Ying QuartetDim SumTelarc **** by Al Kaufman Ah, these Ying kids. Three brothers and a sister make up a classical quartet consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. But this is not the classical music your stodgy old grandmother listens to. The CD is named Dim Sum because, like the food, these are […]

Sharon RobinsonEverybody Knows ***1/2 by Al Kaufman In her over 20 years in the music business, Robinson has penned songs for some of the biggest names; including Diana Ross, Don Henley, and Rufus Wainwright. Her biggest success came when she co-wrote the Patti LaBelle recorded "New Attitude" for Beverly Hills Cop. But if anyone in […]

Patty LarkinWatch the SkyVanguard ** 1/2 by Al Kaufman It's easy to imagine folkie Patty Larkin walking into the studio. Her eyes light up as bright as her fiery red hair as she views all the shiny knobs and buttons. She cuts her song (playing all the instruments herself), then plays with all the controls […]

Dare DukesPrettiest Transmitter of AllStarland Records **** by Al Kaufman A musician always takes a big risk by opening his CD with his best song. Sure, he captures the listener's attention right away, but then he puts himself in the unenviable position of having to retain it. Dare Dukes has no problem with this. Prettiest […]

Alison Brown QuartetEvergreenCompass Records **** by Al Kaufman Every year around this time some of the bigger artists release their Christmas CDs. Then they store them away in January and pull them back out again in November. It creates a guaranteed seller for at least one month out of the year. This year is no […]

George DukeDukey TreatsBPM/Heads Up International 4 stars by Al Kaufman George Duke is to be excused if he chooses to revisit the days of yesteryear, for he was a major player back in the day of old school funk, and if anyone can make it fresh again, he is the man. Duke is a titan […]

The Gay BladesGhosts4 Never Records/Triple Crown 2 stars by Al Kaufman Everyone knows people who are smart, but not nearly as smart as they think they are. These people also tend to not be nearly as funny as they think they are. But they sure as hell think they are smarter and funnier than you. […]

Amanda PalmerWho Killed Amanda Palmer?Roadrunner Records 4 stars by Al Kaufman As the front half of the punk-Cabaret duo, Dresden Dolls, singer-pianist Amanda Palmer has an obvious theatrical flair. And she has found her soul mate in Ben Folds. Folds produced and performs on half the songs on this CD. The two are both creative […]

WhitleyThe SubmarineDew Process by Al Kaufman This sound is going to need its own label soon: electro-folk, folktronica, or techno-Americana. Whatever the case, 23-year-old Aussie Lawrence Greenwood, aka "Whitley," used to be in hardcore bands. Then he saw alt-country singers Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch and his new sound was born. The Submarine was released […]

Catie CurtisSweet LifeCompass Records by Al Kaufman Ask any great songwriter and they will tell you the hardest song to write is a happy song. Using that criteria, Catie Curtis is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. With a mature but sweet voice, Curtis opens her CD with the title cut, in which […]

The RescuesCrazy Ever AfterRed Wind by Al Kaufman Music is necessary. We need it to help express emotion and beauty. We need it because it improves our quality of life. Music reaches our soul and makes us feel like more than just a clump of genes. Books have been written about what it feels like […]

Brendan James The Day is Brave Decca Records     by Noel Wurst        Brendan James doesn’t really care about gaining your daughter’s attention, but he certainly wants yours.  While certainly appearing/sounding young, the melancholy nature of nearly all of his songs is going to fly over the heads (and cares) of all the […]

Paula Nelson BandLucky 13Justice Records by Al Kaufman It must be a blessing and a curse to be the daughter of outlaw country legend Willie Nelson. Paula Nelson grew up around some of the greatest musicians ever, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Waylon Jennings, and, of course, Johnny Cash. If just a quarter of all that […]

LowryLove Is DeadEngine Room Recordings by Al Kaufman Lowry is one of those bands that is a music critic's worst nightmare, and I mean that in the best way. Lowry has an unclassifiable sound that leads the listener reaching for comparisons that fade away a minute later. Yet, taken as a whole, Love Is Dead […]