Issue Articles
Alejandro Escovedo: Echo Dancing
Over the past six decades, Alejandro Escovedo has forged a unique genre-busting path through the American musical landscape. From his early punk rock days in The Nuns, the Austin band that opened for the Sex Pistols’ last show, to his “Sensitive Boys” solo career as a beloved roots-rock artist. He’s followed the impulses of an always-open heart and ever-inquisitive mind wherever they lead him. Fortunately for us, we get to go along for the ride.
Calypso Head: Charlie and the Tropicales
Trombonist Charlie Halloran is best known around town as a first-call traditional jazz musician. But that may change as more and more fans are flocking to performances by his pan-Caribbean band, Charlie and the Tropicales.
Mireya Ramos. Performing with Charlie and the Tropicales
The hyper-talented violinist and singer-songwriter Mireya Ramos will be a guest of Charlie and the Tropicales.
Moonage Daydream: La Santa Cecilia
Miguel “Oso” Ramirez and Alex Bendana, the percussionist and bassist of the Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia, respectively, are discussing some of the pathways taken as the group has become one of the leading forces in Mexican-American music. Naturally, names of a few well-known trailblazers come up: Santana, Los Lobos, Lila Downs, Patricio Hidalgo, all of whom they have also collaborated with at times.
Big Tuba: The Hot 8 Brass Band sizzles
The Hot 8 Brass Band is just that. The Grammy-winning and -nominated eight-member ensemble is sizzling, having just released a new album Big Tuba. Plus, the band is touring heavily both nationally and internationally.
Little Freddie King
Little Freddie King is the undisputed monarch of New Orleans blues, whose down-home, gut-bucket style emerged from the fertile crescent of the Mississippi River.
Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars: Winning Over A Crowd
If NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest handed out medals like at the Olympics, Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars would have taken home the silver as runner-up in 2024. Since then, the former underground seven-piece band led by singer and songwriter Sal Geloso has taken off like a gold medal-winning sprinter.
Seun Kuti: King of the hard-hitting jazz-funk
Seun Kuti is pacing around a London flat as he chats on a video call, taking his laptop with him as he looks for a lighter for something he rolled to smoke. He’s just arrived for a few days of recording, but he’s a bit animated and, perhaps, agitated after a frustrating experience with immigration
Organic: The River Benders’ quirky Americana vibe
What better birthplace could there be for a Louisiana roots music band than the parking lot of a seafood restaurant? That’s where the River Benders first took shape—specifically at Seither’s Seafood in Harahan, when the COVID pandemic kept singer and guitarists Jake Eckert and Aaron Wilkinson from gigging with their regular bands, the New Orleans Suspects and the Honey Island Swamp Band.
LVVRS: Do You Wanna Rock and Roll?
As a great philosopher once said, it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. The Lafayette-based LVVRS have every intention of being the next area band to get there. Armed with a stack of anthemic songs and an arena-friendly sound, LVVRS have been a local favorite long enough to have the next level in sight.
