Album Reviews

[rating=8.00] Sam Lewis hangs with some big names, having toured with Los Lobos, Delbert McClinton, And Marty Stuart’s band. He’s collaborated with John Prine, Kasey Musgraves, and The Wood Brothers. That’s because Sam Lewis is one talented, soulful cat. This is his highly awaited third album, Loversity; and in a year absolutely packed with strong […]

[rating=8.00] Chances are that you’ve heard multi-instrumentalist Jeff Plankenhorn supporting Ray Wylie Hubbard, Joe Ely, or countless other Texas roots musicians. Unless you’re an Austin resident though, chances are even better that you’ve never heard Jeff Plankenhorn (“Plank’’) as a solo singer-songwriter. Actually, the truth lies somewhere in between.  Sleeping Dogs is Plank’s third solo […]

[rating=7.00] Driving in the Dark, is the rocking, gritty sophomore release from Calgary, Alberta-based singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley. She teamed with a new producer, Leeroy Stagger, for this set of rather dark songs that lie squarely at the intersection of traditional country and Americana. It’s punchier and more roots-driven than her more country leaning debut.   Buckley’s […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Dirty Computer, the long-awaited new album fromJanelle Monáe, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

[rating=7.00] A few years ago false reports circulated online that Willie Nelson had died. The American icon reacted to these with his classic ease and wit and most surprisingly, it inspired him to craft his strongest album in years titled Still Not Dead. The follow-up, Last Man Standing is more of a mixed bag; however, […]

[rating=8.00] As the title of her fine fourth album suggests, Kat Edmonson is indeed an old-fashioned girl. A superb singer drawn to songs that sound as if they’re of the vintage variety, she defines herself as a classic chanteuse, one who would be easily at home performing twilight tunes in a smoky supper club on […]

[rating=8.00] J. Cole speaks to his generation on his new album KOD Which stands for “Kids on Drugs,” “King Overdose,” and “Kill Our Demons.” KOD couldn’t hold better significance than it does right now within hip-hop culture. If you pay any attention to how strategic Cole is with album releases, he has proven routinely that […]

[rating=8.00] Arkansas Dave has some swag. His stage name alone tells you that. This is Dave Pennington, Austin-based blues singer-songwriter’s debut, recorded at the legendary FAME in Muscle Shoals, AL with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section – Will McFarlane on guitar, Clayton Ivey on keys, and Bob Wray on bass. Dave plays guitar, drums, and […]

[rating=8.00] Few artists can take on multiple genres within an album and expect solid results. Joe Goldmark is one of those few.  Perhaps it’s because the Bay Area favorite splits the material between vocals and instrumental tracks, the latter serving as interludes, and invitations to the next kind of sound. In any case on Joe […]

[rating=8.00] Van Morrison has rarely, if ever, sounded so good-natured as he does on his collaboration with Joey DeFrancesco. From the tongue-in-cheek cover photos to the Belfast Cowboy’s frequent chuckles at the end of tracks to his playful phrasing as he sings, the lighthearted atmosphere here is arguably even brighter than during his ever-so-sunny sojourn […]