Category: Episodes

727. Les Rallizes Dénudés

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(May 2026) Episode 727 is LES RALLIZES DĖNUDĖS, a psychedelic noise band from – and you would never guess this from their name – Japan. They got their start in the late 1960s under the influence of the Velvet Underground and Blue Cheer. Distorted, feedback-rich guitars, a drone rhythm line, echo-laden vocals in Japanese (a rarity then). Les Rallizes Dénudés members are shrouded in mystery, perhaps because of their radical politics. Most of their recordings are live sets and bootlegs. You can hear their legacy in later Japanese bands Acid Mothers Temple and Boris.

Favorite album: ’77 Live

Favorite song: Flame of Ice

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: ’77 Live is sufficient. Their various recordings tend to repeat material.

726. The Black Crowes

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(May 2026) Episode 726 is THE BLACK CROWES. Sometimes you need a little comfort food for your musical soul. For those up us who grew up on classic rock, the Black Crowes provide exactly that. They burst out in the early 90s with two excellent albums, full of radio hits, with just the right amount of boogie, swagger and ballads for quality rock recordings, without being openly derivative. Their next four albums got somewhat repetitive with the formula. After splitting the first time, they came back with a fresh sound on 2008’s Warpaint, followed by two surprisingly enjoyable “unplugged”-type double albums. Their second regrouping resulted in two recent albums, neither of which is memorable.  

Favorite album: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion

Favorite song: Remedy

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: The first two albums (Shake Your Money Maker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion) are the best, but I recommend a listen to the recorded-live Before the Frost/Until the Freeze.

725. Bill Haley and His Comets

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(May 2026) Episode 725 is BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS. It’s hard to overstate the impact of “Rock Around the Clock.” It wasn’t the first to use that phrase, the word “rock” or that rockabilly shuffle. But it was the song that brought this nascent genre into the mainstream, becoming a best-selling hit thanks to its inclusion in a movie soundtrack. It wasn’t Haley’s group’s first song either; they had been performing this stuff for a while. But his star was soon eclipsed by the suggestive sizzle of Elvis and Little Richard. Haley moved to Mexico and found a second career with the twist and Spanish language songs. This early rock ‘n’ roll isn’t my taste other than historical value.

Favorite song: Rock Around the Clock

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Any compilation that has “Rock Around the Clock,” “Rocket 88,” “Crazy Man, Crazy,” “Rip It Up,” etc.

724. Slim Harpo

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(May 2026) Episode 724 is SLIM HARPO. A guitar and harmonica player from Louisiana, he is characterized as “swamp blues.” Only a part-time musician, he had a limited set of recordings, but had an influence on both sides of the Atlantic with songs like ”I’m a King Bee,” “Baby Scratch My Back,” and “Rainin’ In My Heart.” . His voice was laid back and higher in pitch in contrast to contemporaries. His wife co-wrote his songs but never received credit.

Favorite song: Shake Your Hips

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: The “Best of Slim Harpo” set gives you what you need.

723. Rufus and Chaka Khan

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(May 2026) Episode 723 is RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN. While largely remembered as the launching pad for Chaka Khan’s solo career, the multi-racial Rufus had commercial success in the mid-70s with funk/soul recordings, like “Tell Me Something Good.” This is not hard funk but rather a slicker, jazzier funk that doesn’t grab me the way some others do. Khan’s strong voice dominates anything she records. Her solo career features the disco/drag anthem “I’m Every Woman” and her 80s-licious cover of Prince’s “I Feel For You” with its iconic “ch-ka-khan” rap opening.  

Favorite album: Rags to Rufus

Favorite song: You Got the Love

Favorite Chaka song: Like Sugar

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: The three albums from 1974-75 (Rags to Rufus, Rufusized, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan)

722. KMRU

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(April 2026) Episode 722 is KMRU, a Kenya-born, Germany-based ambient artist. He came out of the DJ scene and started with beats-laden tracks, and also release field recordings. But he has received acclaim for his more recent electronic ambient material. I am not an expert in the genre so my vocabulary here is limited. But what KMRU does really appeals to me. It’s intelligent ambient, not straying into schlocky new age stuff as too often happens. Texture and mood with personality.

Favorite album: Dissolution Grip

Favorite song: Well

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: I like the newer releases, such as Epoch (2022), Dissolution Grip (2023) and Natur (2024)

721. The Ventures

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(May 2026) Episode 721 is THE VENTURES. Their place in music history was secured by practically inventing the rock instrumental and, not long after, pioneering the fuzz guitar sound. Not from California, they aren’t technically associated with “surf guitar,” but they highly influenced it. “Walk Don’t Run” is their most famous song, although in the genre I refer “Pipeline” and “Wipeout” for which you can be excused for thinking were by The Ventures. They’ve also been around for a zillion years – recording as recently as 2023 – with dozens of albums, and a big fan base in Japan. Lots of guitar instrumental covers of popular songs, which is respectful and not terrible, but also not a very interesting experience in itself.

Favorite album: Another Smash!

Favorite song: Walk Don’t Run

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: 1990’s collection: Walk Don’t Run: The Best of the Ventures

720. Meshuggah

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(April 2026) Episode 720 is MESHUGGAH, an extreme metal band from Sweden. They’re known for a highly technical approach, full of complex polyrhythms and structures. Their skill and virtuosity becomes a focus of the listening experience, without coming off as pretentious or detracting from the fundamental metal aura. Each album has its own personality: for example, Catch Thirtythree is presented as a continuous song, like a concept album. It defies sub-categorization – described as “intellectual death metal” as well as prog, math, groove and “djent.” No matter the label it appeals to me.

Favorite album: Destroy Erase Improve

Favorite song: Elastic

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: It’s an interesting listen, not just for metal fans I think. The first couple albums are more thrash. The middle albums slow the tempo and add some groove bits.

719. Mose Allison

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(April 2026) Episode 719 is MOSE ALLISON. Is his music jazzy blues or bluesy jazz? The question encapsulates the difficulty labels, promoter and reviewers had in categorizing him. Part of his distinctiveness is his easygoing singing voice, although by later in his career it began to sound like an affectation. Allison was also known for his often subtly ironic and clever songwriting on songs like “Ever Since the World Ended” and “Molecular Structure.” He influenced many rock and blues artists, and Parchman Farm became a standard.

Favorite album: I Love The Life I Live

Favorite song: Parchman Farm

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: The two Live in London discs are a good representative listen.

718. L.A. Witch

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(April 2026) Episode 718 is L.A. WITCH, the answer to the question: what if Mazzy Star were a garage rock band? This is a contemporary all-female trio out of – you guessed it – Los Angeles. Singer/guitarist Sage Sanchez employs an echo-laden, languid vocal style that evokes Hope Sandoval, with a twangy guitar that gives the Cramps. Their third and most recent album (2025) asks the question: what if Mazzy Star were a new wave band?

Favorite album: Play with Fire

Favorite song: Fire Starter

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: None of this is original, but it is still satisfying.