Folk duo Jaeger & Reid, put together a moving tribute to folk singer and songwriter, Bill Staines, a long-time dear friend of Bob Reid, who passed away in December 2021 at the age of 74. Bill Staines was a force to be reckoned with in the modern folk era, recording 22 LPs. His regular touring schedule was grueling, often performing more than 200 times a year. His songs are timeless, but Bridges (seen/heard here) as performed by…
Read MoreNew West artist Nikki Lane straddles the fence between country-blues-rock and pop-rock, mostly eschewing the twang often accompanied with (and Vodka’s nemesis) Country music. Think of this style as a nod to outlaw country, a style of country that Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and their ilk brought to us in the past. Lane can sing a blistering threat like Black Widow (seen/heard here) with ease with a vocal touch of rawness that is very…
Read MoreIndigo Sparke is an Australian singer and songwriter that will blow you away with her introspective light and airy music and lyrics. Decidedly folk-pop in nature, Indigo Sparke blends in lyrics that tell a story that is full of both brokenness and healing. It is a formula that she’s used before with some success (see her first LP, Echo), but the first single Pressure In My Chest (seen/heard here), from her forth-coming (October 2022) LP Hysteria promises to…
Read MorePitou’s Big Tear (seen/heard here), and the title track for her upcoming LP, is a perfect example of Vodka’s title byline: “Music that isn’t the same old thing…mostly.” It is an example of vocals as both rhythm and instrument. It took only two listens for me to be blown away. The first listen was a “well, this is interesting” moment, and the second was “this is amazing!” Born and raised in Amsterdam, Pitou’s journey to her current style of music started…
Read MoreAs far as Vodka is concerned, every summer needs a rock and roll anthem that signals it’s time to party. For the summer of 2022, that is going to be provided by The Faves, with the dance-party rocker Here Comes The Rain. Yes, these guys are old-at least as old as Vodka-but they can still rock, and the lead vocals from the long-time drummer of The Greg Kihn Band, Larry Lynch, are solid and tuneful. My old voice is…
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