Reviews

Mike Campbell might just be the most humble musician in rock music. As guitarist for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, he has co-written some of the most iconic American rock songs of his generation (“American Girl,” “Running Down A Dream,” “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl”). He served in one of Bob Dylan’s backing bands, he […]

On International Women’s Day, Ani DiFranco and Rainbow Girls brought protest anthems with beautiful acoustic melodies to the Plaza Live in Orlando. Though neither act made overt political statements, they spent the night venting their frustrations and grievances through the music while a couple of thousand fans commiserated and sang along. California trio Rainbow Girls […]

“Sometimes I forget it’s fun to play because sometimes it’s not,” Santigold told the crowd at The Beacham in Orlando Wednesday night, March 5th. “But we’re having fun tonight.” The Philadelphia indie artist was one of many artists who canceled tours in 2022 over the unsustainability of modern touring, especially post-COVID, as costs rise and […]

The second solo album, following 2014’s You Should Be So Lucky, from veteran Benmont Tench, The Melancholy Season, is aptly titled as the pianist/singer/songwriter delivers a record that ebbs and flows but never gets too high or too low. Known for his supportive sideman work, Tench takes center stage working with Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father […]

Recorded in an 18th-century farmhouse in Maine, these songs from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kris Delmhorst (KD) about the ghosts of the past and present seem to fit the setting. She paints the kind of detailed character sketches that may haunt your dreams, too. She writes with exceptional detail yet stays pretty even-keeled emotionally. The emotions […]

Rock music has always been a microcosm of its influences. The way blues snuck its way into the genre’s most incredible songwriters, the punk attitude being determined by societal standards of what not to do, or the loose melodies of relaxed psych-rock coming from colorful hallucinations, the genre has found its voice through tireless toiling […]

Few vocalists can bring the sheer power and passion of Mike Farris. With his first album since 2018’s Silver & Stone, Farris continues to move further away from strict gospel by doing what he does best: merging his collective musical influences into one amazingly infectious stew of rock ‘n soul in The Sound of Muscle […]

We’ve been here before. The entirely acoustic Southeastern was a career turning record for Jason Isbell, one that defined and celebrated his sobriety and shed light on his marriage to Amanda Shires. Since then, Isbell, now deemed by many as the best songwriter of this generation, has packed houses with his electric band, the 400 Unit, […]

The release of Neil Young’s Oceanside Countryside, following the oft-delayed public unveiling of Homegrown in 2020 and Chrome Dreams three years later, effectively completes a mirror image of the ‘Ditch Trilogy’ from the early Seventies.  Unlike Time Fades Away, On The Beach, and Tonight’s The Night, however, all issued in sequence after 1972’s Harvest, the three later albums were never issued upon completion. Instead, tracks from […]

In addition to fronting the rock and roll collective that is The Revivalists for almost two decades, David Shaw has recently added to his solo catalog with 2024’s Take a Look Inside. Since last October, Shaw has been touring the US, refining his art with compelling performances for his fans at each show. This past […]

Wes Montgomery’s The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is a masterclass in jazz guitar playing. What immediately sets Montgomery apart is his signature technique: instead of using a pick, he played with the soft pad of his thumb. This wasn’t just a stylistic quirk but a practical solution, he wanted to practice without disturbing […]

In the realm of bands that have always been perhaps underrated and worthy of bigger stages, Mercury Rev ranks close to the top. For over three decades, Jonathan Donahue and Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak, along with a rotating cast of talented musicians, have been conjuring the kind of grandiose, cinematic psych-pop sounds that can stir up […]

With Skin, his most intimate album yet, Nashville-based Sean McConnell mines his own demons, struggles, and insecurities for material. The result is sometimes dour, often emotional, but always genuine, as he deftly blends soul-baring lyrics with a moody but beautiful folk-rock soundtrack. Along with his own career as a musician, McConnell has made a name […]

For a band whose music often feels like an emotional storm passing through a city at night, Constellations For The Lonely finds Doves at their most fragmented and, at times, their most triumphant. The Manchester trio has always excelled at painting grand, melancholic landscapes, and their sixth album continues that tradition, albeit under unusual circumstances. […]

Mdou Moctar released one of the best albums of 2024 with Funeral for Justice, a blisteringly swirling cumulation of all their righteously loud Tuareg guitar-rocking talents. Now, the outfit follows up that offering with this companion piece, Tears of Injustice, an acoustic re-recording of the original album.  While the resulting album isn’t as loud as the original, […]

Trilogy 3 is the third and likely the last installment of live shows with Chick Corea’s legendary trio of bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade.  The 2-LP set includes just eight lengthy tracks, five of which are from Paris in 2020, one from Spain, and 2019 dates from Japan and Burlington, Vermont. Streaming will […]

The Devil Makes Three has never been accused of making light, vapid music. Across seven albums, the Santa Cruz-based trio has melded Blues, folk, Americana, and even influences of punk with often deeply personal, occasionally dark lyrics for a deeply satisfying gothic folk sound. Like Johnny Cash fronting The Cramps, the band has cleaved out […]

It has been a few years since we heard from a lone Panda Bear, the ever-evolving vehicle for Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox. While the past few years for the artist have been defined by collaborations ranging from full albums with Sonic Boom to guest appearances on songs by Dean Blunt, 2019 marks the last time […]

What goes around, comes around. Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman got his start as a sideman in visionary Anthony Braxton’s touring ensemble from 1999- 2007 for a host of festivals and recordings, including a tribute to the music of Andrew Hill (Nine Compositions (Hill) 2000). In that spirit, and to repay his mentor, Braxton, Lehman’s trio […]

You may know pianist/keyboardist Elliott Galvin from his work with the saxophonists Binker Golding and Mark Lockheart, or with Emma-Jean Thackery, Shabaka Hutchings or UK band Dinosaur, or even others. He is known as a trailblazer and high-level improviser on the UK scene, having released four solo albums before this one, The Ruin, which marks his […]