Archive: 2024

Blaine Todd lives in Alameda, a former naval base and island in the San Francisco Bay. His songwriting blends low-rent tragedy with a reverence for nature and rural life. In addition to an obvious outlaw country influence, his music is informed by the melodic guitar playing of Sterling Morrison, Mississippi trance blues, and Norteño music. […]

MJ Lenderman — the North Carolina-based singer, songwriter, and musician — announces his new album, Manning Fireworks, out September 6th via ANTI-, and releases the lead single/video, “She’s Leaving You.” On Manning Fireworks, MJ lets us in on his frank observations on the intersection of wit and sadness. Today’s single, “She’s Leaving You,” is a half-sneering portrait of […]

Dummy — the Los Angeles band comprised of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor — has announced its new album, Free Energy, out September 6th on Trouble In Mind Records, and shares the lead single/video, “Nullspace.” Check out the shoegaze whirl of ’90s alt-rock with a modern pop twist. The band has also announced a fall tour- see below for the full […]

Fueled By Ramen band The Front Bottoms have announced plans for a U.S. headline tour. Dubbed the “Finding Your Way Home Tour,” the 2024 headline tour kicks off on September 12th with two shows at the House of Blues in Boston, MA, and includes both west & east coast dates for the 2024 iteration of their annual holiday festival Champagne […]

Randall Bramblett is a lifer. For decades, he’s explored the deep corners and outer orbits of American roots music, creating a southern sound that’s every bit as eclectic as its maker. That sound reaches a new milestone with Paradise Breakdown (due out via Strolling Bones Records on September 13th), the thirteenth record from a musician […]

It’s officially summer for everyone in the northern hemisphere, which is typically cause for celebration for most people, unless you happen to live somewhere really fucking hot, that is. Take Sacramento, for example, where triple-digit heat and scorching sun are par for the course this time of year, a fact that apparently inspired Sactown native […]

With its location in the heart of Wicker Park, Subterranean has been a magnet for attracting up-and-coming bands ever since its inception as a live music venue way back in 1994. Celebrating its 30th birthday this year, it’s remarkable to think about all the epic performances it’s played host to the past three decades, especially […]

In more than one interview prior to his abrupt passing in January of 2023, the late great Jeff Beck rued the lack of original material generated by his first post-Yardbirds band – The Jeff Beck Group. And with over a half-century hindsight now available, the second album by that ensemble, Beck-Ola (released June 1969), proves his […]

Even a torrential downpour couldn’t dampen the spirits of Roger Daltrey’s fans during the June 20th concert at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. The legendary frontman took the stage with a fire that defied the ominous weather. Belting out a set list chock full of classic Who hits, solo selections, and covers from his contemporaries that […]

Lake Street Dive’s newest album, Good Together, keeps up the group’s knack for eclectic sounds while focusing more on 80s-inspired electro-pop. The opening pairing of the title track and “Dance With A Stranger” uses synths and light percussion to deliver two fairly bland soul/pop numbers that never punch up the energy. Much better is “Far Gone,” […]

Afrofuturist collective Mourning [A] BLKstar unveiled details for their new studio album Ancient//Future, slated for release next month on July 19 via Don Giovanni Records. After establishing themselves locally in Cleveland, Ohio, M[A]B gained global recognition with their profound and timely 2020 album, The Cycle. Alongside the announcement, M[A]B are offering a first glimpse into […]

Entering the music scene in 1995 as the youngest member of the R&B group Taylah Made, Traffik displayed a skill and passion that were well beyond his age. Under the tutelage of Australia’s pioneer of urban radio and club events, DJC, Traffik would attend the late-night “Jammin” sessions at PBS FM to soak up the […]

Philadelphia-based band Cosmic Guilt records and performs as a ten-piece, drawing on the voluminous experience of its members in various bands and as side players in the studio. It was founded by former Low Cut Connie members James “Jimmy” Everhart and George Murphy. At the end of May, they released their second full-length album, titled […]

The sun has been relentless over these past couple of days. The staggering heat that whisps against your face as soon as you poke your head outside still feels inviting; summer is finally here. If the first New Music Friday of the summer is any indication of what will come over the next few months, […]

In keeping with the deluxe package in which it appears, Ray Robertson’s essay for the 50th Anniversary Edition of Grateful Dead’s From The Mars Hotel is one of the best in the series. Prose, as amiable as it is passionate, is also most insightful in its observations on the state of the iconic band circa 1974. Plus, it’s personalized: […]

Accorded recognition and reverence as one of the primary fountainheads of blues music as a formative source for contemporary rock and roll, Son House began to play live in increasingly wider circles as the Sixties evolved. Like Reverend Gary Davis, his equally respected and influential peer (role model for Airplane/Tuna linchpin Jorma Kaukonen), House welcomed […]

Pond’s latest album, Stung!, marks a significant milestone as their 10th release, showcasing the Australian band’s enduring creativity and evolution. Known for their psychedelic rock roots and close ties with Tame Impala, Pond has been a fixture in the neo-psychedelic scene since their debut, Psychedelic Mango, in 2009. With Stung!, they continue to push the […]

Matt Hillyer plays an authentic brand of honky tonk and classic country swing that could only have been forged in the dancehalls across Texas – from Grandview to Abeline – places that know the differences between contrived plastic country and the real thing. Bright Skyline, Hillyer’s latest, is a masterclass on dedication to the genre […]