This week's entry is my humble tribute to one of the most inventive and influential musicians of the 20th century, the late Bo Diddley... The iconic rectangular guitar (aka "The Twang Machine") is missing, but the cover to 1961's Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger is a gem just the same. It's one of a series of tongue-in-cheek images shot for Diddley's early-1960s albums on the Checker label. Read on, Daddy-O

It's been a few months since my last album review roundup and I know the public constantly clamors for more of my stunning insight into what new music is worth listening to these days. So here it is... Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther (Bella Union) This came out almost two years ago, but it's new to me. And holy crap is it ever my favorite album right now. It has the warmth and intimacy of early-to-mid '70s Fleetwood Mac, ... Read on, Daddy-O

Anyone who knows me at all could have guessed that I'd find a way to get Kiss included on this feature sooner or later. But can you blame me? Whatever you think about their music, Kiss had its share of memorable album art back in the day. But for a slight twist, I went with one that I don't usually see called out as one of the group's best - 1975's Dressed to Kill: In contrast to the more popular ... Read on, Daddy-O

I was absolutely fascinated by this cover as a kid and I still think it's awesome: What gets me about this is the look on the robot's face, which says "Oh crap, did I do that?" The blood drop on the finger is also a very nice touch. The only part that doesn't thrill me is that Brian May (the one with the curly hair and puffy shirt) looks like a bit of a dandy. As it turns out, interestingly enough, this ... Read on, Daddy-O

All too often it happens that an album with great artwork is full of forgettable music. Luckily that's not so with Pink Floyd's 1975 classic, Wish You Were Here. For my money, this is the ultimate Floyd album and one of the ten best albums of all-time. One of the really appealing things about this cover - aside from how surreal it is -is how ambiguous it is. There may be a definite story or scenario behind this photo, but ... Read on, Daddy-O

Starting today and running every Monday until I lose interest, I'm going to feature one album cover that is notable for either being well-crafted, visually striking, humorous, or all of them at once. I am old enough to remember when vinyl still held sway as the dominant format for music delivery, and I've always lamented the decline of the format for reasons other than the ones usually trotted out (i.e. it just "sounds" nicer than compact discs). Back in the day (yes, ... Read on, Daddy-O

There's no two ways about it: 2008 has been a bit of a letdown as far as new music goes, at least compared to last year. There have been some excellent releases to be certain (School of Language, Goldfrapp, and the Raconteurs among them), just not a lot that have hit the heights of '07. I'm going to play a little catchup with my reviews here, so let's dig in... R.E.M. - Accelerate (Warner Bros.) I've managed to be exposed to R.E.M.'s ... Read on, Daddy-O

I'm not sure if it can accurately be said that the Raconteurs' new album, Consolers of the Lonely, represents an unexpected left turn. After all, who's to say that their 2006 debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, isn't the aberration instead? Either way, fans looking for a repeat of the brilliant, trippy power pop of BBS would do best to just stick with that album. Consolers - steeped as it is in the blues, hard rock, and even vintage country ... Read on, Daddy-O

Sales of digital music boomed in the first half of 2005, compared to the same period in 2004. Meanwhile, sales of physical product (CDs, DVDs, etc.) slipped. Many are already hailing this as a sign of things to come. I wouldn’t go as far as that, considering that even with the surge, digital music still only accounts for 6% of all music sold legally. Hybrid cars have gained a lot too in the last year, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on ... Read on, Daddy-O