Archive: 2024

Does anybody out there actually know what the song “Mr. Roboto” is about?  Most everyone knows the song itself (it coined the Japanese catchphrase “Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto” after all), but is the narrator actually supposed to be a robot? And who is “Killroy”? Such (nerdy) questions no doubt initially perplexed fans of insufferably cheesy […]

Dinner Club is a trumpet-infused punk rock five-piece from Winnipeg, MB. Fronted by two siblings, their brother/sister vocals fuel their dynamic style. Blending sincere lyrics with brisk tempos, they deliver an engaging musical journey through their songs and live performances. With a subtle ska influence, Dinner Club mixes the ferocity of punk with soaring brass […]

Larger-than-life chords meet an explosive delivery on post-punk hopefuls Gaslighter.Anonymous’ latest single “Lights Out”. What starts off as a disorienting journey through distortion and booming vocals devolves into the subtle beauty of the acoustic verses. Gaslighter.Anonymous is a band that wants its music to speak for itself, and “Lights Out” speaks volumes to the limitless potential of an exciting […]

This Friday (March 29) marks the return of one of pop’s most misunderstood and underappreciated acts as The High Llamas release Hey Panda. These twelve songs make the first release from the Sean O’Hagan-led project since 2016 and in classic Llamas fashion, it is the band as we never heard them before. These twelve songs […]

On their fourth LP Revelations, River Shook (recording as Sarah Shook) has shown an evolution that has been hinted at ever since the artistic leap from the 2015 debut Sidelong to 2018’s fantastic Years. On Revelations, their first self-produced record, there is a confidence in the writing and playing that only comes from grinding it […]

Along Interstate 40 in Tennessee lie two cities of immense musical importance and history – Nashville and Memphis. Check that and add a third to the list – Knoxville which hosts the annual Big Ears Festival, America’s and perhaps the world’s most diverse, eclectic, and explorative festival comprising music, poetry, literature, film, and art. Big […]

In the latest Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle offers his illustrated commentary on Trail of Flowers, the new album from Sierra Ferrell, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

Fresh off triumphant performances at New York’s Town Hall and Big Ears Festival, guitar virtuoso Julian Lage announces fall tour dates to continue the celebration of his latest album Speak to Me, out now on Blue Note Records. The tour kicks off at the Country Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater on September 7 and ends on September 22 at The Palace Theatre in […]

Mdou Moctar have released a new single and video, ‘Imouhar’, taken from the group’s forthcoming album, Funeral For Justice, out May 3rd on Matador. A hypnotic rock song building to a feverish crescendo, ‘Imouhar’ calls on the Tuareg people to which the band belong to preserve their Tamasheq language – it’s at risk of dying out, and […]

Memphis, TN’s Blvck Hippie will release their new album Basketball Camp on June 14th via The Record Machine label. “I wanted to write a record that I needed to hear in high school.” shares the band’s Josh Shaw (they/them). With Basketball Camp, Blvck Hippie faces down overwhelming anxieties and insecurities through endearingly bleary eyed indie […]

David Lerner and Anne Cunningham’s duo Trummors aren’t the first Americana duo to take on echoes of Gram Parsons, Guy Clark, and John Prine, yet you have to tip your Stetson (or trucker hat) to this enigmatic duo musical partnership. Yet the band decided to call their new album 5, which might serve as a […]

There’s an inherent value in meticulously constructing music brick-by-brick, layer-by-layer. Toledo, OH alternative rockers The Currents spent a year working on the songs that would become their latest EP, titled Other Lives. After all their hard work, they are finally sharing the fruits of their labor. The first single from this batch of songs, “Turning […]

Just because guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Dave Coleman hasn’t issued an album with his roots rock trio, The Coal Men, in nearly eight years doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. As many know, Coleman has cemented his reputation as one of the best producers in Music City. Nonetheless, many have long awaited this full-length album, Everett. The album […]

The Smashing Pumpkins personified the loud/quiet/loud dynamic perhaps better than any band in the 90s (well, safe for Nirvana of course), but the interesting thing about Billy Corgan and company was their ability to push their sound to extremes in both directions. They could be blisteringly heavy (“X.Y.U.” anyone?) and on the opposite end of […]

On the inner sleeve to his latest LP, Barge At Will, Jon Snodgrass writes, “My favorite songs were written in the time it takes to play them. Sometimes, while playing them.” But he ends with the cautionary “It doesn’t work out every time.” But based on the dozen or so songs that make up his […]

North Florida indie-folk songwriter Gileah Taylor’s new chamber-pop album Slow Parade (out Apr. 26 via Velvet Blue Music) is an autobiographical concept album about life’s journey from idealized childhoods to choosing happiness as an adult. Gileah is a songwriter at the top of her game as piano and guitars join lush orchestral strings in this album exploring […]

Folk-leaning Texas Americana artist Stephanie Sammons writes songs because she must: Driven by a deep sense of calling and a genuine curiosity about the world around her, her songwriting blends natural imagery with rich, narrative reflection and stirring melodic lines. Think Emmylou Harris meets Bonnie Raitt—both effortless and profound at the same time—with a pinch […]

It’s one thing to stumble upon great concert footage of Alice in Chains in their prime, but this pro-shot footage of the band performing live (taken from the classic grunge-era movie Singles) is really like finding a diamond in the rough. Not only is the band in top form here, but throw in the fact […]

Berlin and London-based artist Cassie Kinoshi’s new album Gratitude is a heartfelt ode to the everyday moments that spark joy and appreciation. Kinoshi, a modern jazz-fusion artist with a Mercury-nominated band, seed., underscores humility through the album’s lowercase presentation, mirroring her approach to music and life. Drawing inspiration from her own life and her mother’s […]