Interviews

Once upon a time in San Diego, a group of up-and-coming musical badasses served as a backing band for their friend, DJ Greyboy, at his album release show, where they performed live interpretations of his acid jazz, neo-soul grooves. “We thought it was just a one-off gig,” says guitarist Elgin Park (a.k.a. Michael Andrews), but […]

In today’s postmodern, narrative-driven world, what 30-plus-year-old band led by a college professor hasn’t released an anthology presenting its own career in a parallel universe? Ok, well, maybe there’s just one: Cracker.  Fronted by singer/songwriter David Lowery—also of Camper Van Beethoven—Cracker has had a lengthy, decades-long career, even if some listeners only associate them with […]

December will be here in a few short weeks, and X will be hitting the road once again for their annual X-Mas Tour, starting in Salem, Oregon, on December 9th and roaring down the West Coast till December 28th, when they play the last of two dates in Santa Ana, California. Unfortunately, this holiday rocking […]

Vince Cuneo is a guitarist who forms one half of the Venice Beach-based instrumental Rock project Movie Club, along with Jessamyn Violet, and on November 9th he launched a new side-project of his work called Portraits of Pirates with its first album, Floating Gold. Part of the equation for Cuneo is the ongoing involvement that […]

“Peak experiences” is what Abraham Maslow called them. The high moments of life where we joyfully find ourselves catapulted beyond the confines of the mundane and ordinary.  Josh Ritter’s ‘high moments’ are exuded every time he performs on the stage. There is no energy shortage here. The artist in Ritter understands that while even the […]

Kalu and the Electric Joint hail from Austin, Texas, but their sound spans continents. Spearheaded by frontman Kalu James, the band is composed of a rotating cast of musicians including guitarist JT Holt, guitarist and keyboardist Pearl Z, drummer Greg Clifford, and bassist Yohan Valles. All together, these musicians craft a sound that’s both psychedelic […]

On November 1st, hackedepicciotto released their very first live album, captured in a historic studio in Naples, Italy, that’s also the location in which they recorded their previous album, Keepsakes. The duo of Danielle DePicciotto (Crime and the City Solution) and Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubatuen) returned to the large studio venue to stage two concerts […]

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. With every crooning vocal line and emotional lyric, she ropes the listener in.  Her newest record, Mantras, came out in April 2024 and examines themes of self-compassion and healing. With songs like “Blood Related,” which reflects on rocky relationships with people across party lines, and “All […]

Warren Haynes is one of rock and roll’s most deft and prolific practitioners. Combining blues, jazz, folk, and hard rock influences, he has earned a reputation as a soulful singer, virtuosic guitarist, and thoughtful songwriter, whether leading his band, Gov’t Mule, or launching various solo projects. He was a guitarist for the legendary Allman Brothers […]

Iain Matthews is a British-born singer/songwriter and musician who came of age in 1960s London and was swept up into Fairport Convention as a vocalist for their first two albums before moving into other solo and band work. His path eventually led him to the United States in the 1970s, and one of his most […]

Dr. Daniel Levitin has an extensive resume. He is a neuroscientist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal. He is also the founding Dean of Arts and Humanities at Minerva University in San Francisco. He is the author of such bestselling books as This Is Your Brain on Music and The World in […]

The life of a touring musician can be tumultuous and troubling. Being on the road for long stretches of time tests a band’s genuine relationship, and some just aren’t cut out for it. On the other hand, some thrive and cherish being slammed into a van and popping up at venues, saving every ounce of […]

“Some folks are all about the business, while others are all about the art – and in both cases, it’s sometimes to their detriment. Me, I don’t like drama. All I do is play my guitar and sing a few songs, because that’s what I’ve always done, and that’s what I’ll always do. I don’t […]

On October 25th, Yep Roc Records will release Wake The Dead, Chuck Prophet’s collaborative album with the group ¿Qiensave?, marking his first foray into Cumbia music. While Chuck Prophet has always been an explorer of genres, this specific family of musical traditions captured his ear and his heart during a very difficult period in his […]

Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based band The Old Ceremony are celebrating 20 years as a band this year, and also releasing their seventh album on October 17th, via Yep Roc, titled Earthbound. They also have several celebratory shows in the works, both in North Carolina, and elsewhere on the East Coast.  The Old Ceremony’s songwriter is […]

The Devlins recently released their fifth album, All The Days, via Blue Elan, which stemmed from a coming together of LA-based Colin Devlin and UK and Ireland-based Peter Devlin, Guy Rickarby, and Mark Murphy in Dublin to record together. They had previously toured together pre-pandemic, with a goal to create some new music, and throughout the subsequent years, […]

A Shoreline Dream’s music has been variously labeled shoegaze, post-rock, and prog rock, but it’s really a seamless amalgamation of each style, all cloaked in a cinematic, atmospheric haze. This distinctive sound has attracted the attention of several noteworthy artists, who then requested to work with the band. As a result, A Shoreline Dream have […]

It’s a continually on-again message that certain records need repeated listens to earn the full reward of an artist’s creative intentions. There is so much it’s not even worth mentioning, but we already just did, so here goes another one… On Mariam The Believer’s new album, Breathing Techniques, which was released October 4th, a spacious […]

Sometimes, a band demands to be played loud, but it can only be played loud. It’s either loud or turned off. New Zealand’s Office Dog is one of those bands. It proved itself as an outfit to watch with Spiel, its debut LP, earlier this year. Now it’s back already with the EP Doggerland, a […]

Australian Indie Rock band Atlas Genius are currently in the United States touring alongside Robert DeLong, and continuing to tour throughout September and October in support of their September album release, End of the Tunnel. The album’s title couldn’t be more apt for the band’s experiences waiting years to release the music, and also hoping […]