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The first three albums released by Last Charge Of The Light Horse, the vehicle for the songs and voice of Long Island singer-songwriter-guitarist Jean-Paul Vest, each won Indie and/or Album Of The Year awards from yours truly in the Daily Vault’s annual “Best Of” recaps. The January release of the group’s fourth full-length Race To The Sound thus immediately qualifies as an event. And it lives up to expectations; from narrating the creator’s eternal battle with self-doubt, to examining a particularly twisted relationship, to celebrating burdens suddenly lifted, Race To The Sound is filled with searing moments of insight described…

When famous Cuban American singer Celia Cruz took the stage at the Zaire ‘74 festival to sing her hit song “Quimbara,” all the well-known elements of her dynamic stage shows were present: her ecstatic dancing, loud outfits, big hair, and unmistakably powerful voice. The mostly Zairean audience members were exceptionally responsive to Cruz’s vivacious display of Latin American rhythms and cultures. This was unsurprising given that she had already become a global force, as had the salsa music movement she helped spearhead. B.B. King, James Brown, and Miriam Makeba also performed at Zaire ‘74. But, singing and dancing amidst the…

H.R., the legendary singer of the equally legendary Bad Brains, has had a very interesting life. This documentary does a very impressive job of talking about his career and the myriad of issues surrounding him offstage. Some of the greatest insight comes from H.R.’s brother, Bad Brains drummer Earl Hudson. This is actually the most I think I’ve ever heard Earl talk and what he talks about is fascinating, namely their childhood and H.R.’s subsequent decline into what is basically undiagnosed mental illness. His friends and bandmates in his various reggae bands also talk at length about H.R.’s solo career.…

This long overdue retrospective documentary of legendary guitarist Mick Ronson is quite interesting. Interviews with friends, colleagues, admirers, and the occasional voiceover from Bowie himself paint a picture of a musician who was one of the most talented of his ilk. Not only could he play like a demon, but he could arrange and produce as well. For the most part, he will be remembered as Bowie’s partner in the Spiders From Mars, and a lot of time in this documentary is used to talk about his association with Bowie. Bowie’s former wife Angie tries to steal the show with…

If you’re not familiar with L7, then watch this film and you will be. Four rockin’ badasses from Los Angeles formed the ultimate female alternative rock band and took the ‘90s alt rock underground by storm. Hell, 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy spawned three of the most memorable songs from the alternative rock explosion: “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Wargasm,” and “Shitlist.” This documentary is a bit different from most other rock docs; you never see the ladies of L7 on camera, only in voice-overs. But through scattered praise from fans including members of Garbage, Distillers, Bratmobile, and others, it is highlighted just…

Legend has it that it took 100 takes in the studio before Tom Petty was satisfied that he and the Heartbreakers had done full justice to “Refugee,” the leadoff track on 1979’s Damn The Torpedoes. The song turned out to be their breakthrough, the single that lit a rocket under their until-then gradual transformation from regional up-and-comers into breakout national stars. I like to think that stubbornness wasn’t so much about perfectionism as a determination to get the most you can out of the materials you have to work with. That always seemed to be the Petty ethos, right down…