Category: Episodes

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.

717. The Seekers

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(April 2026) Episode 717 is THE SEEKERS, a folk quartet from Australia that had a moment in the sun in the mid-1960s with hits in the UK and U.S. It’s mostly a straight-backed chair folk style, but some purists thought it was too pop. They also hung out with Paul Simon in his London days. Their style didn’t survive the 1960s, and they reformed in the 1970s with a groovier sound. It’s OK but I get bored with this kind of folk easily.

Favourite album: Come the Day

Favourite song: Red Rubber Ball

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: Half a greatest hits collection is more than enough.

716. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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(March 2026) Episode 716 is NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN, considered the most famous performer of qawwali – a form of Sufi devotional music from South Asia. He reached audiences way beyond the region and is thus considered a top promoter of the “world music” genre (a categorization I dislike). Khan possessed a powerful voice and incredible stamina; he would perform for hours in a seated position. I find qawwali compelling — a mix of the sacred and traditional South Indian instrumentation. The number of recordings of Khan’s performances are impossible to count. Many releases included added instrumentation and beats to try to appeal to Western audiences: abominations. He branched out beyond qawwali, composing for Hollywood and Bollywood soundtracks.

Favorite album: Pukaar: The Echo

Favorite song: Ya Hayyo Ya Qayyum

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Find a video of one of his live performances to see get the physical and group dynamics of the music.

715. Rotary Connection

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(March 2026) Episode 715 is ROTARY CONNECTION. They occupy a special niche place in late 1960s music: a blues label (Chess) decides to get into the psychedelic scene by concocting a multiracial group of Chicago soul musicians. The result is experimental and a bit odd, like putting a sitar track on a Fifth Dimension song. They never had hits or made music that could have become hits, but there is something compelling in it. Somewhat of a parallel to the Peanut Butter Conspiracy. A lot of the material is fairly radical covers of contemporary songs. It’s where Minnie Riperton got her start.

Favorite album: Rotary Connection

Favorite song: I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: The first two albums are the only ones of interest.