Reviews

Philly’s saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator Jaleel Shaw emerges as a leader again after 13 years. Shaw has collaborated with a wide range of jazz giants, including Roy Haynes, Roy Hargrove, Nate Smith, Christian McBride, and many others. He is currently a fixture in both Dave Holland’s Quartet and Trio. Finding time to make a […]

First Meeting is a collaboration of four top jazz artists on their respective instruments, each receiving equal billing for their three-night engagement at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center in August 2022. Although the title “First Meeting” is accurate, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, saxophonist Chris Potter, and drummer Eric Harland were part of the Monterey […]

Released in 1995, the Clueless soundtrack captures a specific moment in pop culture when alternative rock was crossing into the mainstream, and teen movies were starting to reflect a broader range of sounds and moods. Like the film itself, the soundtrack balances bright surfaces with more thoughtful undercurrents, pulling together a mix of guitar-driven pop, […]

By the time Robin Tower’s For Earth Below was released a half-century ago, the former guitarist for Procol Harum had hit his stride creatively and commercially as a solo artist. Thus, the third album under his name began a process of refinement that, not surprisingly, involved a shift of personnel: ex-Sly Stone drummer Bill Lordan […]

25 years after its original release, Elliott Smith’s Figure 8 returns on deluxe vinyl—restored, remastered, and more emotionally immediate than ever. Long considered his most sonically expansive album, this new edition doesn’t just honor the legacy of Smith’s final studio effort—it sharpens it. Previously only available digitally, Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) marks the first time […]

The fourth studio album from Durand Jones & The Indications is titled Flowers, as the band is blooming with confidence and maturity. The neo-soul group is never in a hurry throughout the record as their smooth get-down jams are custom-made for hot, lazy summer nights. The self-produced album finds the core trio of Durand Jones […]

On a surface level, Cincinnati rockers Smut have nothing but an open road in front of them. The DIY hopefuls were plucked from their local scene and signed to Bayonet Records, who issued the band’s breakthrough 2022 LP, How The Light Felt, introducing the band’s lush pop sensibilities to the world. Their Bayonet debut was, […]

At a time when music festivals all feel like generic clones of each other, the 39th Green River Festival stood out as one of the best “small” festivals in the USA. The festival took place from June 20th to June 22nd in a beautiful, green space in the Pioneer Valley at the Franklin County Fairgrounds […]

Leading up to the biggest show in the Wilton, CT band’s life, headlining Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, Goose made a rare club appearance on Monday at the 650-capacity Racket in Manhattan. The group was in mid-tour form, delivering a long set that showcased their style to some fans and a host of newcomers.  […]

Missouri-based folksinger Willi Carlisle is the living embodiment of Kris Kristofferson’s famous lines – “He’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction.” Carlisle’s appeal is his ability to write deeply incisive, provocative, and socially relevant songs without being preachy, while taking a few lighthearted detours through these eleven songs on Winged Victory.  Carlisle is […]

It’s rare that an album title so accurately reflects the songs within it. But Life Behind Bars is one of those titles. The collection of songs here gives heartfelt dialogue to The Vandoliers’ frontwoman Jenni Rose’s journey through addiction and gender dysphoria, culminating in her decision earlier this year to publicly come out and live […]

On June 16th, Pixies took the stage at the Van Buren in downtown Phoenix to perform a 29-song two-album show, composed of live versions of both Bossanova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991). The venue was at capacity, and the setlist included over 30 songs, but it was only the first night of their Phoenix […]

To see James McMurtry live is to witness one of the finest American songwriters at work. Lucky for us, the 63-year-old Texan troubadour is still a road dog, criss-crossing the country for much of the year while somehow still maintaining a fairly consistent and now legendary residency at the fabled Continental Club in Austin. If […]

Almost exactly a year ago, Lukas Nelson and his band, Promise of the Real, a 15-year-old collective, announced an indefinite hiatus to pursue different artistic endeavors. Now arrives Nelson’s first solo offering, American Romance, an album that looks to shift perspectives and recalibrate Nelson as a solo artist.  Nelson takes center stage as his understated […]

The newest offering from the Brooklyn-based rock outfit Hotline TNT is a throwback to the buzzy grunge era of 90s indie/alt heyday; however, things never stagnate as they sprinkle in exciting accents and pop-like appeal to keep the ear engaged throughout the dynamite Raspberry Moon.  For the first time in Hotline TNT’s history, lead singer/founder and […]

The curators of the Gregg Allman Live series set a high bar for themselves through last year’s Uncle Sam’s release, but with One Night In DC, May 15 1984, the archivists have adhered to those elevated standards.  Recorded on the last date of the tour (according to Allman before he introduced the band), this concert […]

Australian genre-benders and punk manipulators Tropical Fuck Storm have never been the band to pigeonhole, and it would be a fool’s errand to try. Even in its rawest form, their refreshing power ballads warp the mind and melt the face while maintaining a welcoming humbleness that makes their off-kilter rock music so accessible. Born out […]

Willie Nile has been releasing records since the 1980s and while he has always been a remarkably dependable flag bearer of great American rock music, right up there with Dylan, Springsteen and Petty (though admittedly a little more under the radar), his output lately – song for song – has been among his best. Maybe […]

There’s an unpretentious quality to Elijah Johnston’s subjects that makes his songs deeply accessible. On Stupid Soul, the Atlanta artist covers a wide swath of topics from the seemingly mundane – the feeling of excitement around football season (in the aptly titled “Football Season”) – to weightier subjects, like the guilt of teenage sexual exploration […]

Most artists signed to the premier blues label, Alligator, have established careers; however, occasionally, youthful talent emerges, such as Louisiana-born D.K. Harrell, a skillful guitarist, accomplished songwriter, and powerful vocalist. The 27-year-old Harrell is already playing blues festivals globally and was a headliner at the Chicago Blues Festival this past week. This is Harrell’s second album, having […]