As the World Cup takes over my city this month, I find myself hunkering down here in the B&V labs. It’s not that I don’t like large crowds of people, but as they say in Barfly, “I just sort of feel better when they’re not around.” Although admittedly, I’m hearing the folks from Scotland drank all the…
Mike Campbell & his Dirty Knobs have returned with a new album, Mission Of Mercy. The album was preceded by the fabulous first single “I Remember.” The Dirty Knobs have put out an album every two years since their debut Wreckless Abandon in 2020, including External Combustion in 2022 and Vagabonds, Virgins, & Misfits in 2024. I had…
*Image of documentary poster taken from the internet and likely copyrighted I was flipping around the different apps last night, looking for something to watch, when up popped a rockumentary entitled The Rise Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel. On doing some research I found out that this thing came out in March of…
While I was out for summer vacation traveling with family and subsequently subsumed in Paul McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Neil Young released a live album recorded with his latest backing band The Chrome Hearts entitled As Time Explodes: Live Album. The material on this album, I believe, was captured on Neil and…
Don’t pay the ransom! While I stepped away from B&V for a minute on summer vacation – my last post was, gads, May 26th (Playlist: Desperados, Outlaws & Criminals) – rock n roll legend Paul McCartney released his new album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane. It was preceded by the single “Days We Left Behind” a few…
*Photo of William H. Bonney, aka “Billy The Kid,” taken from Wikipedia, credited to Bill Wittick, circa 1880 and probably copyrighted I’m not sure why, but lately I’ve taken to saying to the Rock Chick, “You’ve always been an outlaw.” Perhaps some context is in order. I usually say this to her when I’m riding…
As I do every year in March, in 2026 I compiled our “40 year look back” playlist, this year to (obviously) 1986. It’s where I pick one song off different albums from the year in question. Those playlists are a real “snapshot in time,” if you will. One of the albums that I chose a…
When most people hear the name Peter Frampton their first thought is of his popular 1976 live album, Frampton Comes Alive. It’s one of the most iconic (double) live albums ever released. I can remember going to parties in the early 80s when I was in high school and hearing the live version of “Do You Feel…
I have to confess, I don’t buy every single box set that I review. Sure, I’d love to, but then I’d be living alone in a two bedroom apartment… one room for me, one for my box sets. The Rock Chick would exile me back to bachelorhood. Maybe I’d get a cat. But when I…
Legendary Orange County California cow punk/punk rockers Social Distortion are back with their first album in 15 years with the newly released Born To Kill. Fifteen years between albums ranks them up there with the Cure, the Stones and Peter Gabriel as artists who take a more “leisurely” approach to putting out new LPs. Of course…