Archive: 2024

If you were lucky enough to catch Lucero in their hard-partying early years, you might’ve thought to yourself, ‘Gee, these guys completely kick ass, but they won’t last.’ Would the Memphis band be the alt-country Replacements and burn out just when it was getting great? But the opposite happened, and they managed to put out […]

While the weather begins to hit new lows, New Music Fridays are reaching new highs. Just when we thought the year would slowly trickle to the bottom of the hourglass, we get an explosive plethora of new music. This week’s Caustic is nothing short of a maze meant to be navigated slowly, taking in the […]

Blind Gary Davis, also known as Reverend Gary Davis, was a towering figure in the world of American music. Born in 1896, Davis lost his sight at a young age but developed a remarkable ability to channel his experiences into music. Self-taught on the guitar, he mastered the intricate fingerpicking style of the Piedmont blues […]

Jimmy Reed’s I’m Jimmy Reed is the kind of record that feels less like a debut and more like a mission statement. Released in 1958 on Vee-Jay Records, this collection of blues standards laid the groundwork for a musical career that would stretch far beyond the boundaries of its genre. Reed’s unassuming style, a hypnotic […]

Sierra Hull has been wowing audiences with her mandolin playing capabilities since before her age reached the double digits. Today, she’s not only known for her virtuosity and ability to sit in and play with just about anyone; she’s also become a confident and engaging band leader. On Wednesday, November 13th, Hull brought her instrumental […]

Recorded at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia on 8/23/17, Jonny Lang’s “Lie to Me” performance accurately summarizes his contemporary blues-rocker persona. The vocal growl belies his youthful visage in direct proportion to how the song’s heavy metal overtones, replete in his guitaring, might undercut the song’s impact if not for the agile backing from his […]

Jack White will celebrate his GRAMMY® Award-nominated new album No Name with a global headline run. The No Name Tour begins December 1 with a previously announced festival performance at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival and then visits intimate venues across Asia, Australia/New Zealand, and North America through May 2025. Presale tickets for […]

On his previous solo release, 2023’s Cedar City Sweetheart, Andrew Gabbard focused on adding more country/Americana elements to his indie rock base. This time, he mostly returns to his core strengths, using vibrating guitar and his soulful voice to bring it on home with Ramble & Rave On! Playing all of the instruments himself (except […]

Formerly known as “Amplified,” Amp Melo is a genre-bending rapper and singer from Santa Cruz, CA. Combining polished Hip-Hop bars and soulful R&B melodies, Amp weaves his sound through the fabrics of classic and fresh with a diverse range of voicings and soundscapes. Amp’s sound resembles influences from The Roots, Blu & Exile, Aloe Blacc, […]

Sammy Mellman is a New Jersey-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and high school music teacher. Obsessed with strange chord progressions and melancholy hooks, with a knack for 4-part barbershop harmony, he came to a well-regulated and resonant sound performing solo trombone looping arrangements throughout the 2010s. He began exploring songwriting more earnestly leading up to 2020. Taking […]