Lucero Keep It Tight With Mix of Old Favorites and Newer Tunes in Portland, OR (SHOW REVIEW)
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 […]
CAUSTIC COMMENTARY: Andrew Gabbard, St. Vincent, LINKIN PARK, The Silverlites, Squid & More
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 […]
‘Harlem Street Singer’ Vinyl Reissue Captues Blues-folk Great Blind Gary Davis at Creative Peak (ALBUM REVIEW)
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’ Vinyl Reissue Offers Masterclass in Minimalist Blues Standards (ALBUM REVIEW)
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 Debuts New Material, Covers Grateful Dead and Bela Fleck in Lincoln, NE (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)
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 […]
Deep Friday Blues: Jonny Lang Shreds On “Lie To Me”
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 Announces ‘No Name’ Tour
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 […]
Andrew Gabbard Takes Classic Rock Power Ride On ‘Ramble & Rave On!’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
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 […]
LISTEN: Amp Melo’s Acrobatic Vocals Soar Over Infectious Funk On “Under Pressure”
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, […]
LISTEN: Sammy Mellman’s “Well” Is Refreshing Pop With Soulful Undertones
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 […]
Tyler Childers Announces 2025 Headining Tour With Support From Charley Crockett, Wynonna Judd, The Hold Steady, Deer Tick & More
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Tyler Childers will embark on a massive headline tour next year with stops at Lexington’s Kroger Field, New York’s Forest Hills Stadium (two nights), Nashville’s GEODIS Park (two nights), Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, Minneapolis’ Target Center, New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center, Boston’s Xfinity Center and London’s The […]
Courntey Barnett, Waxahatchee, Mt. Joy, MJ Lenderman Lead 2025 Green River Festival Lineup
Green River Festival has announced the first acts on its 2025 lineup: headliners Mt. Joy, Courtney Barnett,and Waxahatchee will be joined by MJ Lenderman & The Wind, Julien Baker & TORRES, LA LOM, Kabaka Pyramid, BALTHVS, Ocie Elliott, Kathleen Edwards, Futurebirds, Mo Lowda & The Humble, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Chaparelle, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Olive Klug, and Merce Lemon across […]
45 Years Ago Today – Little Feat Release ‘Down on the Farm’ – Last Album With Lowell George
SONG PREMIERE: The Rumjacks Craft Anthemic Sing-Along Anthem- “An Irish Goodbye on St. Valentines Day”
Some things sound continually legit, and as we persevere through any trendy musical tricks that permeate our playlists, some things stand bold. Forget glitchy electronica or confessional harmonies, and instead, take a good ol’ punk-flavored Irish song, and your sure to have almost nobody in the room admit it sucks. We can thank The Rumjacks […]
Triumphant 1994 Oscar Peterson Performance Captured On ‘City Lights: The Oscar Peterson Quartet – Live in Munich, 1994’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
In recent years around this same time, Kelly Peterson, the wife of the late, iconic pianist, Oscar Peterson, released live performances from her archives. This is the fifth. Up until now, those records featured Oscar in his prime with both hands blazing. City Lights; The Oscar Peterson Quartet – Live in Munich, 1994 is different […]
Golden Age Thursday: Mobb Deep Strike Gold With “Shook Ones, Part II”
On his most recent release, Soul Burger, current Hip-hop legend Ab-Soul delivered a face-melting performance over an iconic Hip-hop anthem. In the intro to Soul’s new album, “9 Mile,” you hear an eerie piano melody that starts to play as the artist interpolates the final rap battle scene from Eminem’s 8 Mile film. These piano […]
Sub Pop Serving As New Home Of Punk Legends The Gits’ Entire Discography
The legendary Sub Pop label has shared the news that we are the new home of The Gits, the ferocious Seattle punk band fronted by the late Mia Zapata. Their entire discography – Frenching the Bully (1992), Enter: The Conquering Chicken (1994), Kings & Queens (1996), and Seafish Louisville (2000) – features newly designed album cover art by Sub Pop’s VP of Creative […]
Weirdo Wednesday: Stewart Copeland Tries On Punk-New Wave As Klark Kent On “Don’t Care”
Not many people know that Stewart Copeland from The Police was once a lead singer in a punky new-wave band called Klark Kent. It was a fairly short-lived project, mainly to avoid disrupting the career of The Police, but it nonetheless yielded some delightfully weird little gems. Chief among them was “Don’t Care” performed live […]
SONG PREMIERE: West of Rome Focus On The Now With Swaggering Alt-country Rocker “Movement in Your Picture”
West of Rome is a South Texas band launched by a group of lifelong friends in 2019 at the crossroads of pandemic lockdowns, deranged governments and a superheated climate. Not easily intimidated, musicians Blake Smithson, brothers Charlie and Jamie Roadman and singer Kevin Higginbotham dug deep looking for the sweet relief of the true grand […]
Marcus King, Greensky Bluegrass, Drive-By Truckers, Cypress Hill Headline SweetWater 420 Fest
SweetWater Brewing Company has unveiled the headliners for the 2025 420 Fest, marking the festival’s 20th anniversary with an epic celebration of music, culture, and immersive experiences. The highly anticipated three-day event, April 18-20 at Atlanta’s Historic Pullman Yards, promises unforgettable performances and immersive experiences. Tickets are available now for this milestone festival. As it […]