Tragically forgotten to the passing of time, French transplant Lizzy Mercier Descloux blossomed in the late ’70s downtown New York art/punk scene amid friends like Patti Smith and Richard Hell.
Paris-via-Newcastle-based producer, Will Archer, aka Slime, places himself on the map with a heady full-length of relaxing trip-hop lounge.
Fresh and brimming with life, the music is rarely stripped or lacking accompaniment, and the unbridled passion presented makes Sperry Alan become the role of a punk folk troubadour.
One of the finest EP’s by ANY rock band anywhere this year.
Lunchbox offer a platter of cavity inducing power pop on their latest Smash Hits EP.
Dandelion Isle is unassuming, and, at times, slight, but it consistently proves to be another thoroughly enjoyable addition to moduS ponY’s already impressive oeuvre.
With clever wordplay and vivid imagery, Richard Grace’s songs express sentiments like an impressionist painting.
Los Angeles, CA-based songwriter, Chelsea Wolfe, delves deeper into electronic darkness on her fifth solo effort.
Experimental composer Steve Holtje weaves an album of haunting soundscapes for a film soundtrack that stands on its own without having to see the movie.
“Their beautiful work is captured here in this comprehensive box set that includes their three studio albums, bonus tracks, and extensive liner notes. It’s been a long time coming, and I hope fans like me who remember those lost days are lining up to buy this, along with newer fans who missed them the first time around.”
“Just Stay” bobs more slowly, like a bird riding the waves on a perfect summer day. The tripped out guitar is just the icing on a many layered cake.”
In a time where niche genres and artists are easily accessed and exploited, Barna Howard is a breath of fresh mountain air.
While this Baltimore indie pop foursome’s attractive 2012 Sundowning EP was a nice appetite whetter, the band finally get around to releasing this proper follow-up entrée to their sterling 2010 debut Break Up, and it’s worth the five-year wait.
Songwriter/actress Eszter Balint (Louie, Trees Lounge) finally returns to music after eleven years with a third album that accentuates her power as a musician.
With almost twenty songs clocking in a total of just forty minutes in length, the four piece bring an explosive, brutal force to the mix on their new album, Present Day Plague.
For three years, London’s Exotic Pylon Records documented England’s experimental underground with a passion for art rarely seen from the business end of the music industry.
Despite the departure of this roaring Chicago foursome’s fervent singer Johnny Pierro in 2013, Saturday Night Loud is electrifying. Crucially, they’ve replaced Pierro with female dynamo Kati Olsen, whose personality, poise, and powerful pipes are invigorating and irresistible.
Italian duo, Snow In Mexico, return with their third four-song EP, which takes their hazy electronic sound further into the neon underground.
Intercontinental mod-psych supergroup, The Safe Distance, follow their stellar debut 7” with a full-length that shows the group becoming more focused in their mission.
Guitarist Debbie Smith (Curve, Echobelly, Snowpony) debuts her new band, Blindness, with a solid full-length that brings her versatility as a musician and songwriter to the forefront.
Ireland’s The Debutantes, featuring Sarah Grimes and Paula Cullen from The September Girls, reissue two songs from their out-of-print self-titled debut cassette on vinyl because they’re that good.
Emotional Response Records showcase their roster with an excellent collection of lo-fi pop nuggets.
Star Wars is the leanest and meanest Wilco has sounded in over a decade.
Philadelphia, PA’s Satellite Hearts continue their exploration of eclectic rock’n‘roll with a powerful sophomore effort that nods heavily to the ’70s.
It’s almost shocking to hear guitars being played this way in 2015. Just when you think the instrument has nowhere left to go, you’re proven wrong by a pair of capable hands. Well, in this case, two pair of capable hands.
Over and Even is a quality record by a singer that has all the power and grace of a Linda Thompson or a Hazel Dickens. Shelley may even be one of the best female folk singers we have in America today
Those in the know have been aware of Tamara Lindeman’s authentic charm for a while, but for the rest of us, her newest creation Loyalty is a revelation.
My Depression Is Always Trying To Kill Me is a beautifully emotional and well rounded work from a musician who wears everything proudly on his sleeve.
“The band seems to still be finding its sea legs, though this is beautiful music that transcends language.”
Winter Calling creates a cinematic, grandiose version of progressive metal, like an epic soundtrack to a film not yet made.
Glam rock surfer goth weirdos, The Barbarellatones, return with a new album that finds songwriter Robbie Quine delving into his darkest territory yet.
Teesside, England’s Blitzkrieg Bop may have only lasted from February 1977 to February 1979, but they perfectly captured the essence of late ’70s UK punk during their brief existence.
Unassuming yet full of charm, This Book Belongs To is out August 25th, and without a doubt worth getting acquainted with.
Not to detract from their previous work, but the fourth full-length from Cantù, Italy’s Faz Waltz finds the trio fully hitting their stride.
Grumsling is a group of indie rockers from the Oakland area, and have just released their new EP __A Church, On a Boat, In the Sea,_ a follow up to last year’s Full Coverage.
“There is a very attractive pop sensibility about this group, who know when to rein in the pyrotechnics and deliver blissfully sweet harmonies over catchy riffs.”
After recovering from a spinal cord injury that left him for a time paralyzed, he is back with his new solo album, Love, Lust, and Genocide, which is imbued with a sense of spirituality inspired by his struggle.
On October 25th, 2014, Instagon came together for their six-hundred-and-sixty-sixth live performance, which proved to be quite a magical night of music.
“Everyone will hear something different in these grooves, from Tame Impala over to Pink Floyd, but no matter, this young band will not disappoint. Catch them while they’re still playing smaller clubs.”
In 1962, audio archivist, Alan Lomax, brought daughter, Anna (now head of the Alan Lomax Archives/Association For Cultural Equity), to the Caribbean island of Carriacou, Grenada, where he spent five days documenting the sound of the unique culture surrounding them.
Chicago’s Matthew Santos has the kind of voice that stands out immediately and exists only a few times a generation.
If you’re a fan of ambient dream pop in general, you’ll adore All Burn. Every element of it is pristine, poignant, and poised, basking its forlorn melodies and harmonies in glistening regality.
Veteran punk bassist, Steve Fishman (Bent, The Deadbeats, DFO, The Playboys) showcases his numerous current projects on an eclectic compilation that spans from glam to noise rock.
DELTA DEEP is Collen’s mission to bring blues music closer to its roots, and although the music feels newer and modern, it’s raw and emotionally powerful, and the lyrics remain tried and true to blues’ origins.
“Pastoral it is, especially on opening track “On The Swings”, which is a perfect little slice of summer about that unattainable woman.”
“Another stellar release from Ear to Ear Records, this double A-side single from Cambridge, England’s Tape Runs Out defies easy categorization. Imagine if you mixed ambient music with wispy dream pop, and you’ll start to get an idea.”
Chronicling an odyssey across the highest mountains and darkest valleys of American music, 9 to 3 sounds like a love letter from Mathur to all of his favorite musicians.
Ghosts of the West is an imaginative and bold creation, proving yet again that covering songs can be not only a channel for self-expression, but an art form in itself.
