Email Author Lee Zimmerman

2005 Stories by Lee Zimmerman

• Albert Castiglia

  published December 22, 2005

  Although he took his musical apprenticeship with the legendary Junior Wells, an evening with Albert Castiglia isn't just another cruise through... More >>

• Antony and the Johnsons

  published December 15, 2005

  Antony and the Johnsons' sophomore album boasts some impressive credentials, specifically the receipt of the prestigious 2005 Mercury Award, the... More >>

• Bourgeoisie Blues

  published December 8, 2005

  With his furrowed features, weathered grin, trademark fedora, and hands that scurry across the keyboard, Bob Wilder — better known to local... More >>

• Neil Young

  published November 24, 2005

  Neil Young is quite possibly the world's most manic rock star. One day he's the patchwork-and-patchouli sage dispensing altruistic truisms over... More >>

• Unearthing the Stones

  published October 13, 2005

  In the annals of geezer rock, nothing matches the Rolling Stones' reputation for sex, scandal, outrage, and sheer offensiveness. Long before... More >>

• Calexico/Iron and Wine

  published September 29, 2005

  Miami homeboy Sam Beam, a.k.a Iron and Wine, and those sons of the Southwest, Calexico, share something more in common than an indie ethos. Each... More >>

• Paul McCartney

  published September 15, 2005

  With the possible exception of Bob Dylan or Mick Jagger, Sir Paul McCartney remains the ultimate rock idol and the world's most influential living... More >>

• Richard Thompson

  published August 18, 2005

  Singer/guitarist Richard Thompson's songs of darkness and despair aren't an easy listen, given his doleful vocals; tangled, turbulent melodies;... More >>

• Kathy Valentine

  published August 18, 2005

  Former Go-Go's bassist Kathy Valentine contributed some of the songs that clinched her band's claim to fame, so you'd think her first solo album... More >>

• Tori Amos

  published August 4, 2005

  It's easy to blame Tori Amos for inspiring a generation of whiney singer/songwriter types. But those who wallow in her wake are merely pretenders... More >>

• Cowboy Junkies

  published July 28, 2005

  As the title suggests, Early 21st Century Blues finds Cowboy Junkies reinterpreting some well-tapped covers as a haunting series of hushed,... More >>

• Erin McKeown

  published June 30, 2005

  Soaring on the strength of wistful sentiments and cool confidence, this fourth album from singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Erin McKeown... More >>

• Dropkick Murphys

  published June 16, 2005

  Like the Pogues and Black 47, those bad boys of Beantown in Dropkick Murphys effectively retool Irish folk music (fifes, fiddles, accordions, and... More >>

• Orange Peels

  published June 16, 2005

  Circling the Sun, the Orange Peels' third album, is a sensuous delight, a rich, vibrant ten-song set that finds primary Peel Allen Clapp... More >>

• No Borders

  published June 9, 2005

  That Los Lobos' sound has had a distinctive impact on Americana music is pretty much a given. Until they came along, most roots rockers found... More >>

• Corey Harris

  published June 9, 2005

  On his previous albums, Corey Harris seemed more archivist than entertainer, one who found inspiration in blues traditions and their link to... More >>

• Strange Days Festival

  published June 9, 2005

  More than 35 years, an entire generational divide, have passed since the Sixties faded from view, so any bill boasting an archetype from that era... More >>

• Smog

  published June 2, 2005

  It's appropriate that a musician who makes such a murky sound should adapt the name Smog as his nom de plume. Singer-songwriter Bill Callahan's... More >>

• Calliope Fest IV

  published May 19, 2005

  The three-day Calliope Fest may bill itself as "An Open Celebration of Women in Music," but it also includes the added lure of an art auction, a... More >>

• Kate McDonnell

  published May 19, 2005

  If there's something vaguely familiar about Kate McDonnell's sensuous style, it's really no wonder. One listen to her haunting new album, Where... More >>

• Aimee Mann

  published May 5, 2005

  On The Forgotten Arm, Aimee Mann serves up an assertive mix of confidence, conviction, and authority, using a stirring vocal presence --... More >>

• Love as Laughter

  published April 28, 2005

  By the time a band releases its fifth album, it should be garnering more than a mere smattering of recognition. However, for Love as Laughter,... More >>

• SunFest

  published April 28, 2005

  What other festival provides it all -- rock, rap, reggae, pop, punk, and nearly everything in between? SunFest 2005, where an ambitious attempt to... More >>

• Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray

  published April 21, 2005

  Elvis lives ... in spirit anyway, as reflected by this retro collaboration between Jon Spencer, leader of his self-dubbed Blues Explosion, and... More >>

• Aretha Franklin

  published April 21, 2005

  With all the fuss over the nuptials of Charles and Camilla, it's easy to forget that one of the longest royal reigns in recent times belongs not... More >>