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The Chicago Transit Authority album cover

Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul:
Chicago Transit Authority at 50

| Published June 7, 2019 |

By Thursday Review editors

The year 1969 was—on the whole—a very good year for rock and roll music, one of its best. Among its ...(click to read more)


Tom Petty

Reflections on the Death of Rock Legend Tom Petty
| Published October 3, 2017 |

By R. Alan Clanton,
Thursday Review editor

An American rock and roll legend—performer, songwriter, producer, collaborator—has died only days after his most famous group...(click to read more)


Taba Tigers

Ringling Brothers to Shut Down Circus After
146 Years

| Published January 15, 2017 |

By Keith H. Roberts,
Thursday Review contributor

Citing a decade of declining ticket sales, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will shut down operations and cease all performances by...(click to read more)


Vanity 6

Prince Protégé Vanity, Dead at 57
| Published February 15, 2016 |

By Thursday Review staff

Denise Katrina Matthews, more popularly known as Vanity—her stage and recording name—died on Monday at the age of 57 in...

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Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Former Crosby, Stills & Nash Drummer Dies…One Year Ago
| Published January 22, 2016 |

By Keith H. Roberts,
Thursday Review contributor

Call it Celebrity Apocalypse. Or, as someone termed it, Dawn of the Talented Dead.

In the midst of all the sadness and grief, and all the...

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scene from Paper Towns

Paper Towns: The Music of John Green Strikes Again
| Published September 8, 2015 |

By Garrett Heisler
Thursday Review contributor

Paper Towns, a film based on the best-selling novel by John Green, is a truly gripping experience. The story is an extremely fresh take on the...

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Baby listening to a lullaby

Top 5 Non-Terrifying Lullabies
| Published August 28, 2015 |

By Lori Garrett
Thursday Review contributor

Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but I always found some of the lullabies meant for infants and small children were more terrifying than comforting. Picturing myself falling from...

[ Read more ]


Blink 182 album

Tom DeLonge Exits Blink-182?
| Published January 27, 2015 |

By Thursday Review staff

The news came as a shock to the bands legion of fans. Tom DeLonge, lead guitarist for the San Diego-based Blink-182, has decided to pursue...

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Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly & the Winter Dance
| Published January 23, 2015 |

By Earl Perkins
Thursday Review
features editor

If you jump on the internet quickly and make reservations, you could still land tickets to the 2015 Winter Dance Party, scheduled for...

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Broken Bells Disco

Broken Bells; After the Disco

By Maggie Nichols
Thursday Review Contributor

Broken Bells new album, After the Disco, released last month, was well worth the wait. This band has a great sound—a comfortable mix of smooth alternative sounds and...

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Cage the Elephant

Cage the Elephant; Melophobia

By Maggie Nichols
Thursday Review Contributor

Driven by the success of the single “Come a Little Closer” and the alternative rock radio traction of “It’s Just....

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Kings Of Leon album cover

Kings Of Leon 

By R. Alan Clanton

Thursday Review Editor

As the brothers and cousins that make up Kings of Leon approach their 15th year....

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New Politics Harlem album cover

New Politics; Bad Girl in Harlem

By Maggie Nichols

 

Thursday Review contributor

In rock music, despite decades of innovation and experimentation, the simple joy of...

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St. Lucia cover art

St. Lucia; When the Night

By R. Alan Clanton

Thursday Review Editor

It’s rare indeed that I buy a debut album with little more to go on than one or two songs, and especially rare....

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Airborne Toxic cover art

The Airborne Toxic Event; All at Once

By R. Alan Clanton

Thursday Review  Editor

The first thing that drives the hook into your skin with All At Once, the new album by The Airborne Toxic Event...

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Strokes CD Cover

The Strokes: Comedown Machine

New Music Review

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review Editor

It took a dozen years, but the indie/alternative band The Strokes is back again with an album of material generally worthy of their stunning....

[read more]


Led Zeppelin album cover art

Five Classic Rock Debut Albums You Must Own

By Thursday Review editors

In the big scheme of things for those who love the long view of rock and roll, there are some debuts that become essential—sort of Rock/Pop 101 coursework—without which no CD collection is complete. Sure, you older Boomer types already own these on vinyl, and more power to you if your turn-table still works. Somewhere in your garage you might even have these on audio cassette or 8-track. In the meantime,...

[Read more]


| published August 3, 2018 |

By R. Alan Clanton Thursday Review editor

Of all the recent music anniversaries and retrospectives discussed here at Thursday Review, one deserves special attention as the album passes into its 40th year, and as the band we...[read more]



| published June 14, 2017 |

By Kevin Robbie and R. Alan Clanton Thursday Review contributors

June 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, arguably the first and most...[read more]










Matt Wiiliams

American Made, Southern Raised:
An Interview With
Matt Williams

| published July 23, 2015 |

By Jennifer James
Thursday Review contributor

James Dean once said, “Dream as if you’ll live forever; live as if you’ll die today.” And that is what Country’s newest rebel, Matt Williams, has set out to do. Equipped with little more than a God-given talent, a few blank sheets of paper, and a zest for music, this aspiring singer-songwriter is on the brink of exploding onto the online music scene and leaving an irrevocable...[read more]



Planet RAWK Maximum Rock: Planet RAWK

| published June 1, 2015 |

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review editor

The definitions of alternative rock, indie rock and punk can often be elastic and subject to personal interpretation and preference, as well as almost unlimited forms of diversity—which means of course, frequent joy and occasional disappointment. Diehard fans of Green Day or Pennywise will find little to be enthusiastic about when listening to St. Lucia or Grouplove (all four of which we have we have reviewed here in the pages of Thursday Review, and all of which we highly endorse). But add a touch of hip hop, rap or metal to the mix of...[read more]


Ben E. King album covers Stand by Me, Louie Louie,
and Other Great Songs

| published May 3, 2015 |

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review editor

Sometimes a great song—no matter how many records it sold in its original heyday—gets a chance at a second life. And generationally-speaking, that second life can have an equally powerful effect on how we react to that classic song.

Two cases in point culled from the recent news; two obituaries for the vocalists of great...[read more]



Percy Sledge albums Percy Sledge: King of Slow Soul

| published April 15, 2015 |

By Earl Perkins
Thursday Review features editor

Percy Sledge grew up working the cotton fields near his hometown of Leighton, Alabama (not far from Muscle Shoals and the Tennessee River), eventually landing a job as a hospital orderly in nearby Sheffield. He sang in a local gospel choir and spent weekends playing with the Esquire Combos, a rhythm and blues band. Then a patient heard Sledge singing while working and...[read more]


| published February 23, 2015 |

By Stuart Boggess, Thursday Review contributor

Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars, has been destined for greatness since his childhood in Hawaii. From an early age he sang, danced, and impressed crowds of all ages. This young musician has been on the rise for several years, and has touched the hearts of many. Though he wasn’t born until 1985, Mars takes inspiration from several decades and is one of the...[read more]


| published February 11, 2015 |

By Garrett Heisler
Thursday Review contributor

My generation is not known for the best music, and sometimes even receives negative responses from people from all age groups. Much of contemporary pop music—with its scores of styles and genres—is hard to sift through in order to find gold; anyone can agree with that. I will focus on a few bands and artists in the coming weeks to guide you listeners into the finer side or the modern age. I will make the transition easier and I promise you will take something from it.

We are stuck between evolving sounds that already exist and...[read more]





 

Music video for "The Parent Thing" by The Perms

Created by Dave Swiecicki & Jeff Bromley. Graphics by Billy Fung. Buy "The Parent Thing" on iTunes here - http://tinyurl.com/pyjef8w © 2014 Hugtight…

 

Casey Kasem

Casey Kasem, American Original

| Published July 7, 2014 |

By Earl Perkins
Thursday Review
Features Editor


Casey Kasem wouldn't claim he created legends, but popular culture would have been a hollow shell of itself if his “American Top 40” radio show hadn't introduced generations of young listeners to the...(click to read more)



By Earl H. Perkins
Thursday Review Contributing Editor

They were known for songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird,” but it all started back at Robert E. Lee Senior High School in Jacksonville, Florida. In the 1960’s, Coach Leonard Skinner told the boys they needed to cut their hair to meet school regulations, and instructed them to show up to gym class regularly. We all....[read more]


By R. Alan Clanton Thursday Review Editor

Back in late September in Dubai, at an elaborate eight-day festival event called the Dubai Music Week, Quincy Jones, now 80 years old, sat alongside Rod Templeton and Bruce Swedien at a conference called “The Michael Jackson Dream Team.” The festival drew over...[read more]


The Who graphics by Rob Shields
The Who graphics by Rob Shields

"I Believe That Rock Can Do Anything"

Who I Am;
Pete Townshend; Harper Collins Books


By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review Editor

The rock and roll documentary has raised its game of late and moved seemingly into its golden age. Massive, sprawling documentaries have appeared within the last 24 months covering a variety of iconic groups and musical phases of pop and rock: The Rolling Stones (Brett Morgen’s The Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane), George Harrison (Martin Scorcese’s Living in the Material World), The Eagles (History of the Eagles, Part 1&2), Sound City Recording...
[read more]



Bruce Springsteen digital artwork by Rob Shields and Asbury Park, NJ album cover
Springsteen digital image created by Rob Shields; album cover, Columbia Records

The American Working Man's Rock & Roll Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ: 40 Years Later

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review Editor

Forty years ago I was obsessed with popular music. By the summer of 1973—July in fact—I had begun scratching together my meager profits from lawn care and newspaper delivery so that I might upgrade my bedroom’s sound system from the inexpensive 1969 record player with built-in speakers to something more formidable and...[ Continue reading ]




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Sophia Wells

Sophia Wells: Sultry Sweet
New Music

| Published April 24, 2019 |

By R. Alan Clanton,
Thursday Review editor

The recently released EP by Sophia Wells proves that the classic four-way fusion of jazz, pop, soul and R&B is still...[ Read more ]


band on stage

Bluegrass Music, Quilting, and a Cannonball Bank
| Published July 28, 2018 |

By Earl Perkins, Thursday Review features editor

Summer weather across much of the American South and parts of the Midwest is mostly sweltering, with the heat index exceeding 100 degrees and often chasing 80 late into the evening. However, certain pockets are...[ Read more ]


Chuck Berry on stage

Chuck Berry Dead at Age 90
| Published March 19, 2017 |

By R. Alan Clanton, Thursday Review editor

He was, and still is, widely considered the Father of Rock and Roll, and the innovator and guitarist who singlehandedly merged multiple streams of music—country, R&B, gospel, jazz, and blues—to create what...[ Read more ]


Prince on a motorcycle

Musical Legend Prince Dead at 57
| Published April 21, 2016 |

By Thursday Review staff

Pop and rock legend Prince—also known as Prince Rogers Nelson, also known as Jamie Starr, also known as Alexander Nevermind, also known as...[ Read more ]


White Noise

A Sultry, Soulful New Single
| Published February 19, 2016 |

By R. Alan Clanton,
Thursday Review editor

She performs under the name Swells, which is constructed from her name (Sophia Wells), and her new single, “White Noise,” expresses neatly the complex layers of influences which shape the rich, swelling, arcing soul sounds with which...[ Read more ]


David Bowie, pop and rock music innovator

David Bowie: The Life of an Audacious Innovator
| Published January 11, 2016 |

By R. Alan Clanton,
Thursday Review editor

Just days after the release of his latest album, pop and rock music innovator David Bowie died after his long battle with liver cancer, according to his publicist and family. Bowie had celebrated...[ Read more ]


Looking right at you

Mother Mother and a Drive to Atlanta
| Published September 5, 2015 |

Concert Review
by Lori Garrett
Thursday Review contributor

Despite being relatively absent from the Thursday Review news and entertainment feed this summer, I was able to see my favorite band; a band I thought...[ Read more ]


Jack White Lazaretto 2015

Jack White:
The Lazaretto Tour

| Published February 9, 2015 |

Music Review by
Martin Boggess
Thursday Review contributor

The excitement for Jack White’s performance in Albuquerque, June 6 at University of New Mexico's Popejoy Hall, started well before the stage's light blue curtains swung open and revealed...

[ Read more ]


Bobby Keys of the Rolling Stones

Rock's Most Famous Saxophone
| Published December 3, 2014 |

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review editor

With the arguable exception of a few Bruce Springsteen tunes and those rich, invasive sounds of Clarence Clemons, his was the most famous and well-known saxophone performances in rock and roll history. “Brown Sugar” was recorded in a little...

[ Read more ]


George Harrison Bark Beetle

The Beetle and a Beatle
| Published August 2, 2014 |

By Earl Perkins
Thursday Review features editor

"For the forest to be green, each tree must be green" —Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

So said the nondescript plaque by the George Harrison Tree near...

(click to read more)


Glenn Cormick Obituary, formerly of Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull Bassist Glenn Cornick Dies
| Published September 1, 2014 |

By R. Alan Clanton
Thursday Review editor

He created one of the weightiest, most thundering bass lines in rock music, in a barrage of rumbling tunes often offset—improbably....

(click to read more)


The Perms; The Aberdeen cover art

Vega 4; You and Others
By Garrett Heisler,
Thursday Review contributor

What's better than British music? I mean honestly, they gave us The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who....

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The Perms; The Aberdeen cover art

The Perms; The Aberdeen EP

By R. Alan Clanton,

Thursday Review Editor

The new album release “The Aberdeen EP,” from the Canadian alt rock band The...

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Paramore

Paramore's 2013 Self-Titled Album

By Garrett Heisler
Thursday Review Contributor

After the monumental success of 2007’s Riot and the well-received feedback.....

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Arcade Fire album cover

Arcade Fire, Reflektor

By Maggie Nichols
Thursday Review Contributor

Arcade Fire is one of those experimental bands which transcends the connotation one usually associates....

[ Read more ]


 
Grouplove, Spreading Rumours album cover

Grouplove, Spreading Rumours

By Maggie Nichols

Thursday Review Contributor

After the smashing success and critical praise for Never Trust a Happy Song, Group-love’s dazzling 2011 album...

[ Read more ]


Best Music 2013

Best Music of 2013

Thursday Review staff

Now that the holidays are behind you, are you just now catching up on your musical....

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Train For Me cover art

A Look Back: Train, For Me It's You

Music review by
Garrett Heisler

Thursday Review Contributor

In the early aught years, with multiple Grammy Awards and multiple platinum records under their belts, Train was....

[ Continue Reading ]


Macklemore CD Cover

Macklemore: Rap with a Social Message

Music review, Kristy Webster
Thursday Review Contributor

Little did I know that when I graduated from the Ever-green State College in 2005 that one of my fellow....

[read more]


 
Phoenix CD Cover

Pure Aural Entertainment: Phoenix; Bankrupt

Music review, Maggie Nichols
Thursday Review Contributor

Phoenix’s new album, Bank-rupt, released a few months back, reminds me of why I love this French band's...

[read more]


 
Compac Discs
 

What Are "All the Kids" Listening to These Days?

By Stuart Boggess, Thursday Review Contributing Writer

What follows is an actual conversation between me, Stuart Boggess, and my mom about the hits and what's...


[ Read More ]

 
80s albums
 

Twelve 80s Albums You Must Own

By Thursday Review editors

 

Are you so Old School that you think all the important rock and roll innovations stopped at the end of the....    

[Read more]