Pianist Lara Driscoll reveals a magic touch on Woven Dreams, her first album as a leader.
With one hoof in the heavier end of the stoner rock pool a la Electric Wizard, and the other in the realm of postpunk headbangers like Killing Joke, the Newcastle upon Tyne outfit channels aggression into a tight-fisted series of disciplined explosions that are more punch than splatter.
Having backed Slim Dunlap, and opened for Tommy Stinson, it’s no wonder High on Stress evoke the rootsier side of hometown legends The Replacements; frontman Nick Leet’s emphatic, twangy drawl even conjures Paul Westerberg.
This three-songer blasts even harder than their 2017 “Wolves and Men” 7”, enhanced by the addition of second guitarist Ed Roessler to an already intimidating lineup of Joe Pugsley, Ryan Struck, and John Steele.
While the line between classical music and jazz seems to look more and more faded as the decades go by, Impressions of Debussy is still an unusual project.
On May 15th comes the debut long-player Woke Up In Hollywood by the UK’s It’s Karma It’s Cool. A stylish, and enjoyable piece of work.
Les Easterby’s latest writings from a once-shut-out heart are perfect sympathies for the physically shut-in masses.
German based Vlimmer release their latest Ep Pulmo. A recording of dark musings in a nightmare landscape
Brandi Ediss releases the unique Bees And Bees And Bees, a sultry, soulful, and jazz-inspired work of brilliance
The Piano Equation lives up to its name, not only as a great example of a modern solo piano record, but as a distillation of ideas from one of the instrument’s foremost contemporary architects.
A well-traveled Texas troubadour offers reassurance in tough times.
Combining highlife guitar lines with a swinging rhythm section playing in a difficult time signature, Lionel Loueke’s “Têkê” functions almost as the bible by which the group will adhere.
Oranssi Pazuzu is a Finnish quintet of blackened metallurgists who’ve little interest in blast beats, lo-fi shred, Satanism, corpse paint, or any of the other trappings of their chosen genre.
SPYGENIUS release the new single “Spite” on April 24, all proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Seligman Tribute Fund
Australian quartet RVG proved themselves expert practitioners of explosive, melodic rock & roll on their remarkable debut A Quality of Mercy in 2017. Three years later, Feral picks up exactly where its predecessor left off.
On Complications, the band’s third album, E explores the nooks and crannies of high volume guitar rock, rarely reducing themselves to mere butt-kicking.
Leeds trio back with Love, Blood & Monsters on Trash Wax
The New Fools sophomore release Mershmellow, offers nostalgia through a number of enjoyable stylistic changes.
If the music wasn’t so clearly sun-baked, we might think this was a long-lost artifact from the Germanic seventies.
A supergroup of sorts, Human Impact consists of Spencer, bassist Chris Pravdica (Swans), drummer Phil Puleo (also Swans, as well as Cop Shoot Cop) and electronicist Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop).
Christina Schneider takes a journey to the center of the mind.
On April 28th, Cherie Currie releases her solo album Blvds of Splendor on streaming platforms, including an updated rendition of “Queens Of Noise”
Konrad Wert, a.k.a. Possessed By Paul James, returns with his first album in seven years,
Musician Iwan Gronow completes a hat trick of excellence with his latest single “Highest Symbol”
A brash Chicago quartet turns modern anxiety into snappy entertainment.
Joined by two drummers and two electric guitarists, Cohen draws from rock, pop, funk, electronica and ambient music for a blend that casts a net outside jazz while remaining firmly inside its value set – like a trip-hop take on seventies fusion.
The three-piece Castle Ruins are certainly not going to set the world on fire with musical evolution, rather their latest EP, You’re the Curse, is of the post-hardcore, late-period grunge style and that works well for me.
Portland’s Sellwoods offer dynamite instrumentals, more on new Chaputa 10”.
“This 69-song edition showcases artists from 10 different countries, doing just about every sub-genre of pop music, including power pop, pop/rock, folk/pop, psychedelic pop, garage, indie-rock, and so forth.”
The Well Wishers along with Big Stir Records stand up to the mark, and raise money for the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
the black watch return with Brilliant Failures, an album which is anything but what the title suggests
Gigaton by Pearl Jam is a politically inspired, personally driven piece of mature, middle-aged grunge and it sways and erupts with a needed hopefulness
Katie Crutchfield delivers emotional shock therapy with devastating efficiency.
Trans-Atlantic supergroup Professor And The Madman drop the title track “Séance” from their upcoming album, summoning up the old school sounds of our youth
Memphis singer-songwriter Dan Montgomery returns with a concept album about his drug-fueled past in 1980s South Jersey.
Due for release April 3rd, Dolph Chaney manages to captivate once again with the stylish Rebuilding Permit.
Today Super 8 release Head Sounds. The feel good vibes that society needs today to lift spirits from the virus abyss
Jonny Polonsky’s latest Kingdom Of Sleep raises more questions than its thirty-two minutes can answer
Jackson Price acknowledges his debts to his musical heroes, and focuses on simply playing the blues as best he knows how.
Morrissey has returned less than a year after the uneven Californian Son with a much more refined effort titled I Am Not A Dog On A Chain.
Backwards Compatible by Chris Church acts as a mixed tape of old-school sounds, forming a soundtrack to our youth.
On May 8th, Glass Records Modern release the excellent Mercurial 1978-2018, a celebration of Alec Novak, The Venus Flytrap and his lesser known projects
Moments and Fragments_ is easily one of the most ambitious and daring albums in the genre in ages, and it comes out on Instru Dash Mental March 27th.
For casual listeners, the years between Bay Area unique psych/prog/power pop combo Game Theory’s final album Two Steps From the Middle Ages and the debut of bandleader Scott Miller’s more overtly psychedelic combo The Loud Family seem barren, save the usual “greatest hits” compilation (Tinker to Evers to Chance). In reality, the band hadn’t stopped working – it had merely reconfigured itself into what would now be called an indie rock supergroup.
On April 3rd The Lovely Eggs release I Am Moron, an album which sums up the global mood perfectly
Prior to the April 11th album launch, I take a look at the complex but enjoyable Two Chairs, One Day by Welsh act The Jesus Fairies
Angelic singing plus timeless songs spells heavenly grace.
On Friday March 20th, Bobby Conn releases the aptly titled Recovery, brave, ambitious and delicious with attitude
Sophomore release from Mayflower Madame offers low creativity from high expectations.
