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The Howlin’ Brothers - Howl (Readymade)
New artists within the Americana community tend to hold no interest for me whatsoever. I’m pleased to report, however, that the Howlin’ Brothers are different.
16 May 2013Deville - Hydra (Small Stone)
Hydra, the debut record from Sweden’s Deville, starts like a good hard rock record should – with a turbocharged rush of riffs and muscle.
15 May 2013Michael Rank and Stag – In the Weeds (Louds Hymn)
The follow-up to the post-breakup catharsis that is Kin, In the Weeds finds the former Snatches of Pink leader settling into life as an Americana musician.
3 April 2013Helen Money – Arriving Angels (Profound Lore)
On her third LP, Alison Chesley emphasizes the low end of her instrument’s range, creating her own vision of ambient metal.
29 March 2013Lady – s/t (Truth & Soul)
Like most everything else on Truth & Soul, the record sounds like it was recorded in the early 70s, with horn-laced, synth-free arrangements that nurture the melodies as much as the grooves.
8 March 2013The Waterboys - An Appointment With Mr. Yeats (Proper American)
An Appointment With Mr. Yeats eschews recitations, instead adapting Yeats’ libretto into song lyrics and building rock melodies around them.
1 February 2013Terri Lynn Carrington – Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue (Concord Jazz/GrooveJazz Media
Jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington pays tribute to the 1962 LP Money Jungle, originally created by Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach.
30 January 2013The Black Widows – Revenge of the Black Widows (Vital Gesture)
The Dick Dale-on-bad coffee vibe still rumbles, but there’s a lot more going on than just angry takes on “Miserlou.”
29 January 2013The Parson Red Heads – Yearling (Second Motion/Parson Farm)
Originally released in 2011, Yearling, the third album from Portland’s Parson Red Heads, gets a new life after being lost in the shuffle of new releases the first time ‘round.
20 December 2012Ted Russell Kamp – Night Owl (Poetry of the Moment)
Unsurprisingly, given the title image of a lonely soul contemplating life at 2:00 in the morning, the record revolves around ballads and low-volume tunes, all infused with warm soul.
30 November 2012Three Minute Tease - s/t (Idiot)
A new album (and band) that’s a marvel of pop hooks and acidic twinkle.
1 October 2012Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky (Jagjaguwar)
The third LP since the iconic alt.rock trio’s mid-aughties reunion, I Bet On Sky moves to clear the clouds of overwhelming distortion that is the band’s usual raison d’etre and let the songs themselves shine through.
29 September 2012Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind (ImaVeePee/Sony Legacy)
Sure enough, a certain maturity has set it. The bratty bursts of energy and snotty asides are kept in reserve these days, used when necessary, rather than scattered like dandelion seeds across a field.
21 September 2012Rhys Marsh and the Autumn Ghost – The Blue Hour (Termo)
How Rhys Marsh has escaped the scrutiny of the majority of music nerds worldwide is a mystery.
30 August 2012The Coffee Sergeants – Purple Martin Sanctuary (self-released)
The band’s sixth album finds it exploring the usual facets of psychedelia of which it’s a master.
27 August 2012Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Mute)
The Sheffield singer/songwriter continues his winning streak with a startling change in direction as he mostly dispenses with gentility to crank up the volume.
5 July 2012Mangoo – Neverland (Small Stone)
It’s easy enough to categorize Mangoo‘s second album Neverland as stoner rock, but to dismiss the Finnish quintet as yet another meat-and-potatoes heavy rock troop is markedly unfair.
22 June 2012Steve Hogarth + Richard Barbieri – Not the Weapon But the Hand (K Scope)
A low key progressive rock superduo.
7 June 2012The dB’s – Falling Off the Sky (Bar/None)
So is Falling Off the Sky worth the wait? Abso-friggin’-lutely.
5 June 2012The Ripe – Into Your Ears (Get Hip)
While the Ripe certainly lays 60s garage pop down as the foundation of its sound, Into Your Ear is no journey through Retroville.3 June 2012The Clean - Club Deville (Austin, TX) - Saturday, June 2, 2012
Thanks to the ever-growing Chaos in Tejas festival, Lone Star Staters were treated to a show we never thought we’d ever see: a Clean concert.
3 June 2012The Megaphonic Thrift – s/t (Sonic Unyon)
The Thrift knows how to write substantial tunes, and then attack them with the fervor of teenagers plugging into the amps for the first time.
1 June 2012Red Jacket Mine – “Bellar & Bawl” b/w “Grow Your Own” (Fin)
Reminiscent, but not imitative, of Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello and their peers.
29 May 2012Mattias Hellberg – High in the Lowlands (Hidden Agenda)
Recorded with producer/multi-instrumentalist Mattias Areskog, Hellberg keeps things simple, crooning over arrangements that are often little more than guitar and strings.
27 May 2012FOOD – Three Pieces From Candyland (Phratry)
FOOD brings together veterans of 80s/90s indie rock.
25 May 2012The Cribs – In the Belly of the Brazen Bull (Wichita)
Working with producers Dave Fridmann and Steve Albini, the Jarman brothers crank the guitars and hooks, while still folding in enough texture to give the tracks depth.
23 May 2012Willie Nelson – Heroes (Legacy)
Heroes has its missteps, but overall is one of Nelson’s strongest albums in recent years.
21 May 2012The Russian Roulettes – Physical Education (Off the Hip)
This is a band not content to simply plow the garage punk furrow – the writing is simply too skilled, melodic and ambitious for sitting comfortably in that much-beloved but limited niche.
19 May 2012Gavin Harrison & 05Ric – The Man Who Sold Himself (Kscope)
The Man Who Sold Himself is challenging music, no question, but that challenge is worth meeting.
17 May 2012Greenleaf – Nest of Vipers (Small Stone)
Nest of Vipers refines the band’s timeless classic rock sound, giving it just enough polish to stand out from similar retro rock acts, but not enough to diminish the raw performances.
15 May 2012Gazpacho – March of Ghosts (Kscope)
Norway’s Gazpacho continues to evolve into one of modern progressive rock’s most potent bands.
9 May 2012Elliott BROOD – Days Into Years (Paper Bag)
Inspired by the stories of Canadian World War I vets, Elliott BROOD digs deep into its own emotional imagination on its third full-length.
7 May 2012Loudon Wainwright III – Older Than My Old Man Now (2nd Story Sound)
Singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III is as accomplished an author as you could wish for on any subject, but he’s always at his best when he turns a sardonic eye towards his own life.
30 April 2012Sleep – Dopesmoker (Southern Lord)
The story behind Dopesmoker, the final LP in the life of pioneering stoner sludge trio Sleep, is one of perseverance not usually associated with such dedicated grass aficionados.
17 April 2012Ringo Deathstarr – Shadow EP (Sonic Unyon)
There’s no mistaking the debt Ringo Deathstarr owes to My Bloody Valentine.
14 April 2012Unsane – Wreck (Alternative Tentacles)
It may come a shock to those that cower in the corner when the New York trio roars by that Wreck is damn near accessible.
11 April 2012Wino & Conny Ochs – Heavy Kingdom (Exile on Mainstream)
Heavy Kingdom may have the lightness of touch that comes from open air acoustic music, but its title is appropriate all the same.
8 April 2012Whirr – Pipe Dreams (Tee Pee)
One of the beautiful things about rock music is that there’s no need to reinvent the wheel every time – simply understanding a style and doing it well is enough.
5 April 2012Mellow Bravo – s/t (Mad Oak/Small Stone)
Mellow Bravo never met a strain of guitar rock it didn’t like.
27 March 2012Sun Gods in Exile – Thanks for the Silver (Small Stone)
One of the odder phenomena in the underground rock scene in the past decade has been the rise of Southern rock bands that aren’t from the South.
24 March 2012Michael Rank and Stag – Kin (Louds Hymn)
It’s been five years since Love is Dead, the last record by Michael Rank‘s long-running rock & roll band Snatches of Pink. A lot can happen in five years, and apparently one of those things was the dissolution of Rank’s marriage. The result is Rank pouring out his pain, confusion and, ultimately, acceptance on Kin, the first record by his new outfit Stag.
22 March 2012Bowery Beasts – Heavy You (Black Creem)
While it would be disingenuous to say Bowery Beasts combine all the sounds of the Strip on their EP Heavy You, there’s definitely a hybrid mentality at work here.
20 March 2012Dwellers – Good Morning Harakiri (Small Stone)
Led by guitarist Joey Toscano, the trio lays down thick, viscous grooves that keep one foot planted in good, green earth and another on Planet X.
17 February 2012Prima Donna – Bless This Mess (Acetate)
Good old-fashioned glam rock is alive and well – or at least its spirit is, as that’s what powers the delightfully decadent Prima Donna.
15 February 2012Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For the Damned (Candlelight)
The UK quartet’s cheerful mix of Blue Cheer acid thuggery, Black Sabbath occult whimsy and Motörhead power riffing sounds tailor-made for headbangers of every stripe.
13 February 2012Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II (Southern Lord)
As indicated by the title, _ Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II_ is a sequel to Earth‘s identically-named 2011 opus.
11 February 2012Barry Adamson – I Will Set You Free (Central Control)
Adamson gives as much prominence to hooks and melodies as to groove and ambience, putting his cool croon front and center in the arrangements.
9 February 2012Behold! The Monolith – Defender, Redeemist (AFR)
If you come across a band called Behold! The Monolith (complete with exclamation point), you can probably be assured you’re not going to hear flutes, choirs or a lush string section.
7 February 2012Mitch Ryder – The Promise (Michigan Broadcasting Corporation)
Ultimately, the question for American fans is: can his voice still cut it?
4 February 2012Ed Vallance – Volcano (Proof)
The songs don’t so much soar as swirl, but with a grounded center that emphasizes hooks over atmosphere.
2 February 2012Infernal Overdrive – Last Rays of the Dying Sun (Small Stone)
Somewhere in the middle of Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden, if you will.
17 January 2012The Devil’s Blood – The Thousandfold Epicentre (Metal Blade)
Who knew Black Widow‘s 1970 occult rock LP Sacrifice would become such a sacred text?
15 January 2012The Compulsions – Beat the Devil (self-released)
Leader Rob Carlyle‘s long-simmering brainchild boasts all the sex, sin and sleaze we’d expect from the purveyors of the song “Big Fat Sexy Mama.”
13 January 2012Gene Clark – reissues (Sundazed)
We finally get domestic versions of Clark’s early albums, and they provide a clear argument that Clark should be as venerated as any better-known name of his generation.
11 January 2012Dixie Witch – Let It Roll (Small Stone)
It’s always nice when a band goes the extra mile and decides to compose songs instead of stringing together riffs.
9 January 2012Mike Viola – Electro De Perfecto (Good Morning Monkey/Hornblow)
Like a lot of artists who put a ton of hard work into making it look easy, Viola is a master of subterfuge.
19 December 2011Soriah with Ashkelon Sain – Eztica (Projekt)
On Eztica, Soriah (Enrique Ugalde to his folks) seems to emerge from some other dimension, one in which sunlight, sand and smoke intermingle, reflecting at odd angles off the droning soundwaves that flow from his throat.
17 December 2011The Bevis Frond – The Leaving of London (Woronzow)
Seven long years have passed since we last had a LP from the Bevis Frond. The Leaving of London makes clear what empty, empty years those were.
15 December 2011Human Switchboard – Who’s Landing in My Hangar? Anthology 1977-1984 (Bar/None)
Basing itself around Human Switchboard’s lone 1981 album, the collection adds various studio, demo and live sessions for a fairly comprehensive portrait.
7 December 2011Edward Rogers – Porcelain (Zip)
For Porcelain, Rogers moves forward from the 60s and into the early 70s, especially the Rolling Stones-style glam rock balladry of Mott the Hoople.
14 October 2011Golden Bear – Alive (C-Side)
Austin’s Golden Bear has been quietly releasing sterling guitar pop records for several years now, with nary a ripple on the radar of the hipster faithful.
14 September 2011The Mekons – Ancient & Modern (Sin/Bloodshot)
It’s been so long since the uncompromising, indefatigable Mekons have released a record that many had suspected a quiet retirement.
4 September 2011Jack Oblivian – Rat City (Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum)
Though he doesn’t get the attention of his Oblivians bandmate Greg Cartwright, Jack Yarber, AKA Jack Oblivian, has a growing catalog of strong recordings as well, of which Rat City is the latest.
1 September 2011Trance To the Sun – The Blue Obscurities (Below Sea Level/Projekt)
The Blue Obscurities may contain work that the band considers ephemera, but it makes as strong a case for Trance To the Sun’s existence as any best-of ever could.
29 August 2011The Dawn Band – Agents of Sentimentality (Elektrohasch)
Germany’s Dawn Band is one of those groups who love so many iterations of music that the members couldn’t decide on a single direction, and thus head off in several at once.
26 August 2011Patti Smith – Outside Society (Arista/Columbia/Legacy)
One could easily, and justifiably, make the argument that it’s impossible to condense Patti Smith‘s visionary 35+ year career onto one disk.
24 August 2011Atrium Animae – Dies Irae (Projekt)
It’s strangely refreshing to hear the apocalypse transmitted with such haunting beauty.
13 August 2011The Breakers – self-titled (Wicked Cool)
Singer Toke Nisted makes the most of his resemblance to Rod the Mod, as the rest of the band channels the 60s European obsession with Motown and Stax through its rock & roll wringer.
2 August 2011Archers of Loaf – Icky Mettle (reissue) (Merge)
It’s hard to believe that Icky Mettle, the debut LP from indie rock heroes Archers of Loaf, is nearly 20 years old.
20 July 2011Jaksyzk, Fripp and Collins – A Scarcity of Miracles (Inner Knot/DGM)
Like the work of David Sylvian, No-Man or Mark Hollis, A Scarcity of Miracles requires patience and multiple exposures to truly appreciate.
15 July 2011Sam Phillips – Solid State: Songs From the Long Play (Littlebox)
For what’s essentially a compilation, there’s an amazing consistency here, as if all the songs were recorded in one burst of creative urgency.
7 July 2011The Latebirds – Last of the Good Ol’ Days (Second Motion)
Last of the Good Ol’ Days, the third record from the Latebirds, is further proof that a term like “Americana” refers more to genre than country of origin.
25 June 2011Old Californio – Sundrunk Angels (Californio)
Equally comfortable with rocking roll, folk ramble and country snap, the quintet has its style down well enough that it can concentrate on songs.
23 June 2011Wobbler – Rites at Dawn (Termo)
Wobbler pledges allegiance to the classic era of progressive rock – i.e. the 70s.
21 June 2011Centro-matic – Candidate Waltz (Undertow)
Described by Johnson as the band’s “meat and potatoes pop record,” Candidate Waltz contains the most focused, melodic tunes of Centro-matic’s career.
19 June 2011Base3 – Darkmatter/Live From Earth (1K)
On Darkmatter cuts like “De:Vision” and “No Time For Silence,” the trio plays as straightforwardly as possible, placing their feet firmly in the jazz fusion sandbox and letting the melodies and propulsion carry the tunes forward as much as the improvisation.
17 June 2011Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side – Magnetic Island
Coming up through the Australian underground is a process that doesn’t usually allow for a softer side to survive, but Corbett does it by being sensitive but unsentimental.
15 June 2011The Icons – Appointment With Destiny!(Green Monkey)
Green Monkey mastermind Tom Dyer promised to revive the Icons after releasing the band’s 80s recordings as Masters of Disaster, and sure enough, the Seattle troop is back with its sophomore effort Appointment With Destiny!
13 June 2011The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo (Memphis Industries)
The sextet doesn’t break any new ground, but that’s doubtless not its intention.
11 June 2011Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud – s/t (Projekt)
Sounds like Sigur Ros, doesn’t it? Or maybe Explosions in the Sky? Or maybe both at once.
9 June 2011Pendragon – Passion (Madfish)
Passion is pretty much state-of-the-art 21st century prog rock, with heavy guitars powering melodies that move back and forth between minor key darkness and major chord uplift.
7 June 2011Ari Shine – Ghost Town Directory (Beverly Martel)
Regardless of stylistic permutation, though, Shine’s strong songcraft drives the tunes home with ease.
5 June 2011The Bakelite Age – Flytrap (Spooky)
Is the Australian quartet a garage band? A psychedelic act? A noisy indie band? The answer is, of course, all of the above.
3 June 2011MoTel Aviv – Post Modern Nation (self-released)
On Post Modern Nation, MoTel Aviv evokes a specific era of postpunk pop music, when guitars soared over nimble, danceable rhythm sections and the vocalist sang unabashedly to the furthest seat in the hall.
1 June 2011Sungrazer – s/t (Elektrohasch)
The Netherlands’ Sungrazer hands out sweet slabs of psychedelic heavy rock like pieces of warm chocolate – thick, almost sensual, but with enough air between the molecules to keep the sound from becoming oppressive.
30 May 2011The Church – Starfish (Second Motion)
It’s not unusual for an artist’s most popular record to contain a couple of classic singles and little else, but that’s not the case here.
28 May 2011Antietam – Tenth Life (Carrot Top)
Tenth Life, its ninth LP, offers ten tracks of good old-fashioned guitar rock – crunchy, loud and tuneful.
26 May 2011The Sea and Cake – The Moonlight Butterfly (Thrill Jockey)
While most folks were praising the pop genius of leader Sam Prekop I always thought him inconsistent, with dangerous leanings toward the worst 70s soft rock pap.
24 May 2011Robert Johnson – The Centennial Collection (Columbia/Legacy)
Released to celebrate the blues pioneer’s 100th birthday, The Centennial Collection serves as one-stop shopping for newcomers to singer/guitarist Robert Johnson‘s brief but extremely important oeuvre.
22 May 2011Mia Doi Todd – Cosmic Ocean Ship (City Zen)
Funny how one generation’s soft-rock is another’s indie rock.
20 May 2011Should – Like a Fire Without Sound (Words On Music)
The sound of Should has always tended toward the delicate, but on Like a Fire Without a Sound, the popgaze duo has crafted a record so gossamer and sedate as to be almost fragile.
17 May 2011Amor de Dias – Street of the Love of Days (Merge)
Almost impossibly lovely, Street of the Love of Days speaks loudly at low volume.
14 May 2011Mira – The Echo Lingers On (Projekt)
Tallahassee dreampop combo Mira hasn’t existed in several years, but in, celebration of the eleventh anniversary of its debut LP, guitarist Tom Parker assembled The Echo Lingers On, a compilation of non-album cuts.
11 May 2011Sloan – The Double Cross (Yep Roc)
With not a melody, harmony or note wasted, Sloan is at its memorable, well-crafted best on _The Double Cross.
8 May 2011Peter Case – The Case Files (Alive)
In case you’re wondering what could possibly justify such a cheeseball album title, The Case Files is a compilation of Peter Case‘s “demos, outtakes, one live shot & other rarities” from as recent as 2009 and as far back as the mid-80s.
5 May 2011Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters – The Ordeal of Civility (Knitting Factory)
Lucas has flirted with pop on most of the Gods and Monsters disks, of course, but this is the first album on which he’s carried a vision of succinct, catchy songs all the way through.
2 May 2011Rasputina – Great American Gingerbread (Filthy Bonnet Co.)
Now that Rasputina has been in existence for nearly two decades, it’s obviously time to clean out the closet.
29 April 2011Alexander Tucker – Dorwytch (Thrill Jockey)
British musician Alexander Tucker made his rep as an electronic experimentalist, but apparently the lure of the song was too strong.
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