Collections enhance legacy of groundbreaking artists

Without a doubt, 2018 has seen a slew of amazing reissues and retro-minded collections that rank among the most essential titles of the year. In this column I highlight three astounding releases worthy of exploration by music fans.

Artists: The Bangles, The Three O'Clock, The Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade
Title: 3 X 4 (Yep Roc Records)
You might like if you enjoy: The Bangles, Steve Wynn
Tell me more: Los Angeles' so-called "Paisley Underground" was an exciting genre blending garage rock, jangly power pop and psychedelic rock that emerged at the dawn of the 1980s. The movement's best-known proponents – the Bangles, Rain Parade, the Dream Syndicate and the Three O'Clock – have joined forces on a must-hear collection where each group performs one song from each of the other three outfits – hence the clever title 3 X 4. Every cut on the 12-track disc is fantastic, capturing the individual talents of the groups and strength of the songwriting. The Dream Syndicate brings an almost Neil Young and Crazy Horse muscular approach to Rain Parade's "You Are My Friend." Rain Parade brings a Beatlesque touch to Three O'Clock's atmospheric "As Real As Real." Susanna Hoffs' shimmering lead vocals help propel the Bangles' lovely take on Rain Parade's dreamy "Talking In My Sleep." The Dream Syndicate offers up a rollicking take on the Bangles' classic "Hero Take a Fall," the version bolstered by the lush harmonies of Vicki Peterson and Linda Pitmon. The melancholy-drenched "Real World" finds Rain Parade bringing new depth to the Bangles favorite. 3 X 4 is one of the most glorious releases of 2018. Information: YepRoc.com.

Artist: Ten Years After
Title: Live At The Fillmore East (Chrysalis Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton
Tell me more: Although Ten Years After is best known for their fiery performance of "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock in August 1969 and the 1971 radio hit "I'd Love to Change the World," the British blues rock band released a score of Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200 in the late 1960s and early '70s. Now one of the British quartet's best live albums has been reissued and sounds better than ever. Live At The Fillmore East is a two-disc concert recording (originally released in 2001) drawing a dozen tracks from the band's performances at the Fillmore East in New York City on Feb. 27 and 28, 1970. Those who loved Ten Years After's exhilarating approach in concert will want to get this live set featuring singer-guitarist Alvin Lee and company's extended takes on many of their best early material including a amped-up take on the 1930s blues standard "Good Morning Little School Girl," breathtaking 11-minute run through "I'm Going Home," a blistering version of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" and the marathon drum solo "The Hobbit" featuring Ric Lee. Listening to this amazing collection is to be reminded why Alvin Lee ranked with Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton as one of the greatest electric guitarists of his generation. Information: ChrysalisRecordings.com.

Artist: Prince

Title: Piano & A Microphone 1983 (Warner Bros. Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Prince
Tell me more: Die hard fans of Prince likely picked up Piano & A Microphone 1983 the instant it was released, but casual fans of the artist may have somehow overlooked this fascinating glimpse at another side of Prince. Recorded in 1983 at the artist's Kiowa Trail home studio in Minnesota, Piano & A Microphone spans a mere 35 minutes but immerses the listener with every creative bend. In addition to early versions of his own "17 Days," "Purple Rain" and "Strange Relationship," the intimate recording finds the artist performing a soulful version of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" and a raw version of the traditional 19th century spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep." The home studio cassette recording has been lovingly enhanced, and the simple teaming of Prince's vocals and accompanying piano is mesmerizing from start to finish. Information: OfficialPrinceMusic.com.  


Robert Kinsler

Peter Frampton to receive Les Paul Innovation Award during NAMM Show in January 2019

Great news that acclaimed guitarist Peter Frampton will receive the Les Paul Innovation Award in Anaheim onJan. 26, 2019...

Legendary Guitarist Peter Frampton to Receive

Les Paul Innovation Award at 34^th Annual NAMM TEC Awards

GRAMMY® award-winning guitarist, singer, songwriter, and innovator Peter Frampton will receive the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at the 34^th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), being held Saturday, January 26, 2019, in Anaheim, CA. The award is given to those individuals who personify the innovative thinking of Les Paul, the Father of Modern of Music. The Les Paul Foundation partners with NAMM each year to honor the individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology, which also celebrates the legacy of the late, great Les Paul.

Frampton notes, “It is a distinct honor to receive the Les Paul Innovation Award. I would say that many of my career highlights occurred while holding an instrument in my hands that bears Les Paul’s name. I was lucky enough to know him personally, and I owe him so much. He was a wonderful character as well as a genius! An incredible guitar player as well as the inventor of so much music technology. Les changed the way we record forever. I can only hope that I’ve been able to make a fraction of the positive impact that Les Paul made in his iconic career.”

Frampton is one of music’s renaissance men, having begun a career in his early teens, and still making his mark today in the areas of recording and touring. A multi-platinum-selling artist, he recently celebrated the 42^nd anniversary of his fifth solo album, Frampton Comes Alive!, an album that remains one of the top-selling live records of all time with over 17 million copies sold worldwide. In 2007 he won the GRAMMY award for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” for Fingerprints and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

“Peter Frampton remains one of the most skillful and celebrated artists in rock history. He also was a friend of Les Paul’s and has played a pivotal role in helping the Foundation keep Les’s legacy alive,” shared Michael Braunstein, Executive Director, The Les Paul Foundation. “Like Les, he is an undeniable master of his instrument and in many ways ahead of his time. We are honored to have Peter join the impressive list of Les Paul Innovation Award recipients.” 

Frampton’s storied career began at 16 as the lead singer and guitarist for the British band The Herd. By 18, he co-founded one of the first supergroups – the seminal rock act Humble Pie. His touring years have included work with a whos-who of the top names in music, such as David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Gregg Allman, Ringo Starr, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, and many others. Additionally, he took his eponymous Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus on the road for two years with special guests B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Vince Gill, Larry Carlton, Robert Randolph, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny Landreth, Robert Cray, and Roger McGuinn (The Byrds).

His session work includes collaborations with artists who have made their mark on the industry including George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Entwistle, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam), among many others.

Frampton’s talent has also stretched beyond music and into the realm of television and film. He was called upon by Oscar-winning writer/director Cameron Crowe to serve as technical advisor for the film Almost Famous (2000) and even appeared in the film and composed several songs for the soundtrack. Frampton has appeared as himself in The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Les Paul invented the solid body electric guitar, multi-track recording, overdubbing, echo, reverb and numerous other recording techniques. Without Les Paul, the music industry would not be what it is today. He is often called the “Father of Modern Music,” “The Wizard of Waukesha” and even the “Thomas Edison of Music.” Les founded the Foundation prior to his passing and wanted to inspire young people to invent, create, innovate, and get involved in music while exploring their own creative ideas. Today, The Les Paul Foundation works with organizations throughout the country in support of music education, engineering, and medical research. The Les Paul Innovation Award at NAMM and the Les Paul Spirit Award are two of the most prestigious awards celebrated by the Foundation.

With the honor, Frampton joins Jackson Browne, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Don Was, Slash, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Steve Vai, and others, who have received the Les Paul Innovation Award since it began in 1991.

Announced early this year, Leslie Ann Jones, the Grammy-winning groundbreaking engineer, producer, and Director of Music and Scoring for Skywalker Sound, will be inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame that same night. Jones joins luminaries Rose Mann Cherney, Skunk Baxter, Hal Blaine, Jack Douglas, Nathan East, Geoff Emerick, and others with her induction, the industry’s highest honor for pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians.

The NAMM TEC Awards are held during The NAMM Show, the global gathering of music, sound and event technology industries, in Anaheim, California, January 24-27, 2019. They arebestowed annually in honor of the many individuals, companies and technical innovations used in sound recordings, films, broadcast television and video games. Nominees were announcedearlier this year. Purchase tickets on site or in advance here for $65 (General Admission) or $195 (VIP). The show begins with a VIP-only reception at 6PM, followed by the awards ceremony at 7PM, held in the Hilton Anaheim Hotel’s Pacific Ballroom. Stand-up comedian and entertainer Demetri Martin will host the ceremony.

ABOUT THE TEC AWARDS

Presented annually by the NAMM Foundation during The NAMM Show, The NAMM TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media in 23 Technical and 8 Creative Achievement Categories. The Les Paul Innovation Award is given at the event in tribute to musical artists and others whose work has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. Through its Hall of Fame, The TEC Awards also honors the pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. The NAMM Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame celebrates innovations and groundbreaking technical achievements of the past. For more information, visit www.tecawards.org.

ABOUT LES PAUL FOUNDATION

Les Paul formed his foundation to encourage young people to pursue their curiosity and innovation about music, sound and engineering. Recent grants from the Les Paul Foundation include funding to multiple music education programs and to museums that tell the Les Paul story. The foundation’s comprehensive website at www.lespaulfoundation.org connects viewers to numerous resources. The mission of the Les Paul Foundation is to honor and share the life, spirit and legacy of Les Paul by supporting music education, engineering and innovation as well as medical research. The foundation is based in New York.

Follow the Les Paul Foundation at www.facebook.com/lespaulfoundation, www.twitter.com/lespaulfoundation, www.instagram.com/lespaulofficial or click on lespaulfoundation.org.

Gift Ideas Roundup: Tom Petty, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, more!

TJR and Robert Kinsler has gathered some of their favorite music-related items together with a list of great gift ideas for 2018! Titles featuring Tom Petty, Ten Years After, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Led Zeppelin and more make the list!

MUSIC WORTH BUYING: '60s-spawned heroes ring in holiday season

On the latest episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING Robert and TJR discuss new holiday-minded releases from the Monkees, Eric Clapton, Mike Love and William Shatner:

Queen + Adam Lambert to launch new 'Rhapsody' tour of North America

Great news for fans of the band Queen!

Adam Lambert, left, will once again embark on a highly-anticipated
tour with Queen (drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May).

The Rhapsody Approaches...July 2019

Queen + Adam Lambert to debut brand new 'Rhapsody' touring show across North America next year with 23 giant shows from July through August 2019

Tickets on sale December 7^th at LiveNation.com

Los Angeles, CA (December 3, 2018) – The soaring success of Bohemian Rhapsody – the Freddie Mercury/Queen movie that is set to become the biggest grossing music biopic of all time – has proven that the public’s love for Queen remains as strong as ever. Longtime fans and recent converts will be thrilled to discover then, that Queen – original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor, teaming up once more with longtime front man Adam Lambert on lead vocals – will return to North America next year. Produced by Live Nation, the epic 23-date arena and stadium Rhapsody tour is set to run from mid-July through late August with an all new concert experience.

Tickets for the Rhapsody tour go on sale to the general public starting December 7^th at LiveNation.com at 10AM local time.   Queen and Adam Lambert Fan Club Presales will run from 10 a.m. local time through 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

Going under the Rhapsody header, the six-week tour will debut a brand new larger-than-life production.  Stufish Entertainment Architects’ set designer Ric Lipson says: “Queen + Adam Lambert’s Rhapsody tour will, once again for them, expand the parameters of what a live music experience can be. This new show promises to be their most spectacular yet, an innovative and interactive celebration of the continued power of Queen’s music.”

The tour follows an acclaimed run of 10 sold-out shows at the MGM Park Theater, Las Vegas in September 2018 and will kick off July 10^th at Vancouver Rogers Arena.  Stop-offs include some of the most history-packed venues in the US and Canada, including The Forum in Los Angeles (the last venue the original line-up played in North America on September  15, 1982) and New York City’s Madison Square Garden (the site of past Queen glories, including a memorable performance from Queen + Adam Lambert on July 17, 2014). It will wrap August 23^rd at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC.

Announcing their Rhapsody tour Roger Taylor said: "We are ready for America and raring to get back in the saddle.”

Adam Lambert said: “We have been designing a brand new visual spectacle that will reframe these iconic songs and we are excited to unveil it!”

With Brian May adding:“ This is a great opportunity.   Our last tour featured our most ambitious production ever, and got us our best notices ever.   So we decided to rip it apart and get even more ambitious!  Watch out, America! "

Since Adam Lambert first shared the stage with Queen for the 2009 American Idol final, his dynamic performances have reinvigorated the band and delighted fans worldwide. Their first full show together – starting as they meant to go on - thrilled a half-a-million-strong crowd in the Ukraine capital city of Kiev in June 2012. Since then May and Taylor’s musical fireworks have been matched by Lambert’s vocal prowess and stage presence, making for an explosive combination. Over 180 gigs later, the partnership has proven a commercial and critical triumph, playing to enraptured full houses in every corner of the world.

Completing the tour line-up are long-term collaborator Spike Edney on keyboards, Neil Fairclough on bass, and Tyler Warren on percussion.

Never known to rest on their laurels, Queen on this Rhapsody tour will unveil a stage show as experimental and rule-defying as the hit-packed Queen back catalogue. The band have worked with the creative partners behind the eye-popping News Of The World 2017 tour – Ric Lipson of Stufish Entertainment Architects handling set design; Rob Sinclair on lighting design; and Sam Pattinson of Treatment Studio behind the video content – to develop an unmissable show.

The tour follows a hugely successful time for Queen + Adam Lambert. 2014 saw them complete their first, rapturously-received North American tour together, as well as massive festival headline slots in Asia and a sold-out arena tour of Australia and New Zealand, leading to them being crowned Band Of The Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock Roll Of Honor awards and Best Live Band Of The Year in Ultimate Classic Rock’s Reader’s Poll.

And they kept up the momentum – in early 2015 they embarked upon their first full European tour together, including two nights at London’s O2 Arena and in September of that year they hit South America, with a headline appearance at Brazil’s Rock In Rio festival seeing them rock a crowd of more than 80,000 people. 2016 saw yet more enormous headline slots, with a celebratory set at the legendary Isle Of Wight Festival one of many highlights. They continued in 2017/2018 with full-blown tours of North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Europe. Their run of UK dates earlier this year sold out in less than half-an-hour, their reputation obviously preceding them.

Then along came 20^th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie has topped the cinema box office in more than 35 countries around the world since its late October release, drawing worldwide box office receipts in excess of $500 million. The excitement the film inspired also saw Queen propelled back on to the music charts, where they hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Artist 100 Chart, reminding fans why they loved them and dazzling the previously-uninitiated. In the US, the band scored its highest-charting album in 38 years with the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack (Hollywood Records), which surged from No. 25 to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart on November 17, reached the top of the Billboard Rock Albums chart and were Spotify’s most streamed artist in the world for the week ending November 22. Rolling Stone called the album “more than just a greatest hits”, praising it as “a fun imaginative way to relive the band’s genius.” In the same week, Queen’s Greatest Hits Vol I, II & III: The Platinum Collection rocketed from No. 194 to No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and they had a jaw-dropping 22 songs charting on the Digital Rock Tracks chart including seven of the Top 10.

In the UK the release of Bohemian Rhapsody has also given a healthy boost to Queen's music on streaming services. Rhapsody remains their most popular, with 50.4 million streams, followed by Don’t Stop Me Now on 46.1 million plays. 

When Freddie sang The Show Must Go On all those years back, even he couldn’t have guessed that Queen music would still be storming the charts in 2018. Next summer, the stages of North America will be well and truly rocked again. You can’t help thinking Freddie would be overjoyed.

DATE	CITY	VENUE
Wed Jul 10	Vancouver, BC	Rogers Arena
Fri Jul 12	Tacoma, WA	Tacoma Dome
Sun Jul 14	San Jose, CA	SAP Center
Tue Jul 16	Phoenix, AZ	Talking Stick Resort Arena
Fri Jul 19	Los Angeles, CA	The Forum
Tue Jul 23	Dallas, TX	American Airlines Center
Wed Jul 24	Houston, TX	Toyota Center
Sat Jul 27	Detroit, MI	Little Caesars Arena
Sun Jul 28	Toronto, ON	Scotiabank Arena
Tue Jul 30	Washington, DC	Capital One Arena
Wed Jul 31	Pittsburgh, PA	PPG Paints Arena
Sat Aug 03	Philadelphia, PA	Wells Fargo Center
Sun Aug 04	Boston, MA	Xfinity Center
Tue Aug 06	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden
Fri Aug 09	Chicago, IL	United Center
Sat Aug 10	St. Paul, MN	Xcel Energy Center
Tue Aug 13	Columbus, OH	Nationwide Arena
Thu Aug 15	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena
Sat Aug 17	Ft. Lauderdale, FL	BB&T Center
Sun Aug 18	Tampa, FL	Amalie Arena
Tue Aug 20	New Orleans, LA	Smoothie King Center
Thu Aug 22	Atlanta, GA	State Farm Arena
Fri Aug 23	Charlotte, NC	Spectrum Center

Adam Lambert

Brian May on Adam Lambert: “Adam is a real gift from God. He’s a voice in a billion. Nobody has that range - nobody that I’ve ever worked with - and not just the range but the quality throughout the range. I’ve seen Adam develop just like I watched Freddie develop.”

After blowing everyone away on the eighth season of American Idol, Adam Lambert went on to release his debut album, For Your Entertainment, which included the international hit Whatya Want From Me and earned him a Grammy Award nomination. Adam followed this success with his second album,Trespassing, which became the first album to reach the No. 1 spot in the US and Canada by an openly gay artist. His highly-anticipated third album, The Original High,  was executive produced by Max Martin and Shellback and included the smash hit Ghost Town. Adam joined the cast of Glee for a six-episode story in 2013 and performed the role of Eddie in Fox’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He went on to judge on The X Factor Australia where the artist he mentored, Isaiah, won the show. As well as touring the US with Queen, 2019 will see Adam release his fourth album, and also star is his first animated feature:The Playmobil Movie.  

Twickets Partnership

For this upcoming tour Queen have teamed up with Twickets, the global fan-to-fan ticket marketplace, as a safe and secure place for fans to buy or sell spare tickets. Twickets enables fans to ethically resell event tickets they can no longer use to other fans for no more than the face value of the original ticket, helping to combat the secondary ticketing market. To resell spare tickets or buy a fan-to-fan ticket, please visit http://queen.twickets.live

About Live Nation Entertainment:

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Bohemian Rhapsody (The Original Soundtrack)

Wide download: http://hollywoodrecs.co/BohemianRhapsodyStDL

Wide streaming: http://hollywoodrecs.co/BohemianRhapsodySt

Physical: http://hollywoodrecs.co/BohemianRhapsodySTP

Stellar Sonic Stocking Stuffers

A handful of essential Americana-styled releases are available now and should be on any music lover's shopping list.

Artist: Old 97's
Title: Love The Holidays (ATO Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Wilco, Rhett Miller
Tell me more: The members of Old 97's truly do "love the holidays" and have created the wildly spirited Christmas album to prove it. The majority of songs on the 14-track Love The Holidays are original and fully capture the freewheeling spirit of the Texas-spawned band. The rollicking title track "Love The Holidays," '60s-flavored "I Believe in Santa Claus," cowpunk-tinged alt rocker "Gotta Love Being A Kid" and beautiful countrified folk nugget "Snow Angels" are early standouts on the disc. The world's most famous reindeer gets a new musical chapter courtesy of the colorful "Rudolph Was Blue." The reworked versions of traditional material such as "Auld Lang Syne," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Up On The Housetop" are equally marvelous, with the quartet using their best instincts to capture the spirit of the originals without abandoning their raw and decidedly raucous approach. Information: old97s.com.

Artist: Michael Ubaldini
Title: Song Of Our Time (Blackwater Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan
Tell me more: Michael Ubaldini has released yet another brilliant full-length album; the aptly-titled Song Of Our Time features a dozen cuts finely crafted with nothing more than the artist's signature vocals, acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica. The tracks offer probing and penetrating observations of life in a fast-moving world caught in a state of seemingly-endless turmoil. Ubaldini's sound recalls the acoustic approach of legacy masters Bob Dylan and Neil Young but the Southern California troubadour has a strong voice of his own. The title track reflects the timbre of the age with Ubaldini looking around at a world filled with troubles and admitting "There's nothing I can do, but sing a song for you." Make no mistake that while the artist offers an honest assessment of our world there is a hopeful and uplifting resonance in his songcraft that provides comfort and optimism. Ubaldini's musical pen is wide and aside from the sharp political observations (just listen to "A Clean Mind," "Free Speech Blues" and "Teardrops") and personal defeat ("Walkin' Cane Blues") there are songs of love (the Celtic-flavored "Maddie O' Day") and loss ("When The Chips Were Down," "Gambled Away My Woman"). Song Of Our Time delivers on its stark title more fully with every listen. Information: rocknrollpoet.com.

Artist: Lone Justice
Title: The Western Tapes, 1983 (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Maria McKee, Whitney Rose, Nikki Lane
Tell me more: It's clear listening to the glorious 6-track EP The Western Tapes, 1983 featuring groundbreaking country roots rockers Lone Justice's earliest demo recordings that the band was decades ahead of its time. The strength of these early tracks – five of which are previously unissued – led the troupe on a glorious path to being signed to a major label and releasing several memorable LPs later that decade. The original lineup of Lone Justice (singer-guitarist Maria McKee, lead guitarist-vocalist Ryan Hedgecock, drummer Don Willens and bassist Dave Harrington) carved out a handful of songs that sound as potent today as they did 35 years ago; the rollicking "Working Late," aching "Don't Toss Us Away" and no-holds-barred "The Train" are among this writer's favorites on the disc. The stylish package is excellent and includes liner notes penned by producer Marvin Etzioni, who is spot-on when he writes "I believed we were creating a 21st century country band."  Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Ashley Monroe
Title: Sparrow (Warner Music Nashville)
You might like if you enjoy: Kacey Musgraves, Pistol Annies
Tell me more: Although Ashley Monroe's 4th album Sparrow was released in April 2018, yours truly only recently discovered this amazing album. Produced by Dave Cobbin at RCA Studio A in Nashville, the disc features 12 inviting tracks featuring Monroe's sweet and affecting soprano. Among my favorite songs are the poignant opening track "Orphan," the countrified baroque flavored "Paying Attention," tender ballad "I'm Trying To," sparse piano-anchored "This Heaven" and simmering "Hands On You." The songs are nuanced and artfully arranged in a symphonic moodscape throughout, all the better to be immersed in Monroe's authentic neotraditional country music approach. Information: AshleyMonroe.com.

Robert Kinsler

Music Worth Buying: Old 97's 'Love the Holidays' and JD McPherson 'Socks'

On the latest episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING, Robert Kinsler and TJR celebrate the newly-released holiday releases from the Old 97's and JD McPherson: