Posts by Lee Zimmerman

[rating=8.00] JD McPherson doesn’t mess around. On the final song of his new album, he declares “Let’s get out of here while we’re young, we’ve worn out all the songs we’ve sung.” That’s an exaggeration of course, but with Undivided Heart & Soul, his first new studio set since 2015’s critical breakout Let The Good […]

[rating=7.00] It’s human nature to measure an offspring’s worth by comparing their efforts to the acknowledged achievements of their parents. Are James McCartney and Sean Lennon handicapped by consistent comparisons to Paul and John? Could Jakob Dylan have done better had he not been measured against Bob? How did Adam Cohen fare when he was […]

Tom Petty’s sudden passing is, in a word, a shock, one that deals another blow to everyone who appreciated this sturdy heartland rocker and bearer of the flame passed down from Dylan and the Byrds to the Americana contingent that followed later on. When Petty and the Heartbreakers first made their bow, I was a […]

[rating=7.00] The supergroup era took full flight in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when bands like Cream, Blind Faith and Crosby, Stills, Nash (and occasionally Young) showed the clear advantage of putting star names on the marquee for the purpose of drawing attention. That concept has never gone away, but these days it’s less […]

[rating=9.00] Wake Up Now, the second solo album by one of Britain’s most promising up and coming artists, Nick Mulvey, promises to follow in the successful footsteps of its predecessor: Mulvey’s solo full-length debut and a 2014’s Mercury Prize nominee, First Mind. A stunning revelation, as measured by its ethereal elegance and profound and provocative […]

[rating=9.oo] With each of his previous albums — Golden Age Of Radio, Hello Starling, The Animal Years, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, So Runs the World Away and Sermon on the Rocks — Josh Ritter hinted at an imminent breakthrough. Consequently, it may be too much to hope that his latest effort, Gathering, succeeds […]

[rating=8.00] Weaned on Waylon, Willie, Johnny and Kris, Christian Lopez has been dedicated to making music since the time he was 15. He began outputting his songs five years ago and in that short expanse of time he’s recorded three albums and demonstrated that despite a weary blue-collar ethic, he’s learned more than a lesson […]

[rating=8.00] Hiss Golden Messenger frontman and chief protagonist M.C. Taylor has always been drawn to a sound best described as a low cast kilter. It began with his tenure in San Francisco’s The Court & Spark, a band whose folk-pop leanings he’d resurrect when he founded his current outfit some ten years ago. Now, with […]

[rating=7.00] Emily Haines isn’t the type to give anything away. With a career that includes such diverse ensembles as Metric and Broken Social Scene, the only consistency that can be counted on is her interest in adventure. After all, her  two previous solo outings — Her 2006 full length release Knives Don’t Have Your Back and the 2007 […]

[rating=7.00] Call it a comeback, or simply a reunion long overdue. Nearly 30 years after calling it a day, The Dream Syndicate, one the uncontested leader of L.A.‘s so-called paisley underground, are back in business, still procuring the cosmic cacophony that typified their seminal stance in the otherwise unobtrusive ‘80s. With the core of the […]

[rating=9.00] Granted, it’s tempting to simply identify Lilly Hiatt as John Hiatt’s daughter. After all, it’s not uncommon for any offspring of a renowned artist to inevitably be bound to the family lineage. Just ask Sean Lennon, James McCartney or Rufus Wainwright. Each is an accomplished artist in his own right, but when talk turns […]

[rating=7.00] This latest entry from the humbly titled Hard Working Americans finds them doing what they do best, procuring crowd appreciation in a live setting. We’re All In This Together marks the band’s second live offering to date — following The First Waltz in 2014 — and fourth overall, but once again it finds them […]

[rating=9.00] “Let’s remember how it could be,” Matt Pond, the ubiquitous namesake of the band that bears his name, sings on “Union Square,” a song that emits an upward glance and all the optimism Pond seems able to muster. A tepid look towards the future surrounded by songs that reflect dreamily on the past, it […]

[rating=9.00] There’s no shortage of troubled troubadours documenting the legacy of America’s rural environs and the places where dreams and desire are frequently spawned. For his part, Will Hoge recognizes that even the most indelible epics are essentially born from individual ordeals. Nevertheless, for all the ache and desperation these narratives entail, Hoge’s resolute attitude, […]

[rating=8.00] Solace is a difficult thing to come by in this world, what with conflict, politicians and pontificators seizing the spotlight to the detriment of everything and everyone else. So credit Little Silver with taking on that need for serenity with a debut album that’s as calming and beautiful as anything anyone could imagine. Soothing […]

[rating=9.00] When you’re branded as a cabaret band, it doesn’t exactly raise expectations that you’re capable of anything other than luring a crowd to the dance floor and keeping them enticed by simply maintaining a backbeat. Consequently, it ought to come as little surprise that in 25 plus years of purveying their signature sound, Saint […]

[rating=7.00] Katie Crutchfield — A.K.A. Waxahatchee — exemplifies grrrrl power without the grrrr. In other words, she recalls the happy-go-lucky girly exhilaration that was so prominent during the ‘80s, particularly all-girl groups like the Bangles and the Go-Gos, outfits that exuded both confidence and clarity. On her new album, Out in the Storm, she spins […]

[rating=9.00] The obvious question that comes to mind on first exposure to Nashville singer/songwriter Bern Kelly and his excellent new album is, “Who is this guy and how has he managed to elude wider recognition. In simple, straightforward terms, suffice it to say that Lost Films is the kind of album that qualifies as an […]

[rating=9.00] Roger Waters is not the kind of guy that feels inclined to suppress his feelings or shy away from controversial comments, even at the risk of alienating fans and followers. His prickly temperament, particularly as it applies to his former bandmates in Pink Floyd and his outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict suggests that […]

[rating=8.00] Despite the fact he has six albums to his credit, each of which with a different ensemble, Colorado-based singer/songwriter Todd Adelman hasn’t gotten very much notice up until this point. It’s especially strange that he hasn’t struck more of a chord with Americana audiences, especially since his music brings to mind the weary resilience […]