The Only Way TO Win

Powering thru two discs' worth of songs from both lineups of the Rollins Band, The Only Way to Know for Sure is a tight, focused live record that easily overshadows not only Rollins Band's early live output, but also the last two studio records. The live version of songs from Get Some Go Again and Nice are more powerful and meaty than their somewhat clean studio versions, and the new Rollins Band puts a little more muscle into some old material like "Low So" and "Disconnect." Obviously, one would assume that since these guys spend a whole lotta damn time on the road, that a live record would be great, not to mention a good starting point to get an overview of some of this band's (as well as the original lineup's) best material.

The concept of TALKING WITH THE BLUES is based on a view of the various US states as blues regions. Even casual blues listeners are familiar with the fact that there is Chicago Blues or Mississippi Blues and the gripping social history of the music is very much marked by its geography. But there is much more that just those two places and to this day blues music stays committed to local styles. Moreover, many US states are endowed with a unique cultural identity grown out of the prevailing social, historical and ethnic realities. Reflections of these specific identities are also expressed in the blues.

Following a busy recording year in 2009, Scott Herren focused on collaborative projects in 2010, flexing his production muscles via dates, remixes, or cameos with everyone from Zach Hill to Oneohtrix Point Never to TV on the Radio. The Only She Chapters continues the familial feeling, with a wealth of features for female vocalists, which on the surface makes this Prefuse 73 record sound more like it came from Herren’s Savath & Savalas project. Still, it shows his production style has changed slightly. First, there’s little to no evidence of a hip-hop influence, or even electro for that matter…