BEBEL GILBERTO JOÃO [PIAS] Bebel Gilberto grew up surrounded by music. Her father was João Gilberto, one of the pioneers of Brazilian bossa nova, and her mother was famed Latin jazz singer Miúcha. This kind of pedigree can be both a blessing and [...]
THE LILAC TIME DANCE TILL ALL THE STARS COME DOWN ABSOLUTE LABEL SERVICES The Lilac Time features brothers Stephen and Nick Duffy, and Stephen’s wife, Claire. Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is their 12th album, and first since 2019’s Return [...]
THE HIVES THE DEATH OF RANDY FITZSIMMONS INDEPENDENT The Hives are back! Following a period of semi-hiatus and the departure of original bassist Dr. Matt Destruction, the Swedish punk outfit has returned with their first album since 2012’s Lex [...]
Stephen Steinbrink Disappearing Coin Western Vinyl Sure, it has been tried before. That is, combining Brian Wilson-like harmonies with meandering and subtly complex San Francisco psych vibes. Yet integrating the two into an artful combination [...]
Sloppy Heads Sometimes Just One Second Shrimper Records Brooklyn trio Sloppy Heads have been around since 2009 and have created their own underground scene that covers a wide musical palette seen through their seemingly sloppy, slop-rock [...]
Melodiesinfonie Softboi Independent You really have to be truly versed in music to be able to come up with an album that is basically all soft, funky, jazzy soul. Those elongated notes and spaces have to really work to have their effect and you [...]
McKenzie Stubbert Waiting Room Curious Music Making neo-classical music work as pop in a way, seems to be quite popular these days, what with the success of artist/composers like Ludovico Einaudi. Yet, very often, such artists/composers tend to [...]
Hozier Unreal Unearth Rubyworks Records Hozier’s third studio album, spanning a remarkable 1 hour and 2 minutes, is destined for a place in the archives of music history. Its raw emotional depth resonates profoundly with listeners, evoking [...]
GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV APPALOOSA BONES SUITCASE TOWN MUSIC Has it really been five years since Gregory Alan Isakov’s last studio album, Evening Machines? It has, and although Isakov has been busy with touring and taking care of his very active [...]
DIZZY DIZZY ROYAL MOUNTAIN RECORDS Dizzy’s third album, self-titled but with no hint of self-importance, would be easy to dismiss as simplistic pop, particularly when one hears the opener, “Birthmark”. Indeed, lead singer Katie Munshaw’s vocals [...]
SOFIA TALVIK CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE MAKAKI RECORDS Sofia Talvik hails from Sweden and released her first album in 2005, carving out her own distinct style of Americana/folk with a Nordic twist. Center Of The Universe is her eighth album and she [...]
Public Image Ltd. End Of World Cargo/Redeye For some, like me, it is hard to believe that Public Image Limited (PIL) is celebrating their 45th anniversary. After The Sex Pistols, who knew that John Lydon would form a band that would still be [...]
Killah Priest Mystery Channel 600 Block Records Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Killah Priest has dropped his fourth major release this year, following an instrumental version of his 2022 collaborative album with Jordan River Banks, Mr. Universe [...]
CORDOVAS THE ROSE OF ACES ATO RECORDS These days, Americana music space is getting crowded with artists coming up with some high-quality music that spreads across genres with quite some ease. Still, even with such quality around, for whatever [...]
HOLY WAVE FIVE OF CUPS SUICIDE SQUEEZE RECORDS Esoteric is the term that qualifies all somewhat special, often mystical things that are of interest to a very specific group of people. That surely includes Tarot cards and Tarot readings. It is [...]
Mammoth WVH Mammoth II BMG Wolfgang Van Halen returns with his follow-up album to his 2021 debut, Mammoth WVH. Mammoth II not only delivers a second offering of modern rock, but, quite impressively, establishes Wolfgang as a dynamic figure of [...]
The Jesus And Mary Chain Sunset 666 Fuzz Club Recorded while supporting Nine Inch Nails on tour, Sunset 666 credits its existence to the serendipity of a USB port on the mixing desk, and the unusual recording mechanism ultimately is what gives [...]
JAH WOBBLE A BRIEF HISTORY OF NOW CLEOPATRA RECORDS Jah Wobble has been very very busy. He has already released two studio albums this year, The Bus Routes Of South London and Thames Symphony, as well as a compilation of his music from this [...]
JOHNNY’S UNCALLED FOUR THE LOST ALBUM WICK RECORDS/DAPTONE Johnny’s Uncalled Four made their debut in 1964 with the single “Shortnin’ Bread”. Formed by high school students from the Columbiana and Salem areas in Ohio, the band consisted of [...]
Sevendust Truth Killer Napalm Records Sevendust has always burned along in its own lane, never disappointing. They’re known for giving us unpredictable riffs and soothing yet heavy sounds, meanwhile veering off just a little to give us something [...]
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats Slaughter On First Avenue Rise Above Records Uncle Acid returns with its first ever live album titled Slaughter On First Avenue. This stellar release captures the raw energy and occult-infused atmosphere the band [...]
FERGUS HAMBLETON WITH LORD SASSAFRASS A BETTER TOMORROW: ORIGINAL REGGAE AND SKA G-THREE MUSIC MANAGEMENT One of the many things I love about Fergus Hambleton is that one never really knows what he will do next. His last studio album, 2021’s [...]
The Arrogants Brainwash Dirty Water Records There can’t be many bands who start their second album cycle by opening for The Who and gaining an endorsement from Pete Townshend. When one puts on Brainwash, though, it’s not hard to see why, as this [...]
CHARM SCHOOL FINITE JEST sonaBLAST! The call and recall of the original Velvet Underground sound continues, unabated. A problem? Definitely not, as any new band and artists that draws inspiration from such seminal artists deserves commendation, [...]
