Album Reviews

Hootie & The Blowfish are undeniably an essential part of the 90s musical landscape. Stretching across rock, pop, and adult contemporary radio, their unpretentious, feel-good songs were as ubiquitous as conversations about the newest episode of Friends or Seinfeld. Whether they love, hate, or feel indifferent, one would be hard-pressed to find someone born between […]

With six albums out in the span of just over a decade, Liverpool’s post-New Wave acolytes Circa Waves are clearly on a prolific streak. Their last effort, 2023’s Never Going Under, was still finding new fans across the globe as they prepped to release Death & Love Pt. 1. Part of the reason for the […]

The week leading up to your debut album must be a daunting one. With suits pushing you from one press requirement to ensuring every video and promotional photo perfectly fits the aesthetic of the music you’ve put years into. It’s a long road to land at your debut, but for Animal Collective member Brian Weitz, […]

There aren’t many ass-kicking live records from 75-year-old punk rockers to reference when reviewing Iggy Pop’s newest offering, Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023. It’s safe to say Pop is one of a kind, still raging hard, swearing like a drunken sailor, and delivering the smoking (and shirtless) goods onstage.    Arriving in Switzerland with a […]

The duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have done it again – revived the music of a long-forgotten legend. Their 22nd installment is a truly special one, featuring the music of Ghanaian Highlife pioneer Ebo Taylor. While artists such as Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade were highly recognized here in the States […]

Will Oldham has become one of the most elusive and prolific singer-songwriters Americana has encountered in the past two decades. The artist has been toiling away at his craft, combing through life, searching for the poetry in it all, and tracking his progress through an expansive discography filled with folksy storytelling and nimble acoustics. With […]

The cliché says what’s old is new again. It’s not often that we see a gap of 51 years between albums, but the legendary British funk and R&B band does just that, following up 1974’s Promised Heights with 2025’s Renascence. Chances are, however, unless you’re among those in the know from the Baby Boomer generation, you’ve never heard of […]

Seven years after their last record, The Davenports – a revolving line-up band anchored by Scott Klass – is finally back with new music, having self-recorded the latest batch of songs in Klass’s own house. The result is a mix between some of the brilliant lo-fi bedroom tapes of the 1990s and a more polished […]

Thanks to MTV’s Unplugged series, there was about a decade-long run where acoustic albums were en vogue. Arguably, Nirvana’s Unplugged is the crowning achievement of the movement (with Arrested Development’s entry also up there), but there were a slew of also-rans that, while interesting at times, were not as memorable (who knew 30 Seconds To Mars and […]

Rose City Band, led by guitarist and vocalist Ripley Johnson, has carved a unique lane for themselves in modern country. While the burgeoning scene crashes pop charts and intertwines with pop more than ever, the band’s lighthearted, psychedelic take is a welcomed change of pace. Since the band mysteriously appeared in 2019, their sun-drenched approach […]