Album Reviews

[rating=8.00] Turning to trendy pop producer Mark Ronson for its seventh album, Queens of the Stone Age has again redefined its sound while still remaining true to the roots it planted with its 1998 self-titled debut. Ronson’s influence is apparent, as Villains is a bit more polished than previous Queens of the Stone Age efforts, […]

So it goes!?…Who would’ve thought the smart-ass purveyor of pure pop for now people would go on to an extended career that would morph into something of a musicological expedition? Nick Lowe produced the earliest recordings of both Elvis Costello and Graham Parker and, with his longtime partner, the great Dave Edmunds, formed Rockpile, one […]

In the newest installment of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle reviews Warriors, the new album from punk group Bad Cop/Bad Cop, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

[rating=6.00] From the small town of Tahlequah, Oklahoma is DocFell & Co. with their dose of Americana/Country, slowly singing tunes direct from their Dust Bowl Heart. Raised on the sounds of Cash, Haggard, Nelson and Jennings the group took less of the outlaw spirit and more direct songwriting that those legends put forth with doses […]

[rating=8.00] Larry Coryell and The Eleventh House’s Seven Secrets is a remarkable piece of work and it’s all the more impressive considering the sequence of events that led to its recording. The so-called ‘Godfather of Fusion’ predated the hybrid with a number of projects in the late Sixties, followed most notably by Spaces, on which […]

[rating=7.00] Being the owner/co-founder of Mo’ Wax records the past 25 years has allowed James Lavelle the opportunity to discover and work with many great musicians throughout his tenure. The debut album from UNKLE, Psyence Fiction, featured DJ Shadow as a writing partner, and Thom Yorke, Mike D, Richard Ashcroft, Damon Gough and Jason Newsted […]

[rating=9.00] It’s been five years since Grizzly Bear released their acclaimed album Shields, and fans were beginning to wonder if all was well with the Brooklyn-based quartet. In May of this year, the band silenced any doubts about their return by releasing “Three Rings” as the first single from their two year recording process and […]

[rating=7.00] When you’ve been around the block, it’s easy to sit up on your porch and yell at the kids to stay off your lawn. But Ray Wylie Hubbard is anything but a curmudgeon. In fact, the 70-year old Texas singer-songwriter seems to enjoy teaming up with younger generations, from country superstar Eric Church to […]

In the newest installment of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle reviews Boy In A Well, the explosive new album from Denver power trio The Yawpers, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

[rating=7.00] Whether you know Cory Chisel from his last record, 2012’s Old Believers, or from his more recent stint as one third of the super group Traveller (with Robert Ellis and Johnny Fritz), or whether you’ve never heard of him at all, his music is worth your time. Chisel and his partner, Adriel Denae have […]