Posts by Neil Ferguson

The Queens of the Stone Age aren’t playing it safe for the fair-weather fans on their current tour. Instead, they’re leaning into their theatrical side with the closest thing to a rock opera we can expect from a band that continues to evolve nearly thirty years in. The band is currently in the midst of […]

Hot off their much-buzzed-about appearances at Coachella, North Carolina rock outfit Wednesday descended on Portland, Oregon, for two sold-out nights at Revolution Hall on April 21st and 22nd. The band is no stranger to this city, having wowed Pickathon Music Festival in 2023 and subsequent shows that have only fueled their fire. By the time […]

Grateful Dead cover bands are a dime a dozen, which is a testament to the legacy of the legendary jam band. Nearly every city and town in the country seems to have a group of musicians offering their own take on the band’s music for local Deadheads eager to experience it live. Over three decades […]

Since forming around 2012 with something of an all-star lineup, The Delines have been making waves with a steady output of music that blends the literary voice of accomplished author Willy Vlautin with the soulful nuance of singer Amy Boone. With their roster solidified by Cory Gray on keys and trumpet, Sean Oldham holding down […]

Chicago has long been a bastion of insurgent country and cowpunk, and that fertile breeding ground has given us the twangified rockers Ratboys. Though the group has been chugging along for around 15 years, they have been making buzzier waves as of late with their latest album Singin’ to an Empty Chair. This collection, an […]

David Byrne is drinking from the fountain of youth and dosing it with joy juice. At 73, the Talking Heads frontman seems to be experiencing boundless creativity with the 2025 release of his solo album Who Is The Sky? (REVIEW) along with a supporting tour that is taking him across the world. The performances on […]

Cass McCombs has long been something of a shapeshifter. Over more than two decades, he has continued to evolve his sound while always occupying a niche in the indie rock scene. Case in point is Interior Live Oak (REVIEW), which was surely one of the better albums of 2025 and finds McCombs moving toward a […]

Springtime in the Pacific Northwest tends to feel like the scene in the film Pleasantville when everything goes from black and white to color. The months-long gloom is replaced by blossoming and new life, the feeling of fresh energy and awakening. Here in Portland, Oregon, the crowds were out on an absolutely stunning Saturday, April […]

The past year has been something of a comeback for The Barr Brothers, who have long been one of the most underrated bands of the indie folk scene. Late last year, the Brothers released Let It Hiss, their first studio album since 2017 and a collection of songs that come from a place of mental and […]

Since forming in 2020, The Third Mind has been on something of a bender with the kind of prolific output that puts bands decades younger to shame. It feels fair to call them a supergroup of sorts, with the combination of Dave Alvin, Victor Krummenacher, Jesse Sykes, Mark Karan, and Michael Jerome manifesting their psychedelic […]

Esther Rose is on the verge. Though the folk songstress has been chugging steadily along for damn near a decade, she seems to be hitting her stride with her newest album Want (REVIEW). From her beginnings in the New Orleans folk and country scene cultivated by peers like the Deslondes, Rose has continued to evolve […]

Any time Tortoise is on tour, the show becomes the destination. With their acclaimed album Touch hitting the scene in late 2025, the instrumental post-rock outfit is back on the road, giving fans a taste of these new tunes as well as plenty of older material. As part of their West Coast jaunt, Tortoise hit […]

Among the crop of indie albums that defined what many critics and fans now refer to as the “blog era” of music, Cat Power’s aptly titled 2006 effort, The Greatest, is indeed one of the standouts. While Chan Marshall released several exceptional albums before and after The Greatest, it was this collection of inventive folk, soul, […]

For fans of Canada’s most underrated rock and roll export next to the Tragically Hip, the last few years have been tumultuous yet uplifting. With the untimely passing of Dallas Good in 2022 – who led the band with his brother Travis – lovers of The Sadies wondered if, and how, they would continue. Yet […]

Hayes Carll has always been a songwriter’s songwriter. For over two decades, the Texas troubadour has worked tirelessly to continue the lineage of true artists like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, writing songs that are deep and thoughtful, resonating with people who love to pick apart the meaning of the lyrics. […]

With the recent passing of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir at 78, there are fewer legends who dedicated their life completely to music. George Porter Jr. is absolutely one of those legends and, lucky for us, is still going strong at the same age of 78. The Meters member is a lifelong collaborator and bringer […]

Few events in Portland, Oregon feel like as much of a holiday tradition as Jerry Joseph’s annual New Year’s Eve run. Typically taking place at two venues over four nights, the run finds this venerable rocker and his band the Jackmormons giving the Rose City a running party during a time when concerts slow down. […]

As 2025 comes to a close with numerous best-of-the-year lists piling up like dead leaves in the backyard, it’s become clear that it’s been a damn good one for Greg Freeman. The Vermont troubadour with a voice that defies pigeonholing has seemingly broken out, with his album Burnover landing major praise from the likes of […]

Steve Hackett’s show at Revolution Hall on Saturday, November 22nd felt important. For starters, it was the final stop on a lengthy North American tour that had this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer criss-crossing the U.S. and Canada. It was also the final show for keyboardist Roger King, who has provided his masterful musicianship […]

If you were lucky enough to attend one of their infamous South By Southwest day parties in the alley off South Congress’s Yard Dog Art Gallery, then you likely experienced the magic of Bloodshot Records. These beer-soaked parties were raucous and gloriously unhinged in the way that anyone who loves rock and roll can appreciate. […]