Reviews

Norman Greenbaum’s 1969 debut solo album, Spirit in the Sky, often gets distilled down to its one iconic single, but there’s more to explore beneath that fuzzed guitar riff. Produced by Erik Jacobsen (known for his work with the Lovin’ Spoonful), this record blends raw rock energy with subtle gospel and psychedelic leanings. Although Greenbaum […]

Ten years after the final notes rang out over the lush greenery of Berry Hill Farm in Summit Point, West Virginia, the All Good Music Festival finally made its triumphant return.  With humble beginnings that trace back to 1997, when All Good was a relatively intimate affair hosted at the now-defunct Wilmer’s Park in Brandywine, […]

The smiling visage of the late Richard Manuel that adorns the dust cover of Stephen T. Lewis’ biography belies the sorrowful tragedy of the musician’s life. And intentionally or not, the author’s narrative follows the ups and downs of the man’s troubled existence.  As a result, the clear-eyed insights Lewis offers are worth the effort […]

Onstage, a giant snake hovers over a drum with the words “FUCK ICE” plastered on it with washi tape. Distorted tinfoil trees sway with trunks like giant fingers. It isn’t an acid trip- it’s Briston Maroney.  On June 14th, artist Briston Maroney and his band took over Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, accompanied by the […]

The Western Kentucky singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman may be the best writer of Southern Gothic songs since Lucinda Williams first brought her genius to the forefront in the ‘90s. Goodman’s distinctive Kentucky drawl also gives us one of those singular voices. Few write and sing with the combination of vivid detail, empathy, and relativity. Planting By Signs is Goodman’s […]

Welcome back, James McMurtry. It’s been four years since 2021’s The Horses and The Hounds.  We’ve missed his wit, political insights, and unparalleled storytelling. These new songs on The Black Dog and The Wandering Boy are memories from his family’s past, an old poem by a family friend, confronting old age, outlaw sagas, and both blatant […]

With Early Waves, Chicago drummer and composer Peter Manheim emerges not just as a sideman with range, but as a sonic architect capable of designing entire musical ecosystems. A follow-up to 2023’s In Time EP, this debut full-length expands his vision into something vast yet intimate, drawing from his roots in jazz and global percussion […]

The new documentary Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible is a thoughtful, kinetic chronicle of a band that’s often been simplified to stadium anthems and one massive John Hughes sync. But under Joss Crowley’s direction, the film resists nostalgia baiting in favor of something more expansive, resulting in a layered portrait of restless ambition, reinvention, and […]

For their newest release Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias went upriver to inject some Memphis blues and soul into their New Orleans second line sound. Chip Off The Old Block finds Bo Dollis Jr. The Wild Magnolias continue cultural traditions passed down from Bo’s father, while also expanding in exciting ways.     The group […]

Two of the most tried and true acts in rock and roll music are Deer Tick and the Drive-by Truckers. Resilience, quality songwriting and musicianship, and an ability to stand the test of time are all qualities they share despite one hailing from the Northeast and the other from the South. And this was just […]

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts’ Talkin’ To The Trees is nowhere near as confounding as the Canadian’s latest efforts with Crazy Horse. It’s far more compelling than 2019’s Colorado and Barn from two years later and even World Record from 2022, in part because its comparably impromptu atmosphere enhances rather than detracts from the […]

One of the most unlikely comebacks in recent music history was WITCH’s 2023 offering, the excellent Zango. The Zamrock legends returned after 40 years, blending new and old styles to deliver the goods for a new generation to discover. Now comes SOGOLO, a follow-up that is more relaxed, less vital, but still able to rock, groove, and […]

About Ghosts is the fourth album from the incomparable guitarist Mary Halvorson’s sextet Amaryllis, following Amaryllis, Belladonna, and Cloudward. They were all named Jazz Album of the Year in DownBeat’s annual Critics Polls, where Halvorson was also named Guitarist of the Year in 2023 and 2024. It would be challenging to top those achievements other […]

Protest music is on the rise as it should be. We Insist! Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite” (1960), an important collaboration between jazz drummer Max Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown Jr., featuring vocals by Abbey Lincoln and contributions from Coleman Hawkins and Booker Little, is a defining statement of the early Black American civil rights movement. […]

Throughout their short yet prolific career, The Bug Club has undergone many changes. What started as a blues-rock revivalist group has evolved into an artsy indie rock outfit, centered around cheeky songwriting and subtle experimentation. In 2024, it was announced that The Bug Club had signed with the prestigious Sub Pop Records, marking yet another […]

It is miraculous how, even after 15 years and 26 albums into their career, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard still maintain an element of surprise. The Australian genre-morphing outfit has proven to be far more than the jam bands they were once compared to, compiling a colorful catalog that never ceases to sonically shift […]

Guitarist and vocalist Larry McCray takes the ‘big production’ route for “Heartbreak City.” Just as Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia enlisted the Grammy-nominated producing duo of Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith for their Blues Music Award-winning Blood Brothers, McCray not only follows suit but adds horns and background vocalists along with star-studded guests. As if […]

Following up on her acclaimed 2024 debut Image Issues, Brittany Davis‘ new release, Black Thunder, is a freewheeling, jazzy excursion that showcases her strong vocals, insightful lyrics, and the musical interplay of her trio.  On her debut, Davis used drum machines and programmed keys, but this time, things are more organic and flowing. Working with producer Josh […]

Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger delivers her third album and first with all-original music for Gadabout Season on Impulse! Known mostly for her interpretations of her forbears on the instrument, Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Younger continues to mesh R&B, hip-hop, and classical influences with jazz. Gadabout Season is more personal and features Younger’s original compositions, […]

For over a decade, Philadelphia’s Muscle Tough, the self-described “futuristic funk fusion trio” of Ross Bellenoit (guitar), Jonathan Colman (bass), and Joe Baldacci (drums/synth), has been carving out a unique sonic space. Known for their instrumental jazz/funkadelic that echoes the likes of Living Colour, Lotus, and the Wayne Krantz trio, they deliver “out there” grooves […]