Music
Dale Watson, Call Me Lucky (Compass Records)
You can’t fault Dale Watson’s credibility as a rock-ribbed country traditionalist. Born into poverty, on the road at 14, owner of not one but two honky-tonks, he even drives a […]
Big Al and the Heavyweights, World Full of Trouble (EllerSoul Records)
Despite its title, Big Al and the Heavyweights’ latest is the CD that care forgot (sorry), a collection of exactly the sane kind of goodtime blues you’ve come to expect […]
Louie Ludwig, The Things You Done on a Mardi Gras Day (ZZI Music)
The great Mardi Gras anthems all physically sound like a parade is underway—it’s not just about the beat, but the atmosphere, which is not as easy to create in the […]
Spyanage, “J.F.T.F.O.I. 4: The Sneak Attack 20 Yrs in the Makin’” (Independent)
“Just For the Fuck of It” may be his crew, his mixtape blueprint, and his motto, but local rapper Spyanage (that’s pronounced Espionage to you) has built four solid albums […]
The Tomb of Nick Cage, “The Pharaoh of New Orleans” (Independent)
In a city known for its meticulously preserved examples of classic architecture, the tomb of Nicolas Cage sticks out like a bizarre angry sore thumb in the middle of St. […]
Steve Judice, “Loose Ends” (Independent)
Steve Judice is a full-time lawyer and part-time musician who’s taken a simple but rather brilliant approach to making his name as a traditionally countryish troubadour: He simply finds out […]
Aden Paul, “Bad Seeds & Precious Stones” (Independent)
Something about going full Americana always seems to sharpen your songwriting focus—probably has something to do with the fact that when you subtract volume, distortion and big fistfuls of rhythm […]
Jeff McCarty, “Step Out” (Whiskey Bayou)
Singer-guitarist Jeff McCarty is Tab Benoit’s discovery, a Houma native with a big expressive voice and guitar skills to match (though they’re no match for the swamp-blues master himself). He […]
Quintessential Octopus, “All Hallows Barking” (Independent)
We all miss David Bowie, don’t we? If there was anybody on the local scene more fit to craft a tribute than the twisted indie-pop duo Quintessential Octopus, it would […]
Bantam Foxes, “Pinball” (Independent)
“Blood in the Water” captures that 120-proof bubblegum feel perfectly, “Bombshells” exploits the old quiet-loud alternative dynamic with fidget spinner verses exploding into sexually frustrated angst, and “Quicksand” perfectly flanges […]
