The Black Crowes
Before the Frost… Until the Freeze
(Silver Arrow)

The newest release from the brothers Robinson is an experiment combining technology with down-home boogie rock. It's really a double album. Included with disc one is a download code that lets you access disc two for free via the Crowes' website. Both albums were recorded in front of a live audience at Levon Helm's barn in upstate New York. Cutting new material in front of a crowd might unnerve some groups, but not the Crowes. The friendly cheers between songs make everything play like an informal concert held for a few friends. Searing blues-tinged solos and dance-hall piano aside, the boys are at their best when they quiet down. There's a slow-building grandeur in the Band-like "The Last Place that Love Lives," while "Appaloosa" aspires to be the cowboy ballad the Crowes always hoped they could write. All that hard time on the road has paid off in spades.  —Michael Cimaomo

Mark Nomad
Soul Proprietor
(Blue Star)

While Mark Nomad may not be among the foremost virtuosos, his guitar tones and stylings betray a broad familiarity with everything bluesy, from Bo Diddley to Band of Gypsies. His licks are sometimes a bit sloppy, but sometimes dead-on, and considering that this entire album was recorded live, it's really pretty good overall. The rhythm section of bassist Peter King and drummer Sturgis Cunningham is tight, and saxophone ramblings by Doug Jones verge on crazed, free-form jazz at times. The band's feel is akin to the G.E. Smith/Saturday Night Live band's, though adventures into funk and even Hendrixian psychedelia are offered up as well. The tunes are mostly covers of blues/rock numbers, though the closer (which clocks in at 9:37) is a vamp on James Brown's "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing." At the very least, Mr. Nomad has some impeccable taste. —Tom Sturm

O Crush
80s All Over
(Mainline)

The popular "80s dance party band" Orange Crush is a blast to see live, moving with pinpoint accuracy and unfettered fluency from one classic hit to the next. Hearing Orange Crush's extraordinary musical talent and range, you find yourself wondering what such a band might achieve in the realm of original music. With the release of 80s All Over, lead vocalist Scott Lawson, guitarist Jeremy Simonich, bassist Rich Yirga and drummer Tom Kielbania provide a very entertaining answer. 80s All Over showcases the band's utter command of the era's varied, often over-the-top styles, playing with cliches without falling into them. When, for example, you hear the outrageously funny "Leg Warmerz," you'll think it must be a ZZ Top song you've never heard before. As the lyrics unfold, however, you realize that this is a send-up, an homage and a sturdy vehicle for a clever, compelling and highly original point of view. The deeper and broader your appreciation for popular music, the more you will love this album.  —Tom Vannah