Reviews

Gerald Clayton’s Ones and Twos is a two-part project; the first installment is revealed here. Clayton calls it an experiment inspired by the art of turntablism where the A side can be played simultaneously with the B side, that moment in the club when the DJ transitions from one song to the next when you […]

By the time Blender hit shelves in October 2000, Collective Soul was already a household name in alt-rock circles. Known for their crunchy guitars, spiritual lyricism, and frontman Ed Roland’s arena-ready vocals, the band had ridden the ’90s wave with confidence. But Blender, their fifth studio album, marked a shinier, more radio-friendly evolution that both […]

There are few figures in jazz whose legacy feels as intimate and enduring as Bill Evans’. His playing, both lyrical and harmonically rich, reshaped the language of the piano trio and left an indelible mark on generations of musicians. Bill Evans always said he was trying to get “farther ahead.” chasing some distant horizon of […]

This year, emo stalwarts The Used are celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary, so the band unveiled a special tour where they are playing three nights in a city, dedicating one of their first three albums (self-titled, In Love and Death, and Lies for the Liars) to each evening. After kicking off in Detroit with their […]

As hordes of fans filtered through the ornate lobby of Washington D.C’s historic Warner Theatre on April 4th, the sense of anticipation in the air was palpable. After all, it’s not every day that they get to experience Trey Anastasio, the beloved Phish frontman usually relegated to performing in cavernous arenas and amphitheaters at an […]

The Greyboy Allstars are celebrating the upcoming May release of Grab Bag: 2007-2023, their eighth LP, which includes nine cuts previously unreleased over the past decade and a half of the band’s 30-year history. The quintet is also playing a few live dates leading up to their appearance at Tipitina’s as part of the New […]

Coming just a year after her last LP, Lily Seabird’s latest, Trash Mountain, is another deep dive into emotionally delicate indie pop-adjacent folk music. The record came together quickly in just a matter of months – after Seabird came home after a series of tours, both for her own music and as a touring bassist […]

Over the last four albums of his solo career, Craig Finn has written the words and had a musical partner in producer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman. The pair tried out a wide range of backing sounds for Finn’s patented tales of good-hearted, tough luck, small-time addicts, and struggling (mostly) midwestern Americans seeking redemption or at least an […]

When veteran Vermont musician Seth Yacovone formally reconvened a three-piece band in 2013, his revised concept for the trio—in contrast to its predecessor’s runaway workhorse ethic—was to collaborate on a relatively sparing schedule, not only to allow all the participants the freedom to engage in other projects but also to keep the music fresh both on […]

The release announcement came days following, perhaps, the most acrimonious presidential election in American history. Americans were at their most divided. But, here came ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) with their Frames announcement. Those of us who know this band had a chance to pause in the uncertainty and heave a sigh. This was the best […]

Sleigh Bells, the duo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss, has been at it for over two decades. The alt-pop supergroup has established themselves as boundary pushers, unafraid to present their otherworldly views on modern pop in an unapologetically grandiose fashion. Over the course of their twenty years together, a lot has changed. Pop music […]

It is hard to believe that Black Country, New Road only crashed into the modern post-punk world four years ago. Since their 2021 debut, the prog-rock fusion experts have become worldwide sensations, touring around the globe while collecting praise from critics, industry, and fans alike. Black Country, New Road created somewhat of an underground Beatles-mania […]

When you think of psychedelic music, many tropes come to mind. These could include spacious arrangements that err on simplicity, wonky melodies that bounce around like a bullet in a Kevlar room, or hazy vocals that strain through distortion or reverb. While the psych-rock genre is as ever-evolving as other genres, one can’t help but […]

Listening to the 20-track double album from Grey DeLisle, it’s hard to imagine her ever having a problem with writer’s block. But the musician – and Emmy-nominated voice actor – actually hit a pretty severe dry spell about a decade and a half ago. In the early 2000s, DeLisle has a consistent career, turning in […]

Downtown Knoxville pulsed with energy as Big Ears Festival 2025 welcomed over 7,500 passionate music lovers for a long weekend of genre-defying performances and boundary-pushing artistry. Widely considered one of the most adventurous and thoughtfully curated festivals in the world, Big Ears once again proved that no other event offers such a kaleidoscopic journey through […]

Ashton Freeman (@souperfruit) and Bugger (a.k.a. Michael Melchiondo @bugg.e.r), the progeny of Gene and Dean Ween, respectively, made headlines last week when they announced a performance on March 28th in Lambertville, New Jersey, at Soupçon Salon, a small art gallery and event space at the back of a coffee bar/ice cream shop and below a […]

Earlier in his career, singer-songwriter-guitarist Seth Walker came across as a bluesman adorned in Americana clothing. He’s since evolved into one who lays down warm, infectious, relaxing grooves that integrate many strains of music for soothing listening. That approach is so evident on his latest Why the Worry. In short, he is one soulful cat […]

Since reuniting in 2005, Chicago pop-punk band the Smoking Popes have been, to put it kindly, conservative with their album output.  In fact, Lovely Stuff, their latest release, marks only their fourth release in the past two decades. Like all the efforts that have preceded it, the album is crammed with near-perfect three-minute pop-punk anthems, […]

The veteran instrumental outfit from San Diego, CA, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, continues its smooth grooving ways on the band’s sixth offering, Gemini. Keeping the vibe alive from their last studio offering, 2022’s Step Down, the players deliver jazzy, funky, and soul-accented offerings that roll all night long. The nine-piece band is comprised of Tim Felten on keys, […]

Gabriel Yared’s score for The English Patient doesn’t simply accompany the film, it is the film, just in sound. Woven into the very architecture of Anthony Minghella’s cinematic vision, the music captures the vastness of landscapes, the slipperiness of memory, and the blurring of national and cultural differences. The result is one of the most […]