queen of New Orleans bounce Big Freedia ; “ other ” first family of NOLA music Neville Brothers with Snoop Dogg and G- Easy ; Big Chief Monk Boudreaux with the Lost Bayou Ramblers . But the icing on this king ’ s cake of music is arguably the inclusion of the late , great , uniquely New Orleanian Mac “ Dr . John ” Rebennack in what just may be the last studio / video recordings before his passing in 2019 . In one of two cuts included on the CD package , the venerable keyboardist is most memorably paired in an electric piano duet with young lion composer / ivory tickler Davell Crawford on the signature NOLA classic “ Jock-A-Mo ”— a song that was itself composed by Davell ’ s grandfather — further underscoring how deeply the musical circle of New Orleans remains unbroken .
As good as all this musical gumbo of recording gets , there are a few head scratching moments — such as the seeming out-of-nowhere covers of Paul Simon ’ s “ Late in the Evening ” and “ Knockin ” from a 2011 film A Cinderella Story ; along with Ani DiFranco taking on her own 2018 piece of Americana Little Plastic Castles . But , again , the film has yet to be released and maybe these will all make sense when it finally sees the light of day . In the meantime , the rest of the recordings are one big lagniappe to savor .
– David C . Eldredge
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DEL CASHER Music From The Motion Picture Italian Stallion ( Org Music )
Veteran Wrecking Crew guitarist Del Casher ’ s disco and jazz / funk “ score ” was inspired by his desire to create original music based upon Sylvester Stallone ’ s film Rocky , tailored in the vein of disco-fied interpretations of the scores to 70s films including Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind created by artists like Meco . Casher ’ s music was later credited to the alias Kay Leodel and used as an updated score to Stallone ’ s early cult film Italian Stallion . Rest assured , the music stands up to repeated visits better than the film . The set is good fun for those who like Marvin Gaye ’ s soundtrack for Trouble Man , Isaac
Hayes ’ music for Shaft , the original Rocky score , Car Wash , and the era-dominating Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album . Connections to each can be heard in the “ Italian Stallion Theme ,” one of only two tracks featuring vocals . Billy Preston ’ s funky clarinet playing is a highlight of tracks including “ Dance Alone ” and “ Circle Dance .” Slinky saxophone and Casher ’ s sly jazz guitar glide atop a subdued latin-pop beat during “ Three Girls in a Whirl .” The songs also feature spirited brass charts , muted trumpet solos , breezy flute , twinkling xylophone , upbeat piano , and slippery soul bass alongside Casher ’ s assured guitar chops . Seeing its original vinyl release as a Record Store Day title in 2021 , this LP is a time-travel machine set for the mid-70s .
– Jeff Elbel
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MIDNIGHT Let There Be Witchery ( Metal Blade )
If you ' re going to make a hamburger , you might as well make it the best hamburger you possibly can . Let There Be Witchery , Cleveland-based , one-man blackened speed metal band Midnight ’ s fourth full-length album , is one meaty burger . By combining Venom and Motörhead influences , the first wave of black metal — i . e . Hellhammer and Bathory — and the hardcore punk savagery of Discharge , Midnight unleashes a beastly concoction . Led by hooded maniac , Athenar ( born Jamie Walters ), Midnight has been on an upward trajectory within the underground metal universe since its 2003 inception . On its 10 animalistic tracks , Athenar performs all the vocals , bass , guitar and drums . The immediacy of opener “ Telepathic Nightmare ”’ s chilling melodies and romping d-beat rhythmic thrust kicks the album off in fine fashion . Following tracks ; the riotous “ Nocturnal Molestation ,” the Motörhead-esque “ Let There Be Sodomy ” and the crushing “ More Torment ,” continues the album ’ s filthiness . Each track possesses anthemic , singalong choruses , hooky rhythms , and engaging , distortion-laden riffs . Recorded at the same Mercenary Studios in Cleveland , OH with producer Noah Buchanan as its predecessor Rebirth By Blasphemy , Let There Be Witchery possesses a comfortable familiarity within its overall sound . Lyrically , Let There Be Witchery is even more sleazier than 2020 ’ s Rebirth by Blasphemy . Tracks such as “ Nocturnal Molestation ,” “ Let There Be Sodomy ,” “ Devil Virgin ” and “ Szex Witchery ” run the gamut of lust and evil . Let There Be Witchery triumphantly continues Midnight ’ s simplistic formula of loud and nasty primal metal .
– Kelley Simms
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