Posts by Gary Schwind

One criticism that some people have of reggae is that it can be a bit formulaic. Even if that is the case, some bands create reggae that is anything but formulaic. On the new album Crazy for Jane, Locos por Juana shows that a reggae album doesn’t have to follow any particular pattern. For example, […]

The way bands come and go, you have to be impressed when a band has been at it for more than 20 years. Pepper is one such band. Along the way, the band has branched from touring and recording to having their own wine and a cannabis strain. On their new album, Local Motion, Pepper shows […]

In 2016, after an eight-month period of silence to recover from vocal nodules, award-winning songwriter Heather Mae made a vow: if she was ever able to sing again, she would spend the rest of her career only creating music that made the world a better place. That same year, she independently released her debut EP I […]

If you were going to list your favorite genres of music, where would soul land? Does soul land anywhere in your top five? Look, no reviewer can tell you what genre you should like. However, when you hear albums like A Higher Place by Diplomats of Solid Sound, it’s hard to justify the absence of […]

If you’re at all familiar with Voodoo Rhythm Records, you know that it is a label that specializes in music that is raw, wild, and fuzzy. Enter The Jackets (from Switzerland). The band’s new album Queen of the Pill is chock full of reverb, haunting vocals, and energy that makes the band a perfect fit […]

The Dollyrots is a band from Los Angeles that has long entertained fans with its extraordinarily catchy songs and energetic live shows. The band has released six albums, including two on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, and is preparing to release a new full length album entitled Daydream Explosion, which will be available from Wicked Cool […]

One of the great things about Left Lane Cruiser is that this band from Fort Wayne, Indiana doesn’t really sound like any other band. With nasty slide guitar licks from Freddy J IV and the pounding beats of Pete Dio, this band produces a sound that you’re not likely to hear from too many other […]

Cowboy Mouth is a band from New Orleans who has been around so long that an introduction isn’t really necessary. By phone, the band’s singer and drummer Fred LeBlanc recently discussed the band’s performance at the 50th edition of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the revival feeling of a Cowboy Mouth show, songwriting, […]

Steel Pulse is a band that has been around for 40 years producing reggae songs about social justice. Mass Manipulation is the band’s first album in 15 years, but the quest for social justice is as strong now as it’s ever been. One of the amazing things about this album is not the heavy topics […]

Wargirl is a band from Long Beach, California, that was formed by Matt Wignall, a longtime collaborator with Cold War kids. That’s not the only musical pedigree in the band. Vocalist Samantha Park is the daughter of James Lafayette Parks, the leader of 70s funk band Bull and the Matadors. While Wargirl is not a […]

Dom Mariani has been a staple of the Australian rock scene for a long time – dating back to his days in The Stems. Currently he is the frontman for the quartet Datura4. On the band’s previous two albums Demon Blues and Hairy Mountain, it laid down a mix of heavy rock and psychedelia that […]

Since forming in 2006, Tennessee outfit the Bohannons have played a fiery brand of rock and roll that is both high-energy and high-volume. The comparisons to Neil Young are apt – particularly when you hear the searing vocals of Marty Bohannon. At least some of songs on the band’s last album Luminary Angels (2015) sound […]

Soul music is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bordeaux, France. On his new album I’ve Come a Long Way, Alexis Evans set out to record songs inspired by the sounds of Bobby Womack and other soul giants. It doesn’t take long to notice that he did a […]

With his last album Branches of the Same Tree, Rocky Dawuni earned a Grammy nomination for best reggae album. It’s too early to say if he will earn another nomination for his new album Beats of Zion, although it wouldn’t be surprising. This is an album filled with bright melodies, tight rhythms, and lyrics that […]

The Outside Voices is a band from Kent, Ohio, a town that has been home to Joe Walsh and Dan Auerbach. The band has previously released a full album called Hound Dogs and a four-song EP called Big, Big EP. Stoned and Lonely is the band’s third release since 2017. With a sound that blends […]

Kelly Hafner is an Austin-based graduate of Berklee School of Music. On her debut album If It’s Love, Hafner shows that her vocal training at the prestigious music school was well worth it. The beginning of the album is pretty mellow. In the first three songs, the melodies are fairly stripped down with guitar, violin, […]

Some poor jaded souls spend a lot of time whining about what happened to “real rock and roll.” Those folks have clearly never heard Screamin’ Rebel Angels, a band that combines old-time rockabilly sounds with punk attitude on the new album Heel Grinder. One of the rules of making an album is to try to […]

Iakopo is a reggae artist who was born in California where he learned to play piano at age 3. He was adopted raised in Samoa. Of his island childhood, Iakopo has said, “I didn’t face pressures…to hurry up. I wasn’t on the clock.” That philosophy comes through clearly from the first song of his new […]

A saying tells us “everything old is new again.” You’ll find no better example than The Whole Shebang, the latest album by Austin band Charlie Faye and The Fayettes. This band has brought back the soulful pop sounds of groups like The Chiffons and Martha and The Vandellas. There is a lot to love about […]

Gentleman’s Dub Club is a dub band from Leeds, England who are known for blending dub, ska, reggae. The group is also known for its energetic live performances, and they have been pretty busy in its 10 years of existence, including 2018, when the band performed on Xtra on BBC 1. Lost in Space is […]