7.5 out of 10 In a world of disposable pop singles, Alejandro Escovedo is a profound songwriter.  Beginning in the early 80's in such bands as The Nuns, Rank and File and True Believers, Escovedo went solo in 1992 with the brilliant Gravity . Over the course of thirteen solo studio records he has not only shared the personal experiences of his family and their journey as Mexican-Americans but shined a light on the journey of all Americans...all done with a punk rock soundtrack. The Crossing may be Escovedo's most ambitious storytelling to date.  This is a 17-track concept record that follows the journey of two young immigrants, Salvo from Italy and Diego from Mexico, as they search for the America they learned about through the music they loved. The record was co-written and recorded with Italian band Don Antonio so the perspectives of what it's like for Italians and Mexicans comes firsthand. This isn't a perfect record, at 17 songs and over an hou

Butch Walker is an enigma.  He began his career as the guitar player in Los Angeles hair metal band SouthGang, then onto power pop trio Marvelous 3 and finally a solo artist. Along the way he also became a go-to producer for such artists as Pink, Sevendust, Taylor Swift, Brian Fallon and a host of others.  He is one of the great songwriters of his generation but still isn't the household name he should be. However, those that know him are thrilled to still be able to catch him in smaller, intimate venues.  photo: Jeff Gaudiosi On Friday, September 21, he brought his Last Days of Summer tour into the small, hot Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, MA.  Did I mention hot? The temps were getting so hot inside that Butch made a few comments from the stage about the heat, even asking to turn down the stage lights "before I disintegrate".  Part of the heat might have been the fact that Butch and his band were on fire! You may not have blamed Butch if he d

We are about a month away from when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame typically releases it's list of potential nominees.  As a prelude to that  I thought I would present the First Annual list of Misplaced Straws Rock Hall Snubs.  There is no clear criteria for induction which has led to confusion as to why some artists are in while others wait.  When it comes to sports, numbers rule the game.  A certain amount of yards, wins, home runs or goals can almost guarantee you a spot.  When it comes to the Rock Hall, however, record sales mean very little, Journey sold over 75 million records word wide and did not get inducted until their 18th year of eligibility.  Even the idea of influence as a main criteria is questionable, Black Sabbath created a genre and had to wait 11 years for induction after becoming eligible, Deep Purple wrote the riff that every guitar player learns when they pick up the instrument and still had to wait 23 years for induction. All that being said, af

In the 1980's The Sunset Strip was the center of a musical revolution. This revolution was led by bands like Motley Crue, W.A.S.P., Guns N' Roses and Cinderella.  But the in the seedy underbelly of the Strip was the band that gave birth to it all...London. Formed in 1978 by Lizzy Grey (Spiders & Snakes) and Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), throughout it's history, the band also featured Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.), Izzy Stradlin' (GNR), Fred Coury (Cinderella) and a host of other Sunset Strip legends.  Since 1984 one man has been the voice of London, Nadir D'Priest.  London is back with a new record and a show at the famed Whisky A Go Go on October 12.   Nadir took some time to talk about not only the band's sordid history but its next steps. Misplaced Straws is proud to present a Feature Interview with Nadir D'Priest. MS - You have a new record with London, Call That Girl , coming out in October.  It's been over 28 years since