stanley does.

Neville Staple is probably best known for his work in The Specials.

Neville Staple is probably best known as part of the reggae band The Specials. This solo album finds him landing mostly in the same kind of territory as that group.

While Mike Starrs is probably best known for his work in Colosseum II and Lucifer's Friend, he's done a lot more, including serving as the lead singer in a band that has a special place in my heart, Lake, for a while.

Ellen Starski has produced an exceptional disc. This one might actual make its way into my "best of 2018" list.

Based on this one song, I'd definitely be interested in hearing more from this artist.

Status Quo is one of those legendary bands that are more or less a cult group.

Some bands create songs that are distinctive and unique. Some acts make music that’s complex and genre shattering.

The easiest description here is “pop music.”

Anyone who knows me well knows that, in general, I'm not a big fan of pop music. I tend to always like the deeper cuts better on albums, the ones that don't get heard as much.

Steppenwolf really created a sound that was so strong. Their brand of blues-leaning hard rock was fairly unique when they emerged in the 1960s.

Mack Stevens is a modern artist who produces music that feels like it belongs in an earlier era.

Don Stevenson was a founding member of Moby Grape, and that would probably lead people to expect to hear late 60s, early 70s styled music here. Well, that's what we get, but there is quite a bit of variety.

This brand new album from Gregg Stewart is really a work of inspiration. Stewart has created his own versions of songs from artists who died in 2016 - hence the title.

I've reviewed Gregg Stewart's new album in this issue of Music Street Journal, too. This was his debut.

This is a cool set of songs. As someone who came of age in the 1970s, this really demonstrates how musical labels have changed over the years.

I previously reviewed a set from this act and really enjoyed it. Well, this one doesn't disappoint.

This is an intriguing set. There is a real classic element at play, but they make a lot of wiggle room around that.

I like this album a lot. Parts of it land pretty close to modern progressive rock like Radiohead.

This release is considered alt country, and I suppose that makes sense.

I really like this set a lot. It combines modern sounds with older ones to create something that’s familiar and yet fresh.

I reviewed an earlier CD from these guys and really liked it a lot. I said that they were hard to pin down sound-wise.

This release is entertaining and quite cool. It's also hard to pin down in terms of style.

This is a new reissue of a live album from the 1980s. The band was known for the live shows, and had released their first album in 1970, but never before released a live album.

This new set should appeal to fans of the modern school of electronically based alternative rock styled pop music. The bulk of the set lands in that general style.

This is the new set from Joey Stuckey and his trio. It lands in the territory of hard rocking sound with some variation throughout.

This set is quite cool. It would be easy to land this under folk music or even country, but not everything fits those categories.

Apparently this act has been around for a while. I don't think I've ever heard of them before.

This is an intriguing outfit. It's a mother and son from the Seattle area.

The mix of sounds on this album is great. There is a real classic vibe to much of this.

This is a solid alternative rock album.

The man behind this project is John Blangero. He has created an album that really captures a classic sound.

This is the second album from Sun King Rising, which is basically a project by John Blangero, that I've reviewed.

This set from Minneapolis based band Sound Wave Mountain Cave is about as perplexing to nail down as that name.

In a lot of ways this feels like something that would have been at home on the radio in the 1970s. The music here most often calls to mind Steely Dan, but there are plenty of other retro reference points built into it.

Who knew that anger could be so much fun?

There is a great mainstream roots based rock sound here. The musical tapestry covers a good amount of territory within that general heading.

If you like country music, you're probably the chosen audience for this album. The music here does have elements of folk and rock in it, too, but the country concepts are the common denominator.

The three songs here are high energy alternative rock.

This is an album that feels like it could have been released on the late 1960s or early 1970s. It's set in a folk music style that definite calls to mind artists like The Band and Bob Dylan and others of that ilk.

I've always liked Kiefer Sutherland as an actor, but I wasn't sure what to expect from him in terms of music.

This is a duo made up of AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli. They are not only a musical partnership, but a married couple.

I've reviewed this act previously. They are duo made up of a husband and wife.

Okay, the name might be clever, but it’s also a little obvious.

If you like folk music with great female harmonies (and who doesn't, really?), this set should be for you.

This new reissue features both extra tracks on the main disc and a second disc of early recordings.

I have been a big fan of Sweet as long as I can remember.

This is quite a cool album. It has a lot of roots music in place.

This is very much artsy music. At times it’s strange.

This Australian outfit produces a sound that’s modern, but also classic. They have a dichotomy in terms of both male and female vocals, too.

If you are a big fan of roots music, you will find plenty to like here.

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