Album Reviews

[rating=8.00] When the main group in Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo’s life went on hiatus, he stopped playing his beloved six string for over a year. That period of mourning has now come to an end as the debut from his solo project The Dean Ween Group creatively titled has arrived. Fans of the cult band […]

[rating=7.00] The Youngers’ third album Picture of You came about as the result of funds contributed through a KickStarter campaign, and it quickly becomes clear that the money was well spent. Songs such as “Picture of You,” “Down the Road” and “Old Times” sound as timeless as their titles imply. Still, the vision is flawlessly […]

[rating=8.00] If you’re looking for that quintessential Texas sound these days, look no further than Wayne “The Train” Hancock. With a voice that’s as smooth as an ice cold Shiner Bock on a Texas summer day, Hancock can boogie and swing with the best of them. Boogieing and swinging, of course, are the focal points […]

[rating=8.00] Paul Cauthen is singing the gospel of the blue collar man. His deep toned voice goes down like a rich, dark stout, calling to mind a young Waylon Jennings. And on his new record, perfectly titled My Gospel, he doesn’t hold back. Right out the gate, the album’s first song “Still Drivin’” is a […]

[rating=8.00] In the two years since Phantogram’s spectacular sophomore LP Voices, the duo spent a lot of time collaborating with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Big Boi, the latter for an entire album under the moniker Big Grams. Though that may not have been a factor, there’s no denying that their new album Three is […]

In the newest installment of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle reviews F*@k With Sad Girls, the new LP from Austin-based Americana rockers Bonnie Whitmore, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop): [youtube id=”I75aYfu0568″ width=”630″ height=”350″]

[rating=8.00] Although his solo output is considerably lesser known than his landmark work with the Moody Blues, Justin Hayward’s own efforts have continued to make a prominent impression on fans over the past 40 years, allowing him, at least temporarily, to thrive beyond the bounds of his day job. It’s significant then that All The […]

[rating=9.00] Nada Surf has always been an exceptional band. With eight studio albums under their collective belt, they continue to defy easy description. Suffice it to say they make a sound that boasts both beauty and ambition, a remarkable combination that finds them soaring on the strength of aural embellishment. It’s appropriate then that their […]

The announcement of the archiving of Van Morrison’s considerably lengthy discography through Legacy Music no doubt generated cautious optimism among his fans and music lovers in general. Previous reissue initiatives consisted of straight remastering with minimal bonus additions in any form, while the overt retrospective of unreleased recordings called The Philosopher’s Stone in 1998 seemed […]

[rating=6.00] Todd Snider’s never been the easiest artist to understand. Part insurgent, often askew, he’s always been unpredictable even when he’s supposedly on track. Lately though, he appears to have derailed entirely, resurfacing in the form of an alter ego named Elmo Buzz, a wannabe musician who singled out Snider as his object of scorn. […]