Posts by Shawn Donohue

The debut full length from the Chicago-based alt-country band Tobacco City recalls the cosmic Americana of Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers as the tracks effortlessly roll out like exhaling cigarette smoke while watching a summer sunset. The quintet hit that late sixties sweet spot right from the opening effort “Blue Raspberry” with sounds […]

Following their breakthrough 2019 release American Love Call, Durand Jones & The Indications return with Private Space which tries to bridge the gaps between, light-hearted fun/deep rooted pain and get down sexy jams/party pop, all in the vein of classy retro soul. The Bloomington, Indiana based five-piece (Durand Jones – vocals, Aaron Frazer – drums/vocals, […]

On Yola’s dynamite 2019 debut Walk Through Fire the Nashville (by way of Bristol, England) rising star demonstrated her vocal majesty around light soul/country-pop constructions. Now on her follow-up, Stand For Myself, everything is amplified as Yola injects more power, passion, and purpose, elevating her craft even higher.  Working again with producer Dan Auerbach at […]

The second night of The Dimmer Twins mini northeast tour on July 23rd saw the duo play the gorgeous City Winery on Manhattan’s west side and while it wasn’t a sold-out show, the vibes were positive as fans and artists were happy to be back playing and watching live music. With rising COVID rates and […]

The first solo album from Chicano Batman frontman Bardo is a neon splash of synths and beats as Everywhere Reminds Me Of Space cascades like a pacific sunset before flittering through the bright Los Angeles lights, dancing until dawn.  The slow minimalist groove of “Take My Hand” starts the album and sets the tone as […]

Turning down the fuzz, Brooklyn-based trio Acid Dad emerged from the pandemic with a more melodic sound, focusing on songwriting in less buzzy and catchier fashion for their newest release Take It From The Dead.  Opening with “Searchin’” the band (singer-guitarists, Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey, and drummer, Trevor Mustoe) wanders through everything from explicit […]

What was projected to be a victory lap for one of the most influential vocalists in Jamaican history (someone who directly influenced the birth of hip-hop) has unfortunately turned into a posthumous offering as U-Roy passed earlier this year before the excellent Solid Gold U-Roy could be released.  For those not familiar, U-Roy was one […]

One of the top purveyors of hill country blues today, Cedric Burnside has this music flowing through his veins. The grandson of RL Burnside, Cedric has been playing since he was thirteen, and on I Be Trying he has put his best foot forward with the most complete album of his career.  From songwriting to […]

On their strong full-length debut, 2017’s Last of the Acid Cowboys, Evolfo ran the gamut from scuzzy punk bangers to dapper distorted soul chillouts. Their follow-up Site Out of Mind takes a different approach, it is a thematic space rock record that was conceived by the band after a collective psychedelic experience.  From the first […]

The newest release from Sleater-Kinney, Path Of Wellness, finds the duo of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein self-producing for the first time in their career and moving slightly away from the electro-dance-based The Center Won’t Hold while keeping many mainstream influences. Coming through the pandemic Tucker and Brownstein seem to be searching for sound and […]

Red Fang’s first full-length studio release in five years, Arrows, runs the gamut of metal subgenres as the Portland, OR quartet decided to record whatever they damn well wanted this go around.  Hooking up again with longtime producer Chris Funk, the band (Bryan Giles – guitar, vocals Aaron Beam – bass guitar, vocals David Sullivan […]

It’s natural for people during the pandemic to return to what comforts them and for Chrissie Hynde that was the music of Bob Dylan. Hynde partnered with her Pretenders bandmate, James Walbourne to craft an intimate nine-song cover album titled Standing In The Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan.  The record started over text messages […]

A Little More Time with Reigning Sound finds the long-running garage rockin’ soul outfit Reigning Sound crafting an excellent pandemic record by lyrically yearning for emotional connections, as well as the physical recording process.  Planning on capturing a fresh batch of tunes with the current backing band in New York City, songwriting frontman Greg Cartwright […]

On the 2019 breakthrough, Ilana: The Creator, Mdou Moctar combined a dizzying mix of 70’s psych-rock with Tuareg guitar playing to forge a winning sound. Now on the follow-up Afrique Victime, a wider net is cast which captures a broader sonic palette.  The group (Mdou Moctar – lead guitar, vocals, Ahmoudou Madassane – rhythm guitar, […]

The newest release from The Black Keys finds them returning to one of their earliest influences as the band covers the Mississippi Hill Country blues legends R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough as well as others on Delta Kream.  The impromptu recording for the cover album took place at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studios at […]

When God Was Great, the eleventh studio album from ska legends The Mighty Mighty BossToneS is their first for Hellcat records. While the sound digs into their punk past and more polished pop; the songs are disjointed, worryingly preoccupied with the current pandemic and mindsets surrounding it.  Produced by Ted Hutt and Tim Armstrong the album […]

New York Hardcore returned to Tompkins Square Park for the first time in ages as three of the genre’s best headlined a jubilant afternoon on Saturday, April 24th. Black N Blue Productions put on the special show and for many in attendance, it was the first time in over a year seeing live music as […]

It has been a long time since the New Orleans-based Dumpstaphunk released a studio album (2013’s Dirty Word) but the current societal events and recent political strife have made the spring of 2021 the perfect setting for the band’s timely return with Where Do We Go From Here. While the album could have veered dark, […]

Around the metallic chugging down strums of “I Met The Stones” J Mascis delivers the keynote to Dinosaur Jr.’s excellent new release Sweep It Into Space. The laconic lyric is “I got excited, I got depressed/The situation and then the rest” sums up the trio’s pandemic record, which is a lot like all of their […]

After lineup expansions and hiatuses, the original trio of Garage A Trois has returned with an excellent new studio album, Calm Down Cologne. Recorded in just one session at Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard’s Studio Litho in Seattle, WA, the players are in top-notch form throughout.  Guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik and drummer Stanton Moore […]