Album Reviews

In a generation of instant gratification, artists that are able to steer clear of headlines and the spotlight are even more sought after. Fans become restless if they don’t hear new music from their favorite artists every year, comment sections are flooded with “Where’s the album” regardless of the nature of the post. Artists who […]

Capturing the essence of live performances and immortalizing them on live albums is an art of its own that brings the energy of seeing your favorite band live right to your fingertips. The award-winning Numero Group achieved this form of art back in 2012 when they released Live Leaves, a collection of live recordings lifted […]

The stalwart Celtic rock outfit Flogging Molly‘s newest release is a strong continuation of the band’s well-earned sound and style. Floating tin whistles and reeling fiddles mix with punk drumming and rock guitars as the Irish/American outfit deliver shout-along tracks that exemplify the album’s title, Anthem.  The six-piece’s first release since 2017 found the band […]

Nicole Lund with her band lund might be seen as a new artist, but she is not exactly new to the music business. She earned a degree in Music Industries Studies with a concentration in vocal performance. Her vocal instructor is an opera singer, so it’s fair to say that she learned a thing or […]

Octogenarian trumpeter and flugelhornist Enrico Rava is one of the longest-standing artists on the ECM roster, having recorded for the label since the ‘70s, and is generally acknowledged as the most important representative of Italian jazz. Readers of these pages have likely heard him in multiple settings, including his early 2022 trio recording with Andrew […]

A lot of artists make the attempt to cross genres in their music. They want to be touted as diverse and original by bringing in elements from other musical lanes into their sound, the act of doing this is easy, but doing it well is extremely difficult. Sometimes it feels forced and these outside sonics […]

If Long Gone proves nothing else, it is that the rekindling of chemistry between Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, as represented on 2020’s ‘Round Again, was no fluke. Indeed, when taken together, these two releases pose the question of whether there has ever been such a reunion of elevated pedigree in the jazz oeuvre: John Coltrane’s […]

Something in the Water showcases the radiant talents of Jennifer Hartswick who is a force to be reckoned with on the trumpet and the microphone. While her playing is what originally brought her to national attention in the Trey Anastasio Band, it is her vocals on this solo release that steal the show.  Working with […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Bleed Out, the new album from The Mountain Goats, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

There has been a recent trend of young rock bands looking to 90’s acts for inspiration and it is great to see one of the originators still in stellar form. On the loping drum and bass-driven “Rocksteady,” Doug Martsch sings the truthful line “I don’t know how to be anybody else” and then goes out […]

Candid Records is releasing the one-time-only performance of a jazz supergroup captured at The Detroit Jazz Festival in 2017.  While September of 2022 will be an important month for drummer Terri Lyne Carrington with a landmark release of new music due, listeners should not pass this one up. Not only is it one of the […]

Singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston was a major force in the nineties but has remained in relative obscurity since. Back on the Road to You is Johnson’s first release since 2015 and his ninth overall. Johnston has always had an easy-on-the-ear voice and a natural ability to create infectious hooks and memorable songs. Like the best songwriters, […]

Australia has been producing world-class musical talent for decades now, and the past decade has seen a surge in genre pushing psych-rock bands from Down Under. This includes, but is not limited to, everything from the ever-changing King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the psychedelic blues rock of The Murlocs, the world conquering Tame Impala, […]

This late into a musical career, bands often go on autopilot, but Megadeth is still putting out music that rivals anything in the metal scene. After a couple of missteps, such as the more commercial sounds of Risk and Super Collider that really don’t work, Megadeth has corrected the course. 2016’s Dystopia put the band […]

Kris Kristofferson was still at the height of his music career when he recorded this solid set from the legendary Texas Honky Tonk in 1981. He already had an impressive set of hits – many that are crammed onto this 15-song live album – dating back to 1970; and he was several years deep into his […]

The sophomore release from the Mongolian folk metal outfit The HU is a stomping, over-the-top offering that mixes up various intense styles as Rumble of Thunder rolls out.  The quartet of Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts, Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal, Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar, use traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including the Morin khuur, the Tovshuur, and Mongolian […]

One way or another, your ears have been infiltrated by the music of super-producer Kenny Beats. Whether it’s his work with hardcore group IDLES or the undeniable character he provided for Vince Staples across multiple releases from the rapper, Kenny Beats has been working his ass off to get his music heard from anybody and […]

Dentist is an indie-rock trio from Asbury Park, New Jersey. Other rock and roll stories have started in that fine city, but maybe not quite like the story of this band. The band formed in 2013 after Emily and Justin Bornemann met at a TGI Friday’s. The two immediately bonded and started writing songs together. […]

It’s been eight years since The Whigs last put out a record, but frontman Parker Gispert has managed to keep himself busy with his 2018 solo debut and Golden Years, a new nine-song follow up. Unlike the more retro garage rock sound of his band, his first solo outing leaned more into indie and folk […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Get Fucked, the new album from The Chats, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):