Album Reviews

[rating=9.00] Rayland Baxter’s sound has certainly evolved on his new record Imaginary Man, the fantastic follow-up to 2012’s strong debut feathers & fishHooks. He’s mostly a classic folk artist that somehow manages to never remain too predictable. While his first album was definitely a lot more stripped down and acoustic, Man pushes the envelope and […]

[rating=8.00] The four piece Seattle based La Luz specialize once again in their unique haunting brand of Surf-Noir on their sophomore release, expertly titled Weirdo Shrine. Produced this time by Ty Segall the group adds layers of dread to sunny surf pop creating a winner. From the opening notes of the spacey western tinged “Sleep […]

[rating=8.00] In a lengthy letter to his fans, Brent Best explains why it took him five years to complete his solo album. He reflects on the hard times and real life shit that led to his project, as well as others, being moved to the backburner. He recounts too many different circumstances to talk about in […]

[rating=9.00] Mac DeMarco has most recently become indie rock’s golden boy – and deservedly so. The twenty five year old artist has put a lot of effort into becoming America’s favorite Canadian synthy dad-rock idol. That’s why when the self-proclaimed “jizz-jazz” artist announced his latest mini-LP Another One, the world looked around for witnesses, and […]

[rating=8.00] Americana painted with a dance heavy vibe is what greets you on Imaginary People’s first full length album, cleverly titled Dead Letterbox. The NYC based five piece pulses with an urgent energy, propelled by a dynamic rhythm section as dark guitars and sunny synths push and pull, all dancing between soaring vocals. The two openers […]

[rating=8.00] Jason Isbell is treated like a savior these days because he is one of the few artists actually doing original, well-written songs within the spectrum of country and rock. It’s hard to disagree with the adoration he receives as he is an incredible talent, but it is worth noting that Isbell’s approach to Americana […]

[rating=8.00] It ain’t easy getting older for punks. Punk rock is a culture that propels itself and evolves, in part, due to the youthful exuberance of its followers. Mosh pits and pogo dancing get hard once you hit 30, and slowly you become the weird old guy standing in the back of the club with a […]

[rating=8.00] On the splendid live recording Back to Macon, GA Gregg Allman and his stellar eight-piece band offer a resounding statement of purpose. Concentrating on bonafide classics from the repertoire of the iconic Southern blues-rock band he helped found, The Allman Brothers, the younger sibling of the late Duane Allman lays claim to their legacy […]

[rating=9.00] Like a fine wine, Buddy Guy continues to get better with age. As corny as that analogy is – it’s quite true today. The legendary Buddy Guy, who just recently turned 79 years old – has just released yet another album and added to his extensive catalog that dates back fifty or so years. […]

[rating=9.00] When the first single off Ashley Monroe’s new record The Blade emerged earlier this year, it seemed that she was, perhaps, en route to a flashier, more mainstream career. “On to Something Good” is an undeniably catchy song, impossible to ignore and ideal for country radio-play. And with another Blake Shelton duet in “Lonely […]

[rating=7.00] Sippie Wallace, Big Mama Thornton and Billie Holiday were among the female forebears who transformed the blues from a genre dominated mostly by men into a gender-breaking experience that women could languish in as well. After all, when it comes to heartache and disappointment, men generally prove as scheming and duplicitous as their female […]

[rating=9.00] If you can make it through a listen of the new record from Tame Impala without melting into an all-consuming groove and dancing your ass off, you have no business with electro-pop. Currents is a perfectly spaced out synth fest of epic proportions, sweet and salty, nuanced and huge all at the same time. […]

[rating=8.00] Warren Haynes has done more than his share of musical exploration during the course of his career. From working with outlaw country artist David Allen Coe he joined Dickey Betts’ Pattern Disruptive band which led directly to his extended tenure with The Allman Brothers during which time  he formed Gov’t Mule, now a  twenty […]

[rating=7.00] Americana is a crowded field these days, as much or more so when it comes to those purveying tales of wonderment or woe while attempting to emulate the calico tones of, say, an Emmylou Harris or a Rodney Crowell. There are, after all, only so many sentiments the average individual can muster, especially when […]

What’s most striking about ‘Star Wars’ is its immediacy – it already feels essential.

[rating=7.00] Galactic is a live machine, but they take it slow releasing studio albums which have been hit and miss in the past – most likely because their live shows deliver the goods. However, their last two studio offerings Ya-Ka-May and Carnivale Electricos  were concept albums dedicated to expanding the current New Orleans sound out […]

[rating=9.00] There are few songwriters who so deftly capture the authentic American spirit like Jason Isbell. His 2013 tour de force record Southeastern was like a rebirth for him, as he was embarking on a new adventure, clean and sober after a long struggle with addiction. Isbell broke our hearts with Southeastern, penning songs about […]

[rating=7.00] There’s a good chance that most of the people reading this review have never heard of the bluegrass band that calls themselves Cornmeal. Weird band names seem to be more plentiful than ever these days, but Cornmeal is as ubiquitous as any in recent memory. As a marketing ploy, it borders on the ineffectual. […]

[rating=8.00] Matt Pond PA has maintained a somewhat ubiquitous presence. Who is this Matt Pond anyway? Is it a handle that appropriates the name of some obscure historical figure like that of Jethro Tull? And what’s with the PA? A practicing attorney? I mean, we all kind of know that ambiguity doesn’t really meld too […]

[rating=8.00] Regardless of what one’s opinion of Between the Buried and Me’s 2012 concept LP The Parallax II: Future Sequence is, it’s hard to deny one thing: it’s certainly the band’s Most Album. Running 72 minutes long over 12 tracks, three of which run over the ten minute length, Future Sequence is a brain-twisting phantasmagoria […]