rock oracle

B SidesFEATUREDMUSIC NEWS

Beyoncé Bounced 

“Cowboy Carter” has been considered a reclamation of country music because it highlights Black artists’ contributions to the genre. Many folks had hoped that it would bring even more visibility to country Black artists.  Emmett Price III, dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music, said her album was “calling into question not only the historical and cultural roots of country and Western but also how we normalize certain cultural aspects of country culture.”  

Read More
FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS

A Space Disco with The Weird Sisters 

They are the self-described “Dance Commanders” and that aptly chronicles the status of their compilations.  Funk has collided with electronica and slammed danced with jazz and soul with punk-EDM and psychedelia ploughing into the onslaught. Are you getting it yet?  You will just have to listen for yourselves.  In fact, I implore you to dive into the pool. The water is nice, but you cannot see the bottom and if your feet do not touch, you are in the right place. 

Read More
FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS

The Beatles Get a Grammy Nod

The Beatles might finally be able to win a “Record of the Year” Grammy. The Fab Four’s latest “new” song, ‘Now and Then,’ was nominated this past Friday for the “Record of the Year” Grammy and will be competing against songs by Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone.  

Read More
ALBUM REVIEWSFEATURED

Melancholy Goes Up To 11 

Since 1978, when The Cure formed, they have always seemed older to me than they really were, but now they are older and the insight that they have ingested is recognizable more than ever.  It took 16 years to make this album because they wanted it to be right.  We know that Robert Smith craves perfection as do all the great artists and he didn’t want to just give the world “something”.  He wanted to give then “everything”, and in this album he showed us his heart.  He cares.  He always has.  However, over the last few years he has lost more than ever and it’s transparent in these eight songs.  

Read More
B SidesFEATURED

THANK YOU MR. JONES

With producing credits for legends such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Lesley Gore, and Donna Summer, his impact on contemporary music is legendary. He embarked on a journey that had him starting a life as a touring musician, serving as Dizzy Gillespie’s musical director in the 1950s. Jones went on to arrange songs for Ray Charles, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and others before incorporating synthesizers into his own practice.  In the 1960s, Jones began work as Mercury Records’ vice president. He concentrated on music for the small and big screen, eventually scoring nearly 40 films and hundreds of TV shows.  When you look at the vast scope of his career, accolades and accomplishments it’s hard to believe that this was done by one person. 

Read More