Posts by Jeremy Lukens

Twenty-one years since Mr. Bungle last recorded an album together, the California experimental rock band returns with a new album, which is actually a re-recording of the first album the band ever made. In 1986, Mr. Bungle self-produced and released The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny on cassette tape, a fiery collection of thrash […]

One of Ty Segall’s many bands, Fuzz, returns with its third album III, an energetic mix of in-your-face guitar rock. The band’s first album since 2015 is a tour de force of gritty garage rock, with a snarling attitude and an emphasis on riffing. Multi-instrumentalist Segall mans the drums while Charles Moothart, a frequent collaborator […]

British rockers IDLES return with a ferocious collection of politically charged mayhem, twelve tracks that tap into the energy, frustration, and anger of the tumultuous year that is 2020. Ultra Mono is the band’s third studio album, and it is very much in step with the previous two releases. Characterized by propulsive rhythms, shouted protest […]

The second part in Cold War Kids’ New Age Norms trilogy continues its pop flavor while dialing up the band’s danceable nature. Whereas Volume 1 was produced by singer Nathan Willett and longtime collaborator Lars Stalfors, the second part was produced by Sean Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs), his first collaboration with the […]

Naked Giants follow one of the most exciting debut rock albums in recent memory, 2018’s Sluff, with a fierce collection of unrestrained rock that bangs heads and gets songs stuck in them. The Shadow is a worthy follow-up, taking the frenetic riffing of the Seattle trio’s debut and building in a bit more melody. Produced […]

With Ray LaMontagne’s Monovision, the singer-songwriter delivers emotionally captivating folk-rock balladry that soothes in its candor, soul, and simplicity. After pushing his musical boundaries a bit with the experimentalism of 2014’s Supernova and 2016’s Ouroboros, for his eighth album, LaMontagne returns to familiar territory. The album has all of the Ray LaMontagne trademarks, consisting mostly […]

Punisher, the sophomore album by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, is an assured collection of brooding meditations that serenade, challenge, and give a glimpse into the psyche of a young artist on the rise. Some of the songs deal with the complex emotions that accompany her rise to fame following her 2017 full-length debut Stranger […]

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, the fifth album from Perfume Genius, is a collection of emotionally charged chamber pop that draws the listener in with its catchy pop hooks and then rewards repeat listening with empathetic tales of introspection. Reteaming with producer Blake Mills, Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) shares poetic musings about love, […]

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down didn’t lose any of its creative steam in the four years since its last release. Temple, the fifth album by the San Francisco indie band, is a wonderfully eccentric collection of off-kilter pop rock that melds various eastern and western influences into its distinct sound. Following 2016’s excellent […]

Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between, the sixth album from experimental indie outfit Man Man, follows the same path laid out by 2013’s On Oni Pond. Like that previous release, this album is a bit tamer than the band’s more feral earlier work, but retains the band’s gift for eccentric stories, unique compositions, […]

Hurry Up and Wait, the twelfth album by Minneapolis rockers Soul Asylum, doesn’t tread much new ground, but it is a good representation of frontman Dave Pirner’s vision. The album is sonically similar to the band’s output since its 1992 breakthrough Grave Dancer’s Union, melding rock intensity with sing-along melodies while lacking much of the […]

Over the last thirty years, Pearl Jam has gone through many musical iterations despite the lineup remaining largely the same. Once grunge icons known for its raucous live shows, the Seattle band has constantly evolved, becoming more melodic and increasing its musical diversity over time. The band’s eleventh album, Gigaton, is the band’s most experimental […]

The second and final day of the Gasparilla Music Festival in Tampa, Florida had a good mix of local and global acts all joining together to promote youth music education and inspire a future generation of musicians. After a freakishly cold day on Saturday, Sunday’s event had perfect Florida weather, with constant cloud cover blocking […]

On an unusually cold day in Tampa, Florida, a record crowd gathered for the ninth annual Gasparilla Music Festival. The event is part of a series of festivals and parades in the city, including the  Gasparilla Pirate Festival in January and the Gasparilla Film Festival that begins March 17, all named after a mythical pirate […]

The Slow Rush, the fourth studio album from Tame Impala, finds the Australian artist further exploring the electronic and dance styles from 2015’s Currents. In the decade since his debut album, Kevin Parker has steadily and constantly evolved his psychedelic style, with the guitar-based psych-rock of InnerSpeaker long gone in favor of slow-burning dance music. […]

Tennis’ fifth full-length album, Swimmer, is an immersive collection of dreamy pop music that captures everything the duo does well, though it doesn’t stray from the formula started with 2011’s Cape Dory. Married duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley produced the album themselves, nine tracks of hummable melodies that were written during a four-month sailing […]

Friday night Georgia rock band Collective Soul brought its 25th anniversary tour to Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. With no opening band, the quintet – three of which are original members – played a selection spanning eight of its albums, with a special emphasis placed on this year’s Blood and the 1995 eponymous album.  […]

Inspired by Kanye West’s prolific work as a producer, seeming to release an album every month, Cold War Kids’ seventh studio album is being broken up into a trilogy. The first part, New Age Norms 1, is an improvement upon 2017’s disappointingly uninspired L.A. Divine but still does not reach the greatness of the Long […]

A lot has changed in Grace Potter’s life in the four years since her last album, Midnight, including divorcing drummer Matt Burr, marrying producer Eric Valentine, and giving birth to her first child. Not surprisingly, Potter’s music has also changed, venturing even farther away from her 13-year career with the Nocturnals. Her first album since […]

On Monday night (10/21), the Melvins and Redd Kross brought the eclectic Escape From L.A. Tour to the Social in Orlando, Florida. With strikingly different but complementary acts, the bands brought the kaleidoscope of musical influences to a near-capacity crowd, with a bit of something for everyone. Opening the night was solo artist Toshi Kasai, […]