Short Tracks: 10 Years of Toto XIV

The last genuinely new Toto album was released on March 20th, 2015. I’ll admit it left me a little underwhelmed upon its initial release. Upon a recent relisten, that opinion hasn’t changed too much. I received an email from a reader of my book, “ Toto: The Band, Not The Dog,” stating that I was […]

Slang Of Ages Interview: Tom Welch discusses his band Wendel (2025)

Preston : How did the band start? Tom Welch:The band as I guess many have as a project at the start of lockdown during Covid. Billy and I had been in bands together for years playing more Rocky stuff but always had a love for the more 60/70s sounding melodic stuff, of course being big […]

George Ajjan discussed the ajjancy album: to be arranged and his upcoming projects 

I’m doing great. Thank you so much for all that you do, not just for having this chat with me but for all the independent artists that you feature. It’s appreciated to have somebody who takes the time to listen Thoughtfully and ask questions and discuss, and it’s really building the community, and we it’s really

Appreciate it.

Toto bassist Shem von Schroeck

Bassist Shem von Schroeck had already had an impressive career with gigs with with Kenny Loggins, Don Felder, Steve Perry, Gary Wright and Ambrosia, among many others.

Short Tracks: ‘Son Con Guaguancó’ by Celia Cruz (2025 reissue)

‘Reissued on heavy, high-quality vinyl in honor of Craft Latino’s celebration of Celia Cruz’s centennial, ‘Son con Guaguancó’  is a vibrant and rhythmically rich album that showcases Cruz’s incredible vocal power and mastery of Afro-Cuban music. Originally released during her time with La Sonora Matancera, this song blends son cubano with guaguancó, a subgenre of […]

Short Tracks:  Waves 3 by Fernando Perdomo (2025)

March brings us to the third in a series of twelve albums by Fernando Perdomo. The progressive rocker continues to raise the bar in his all-instrumental progression rock series, giving us 10 more expansive and inspirational rockers. The concept itself seems complicated to fathom, as to date, Perdomo has given us a level of quality […]

Short Tracks: ‘Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues’ by Terry Blade (2025)

“Nothin’ But The Blues (featuring Theresa Needham” is a perfect opening to Terry Blade’s first full studio album since his award-winning 2023 release, ‘Ethos: Son of a Sharecropper”. The Chicago-based singer/songwriter continues his mission of educating the public about folk and blessings while creating a memorable musical canvas to explore. “Nothing But The Blues,” with […]