Comprised of some of New York’s best session musicians and dedicated to his manager and girlfriend Anya Phillips (who passed away from cancer in 1981), this differs from his previous work, but not enough that fans who are unfamiliar with it shouldn’t hear it.
Jones’s latest full-length indebts itself to his bygone friend and mentor John Fahey in a personalized sonic essay on his early teachings.
Overall, it’s the artist’s personality—a confident expression of both good humor and serious artistic intent—which makes Avenue B such an enjoyable, wild ride that never stops to rest for long.
Of All These Things is a work in which the love and care of the musicians’ craft is evident everywhere, and fortunately the pair is already hard at work on a follow up.
On their twenty-first record, Oh Sees remain confounding in their pace and dependability.
With Isolated Thunderstorms a listener should come for Weiss’s own takes on his New York musical idols, but stay for his sensitive and introspective lyricism.
Aside from one breezy single, this perfunctory debut is about as catch-all as a ClipArt search result for ‘indie band.’
Joy resembles not the electric freak jam of its former, adopting instead a case of perpetual nervousness and a short fuse. Segall and Presley have bottled the essence of Dr. Jekyll transforming into Mr. Hyde.
“Neil Sturgeon and his band of Infomaniacs have created a delightful new release, full of well-constructed hooks and excellent lyrics.”
Pram’s first release in a decade is often the score to the rumpus of ghosts in the attic after their being unleashed from a dusty music box ballerina’s stimulus.
Dear Absentee Creator shows a lot of growth since Astral Cloud Ashes’ first record, and it suggest a consistent progression of devoted artistry.
Tall Pines & Tangled Vines has an undeniable charm and chemistry which is impossible to fabricate.
Alive isn’t experimental in a nature in which one could categorize it as belonging to the avant garde; instead, it’s experimental on a personal level as she continues to search deeper within herself for emotionally honest material.
Yet Here We Are inevitably carries some of the tell-tale traces of youth, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it is undoubted that the band will continue to make great leaps forward as they mature.
Waks’ commitment to treating her subjects with authenticity gives the entirety of Tales from a Room a legitimacy rare among debuts.
The Switch does away with the sterility of Body/Head’s debut and seeks to better represent the group’s live sound.
It’s only been two years since the debut album of NYC’s Jane in Space was released, but thankfully they haven’t waited too long for a follow up EP.
Maxwell James manage to pack a wide array of human emotion into a very short release, making it a compelling listen from the beginning.
The Sun, The Stars, The Moon, and Me is a dynamic collection with the occasionally brilliant moment, and one is left with a desire for the band to continue to create music in the future under a more unified vision.
Fans of Kicklighter will be anxiously waiting to see what Young will do with an orchestra, but Paper Planes is a bittersweet finale from an artist who clearly still has so much to give to the world of pop.
“Meadowsweet is a mind-bending and cosmic head trip, immediately dousing your synapses with its dreamy hooks.”
Self-described psychedelic stoner-punks, ASG return (finally!) with Survive Sunrise. It continues the North Carolina band’s trajectory of excellent, never-boring, energetic music. My only complaint about this band is why do we have to wait five or six years between offerings?
Ultimately, Romantic Stories is richer and far more fulfilling than a mere travelogue.
Aside from his familiar trill, the hushed, homespun folk Helsinki’s pleasantly-voiced Palonen fashions on TP is far removed from his previous outfit Kuparilinna’s punchier, ‘60s-inspired indie pop, surf, and psych-rock.
At the end of World War II, the victors, i.e. the USA and USSR, split the territories they’d defeated along ideological lines.
The album’s first great stretch of songs starts with the 3rd track, the lilting ballad “Halls of Sarah,” ending with a vocal hook utilizing Case’s astonishing voice that is destined to get stuck in your head for days afterwards.
As the EP is a little ephemeral, it could use some beefing up, but it remains a touching tribute to a cause which deserves far more attention.
“This music is unsettling, sparse, elegant, and always engages the listener. Yet, it is never easy listening by any stretch.”
The Official may have been a long time coming, but Halfwait have handsomely rewarded their fans for the wait with an album that encapsulates their entire growth as a band up until this point.
In Your Room is commendable for the risks taken, but hopefully it will be lauded more for the quality of Sebastian O’s songwriting.
Many asked what kind of music would come out of the Trump era, and without a doubt Anatomy is an injection of compassion which we so desperately need.
You’d be hard pressed to find many horn sections today finer than the one in Disaster Relief, and this album comes just in time to remedy this summer’s heat wave.
It’s been five years since New Jersey native Rose’s last album, 2013’s sumptuous Stars, Stripes, and Milestones. But boasting livelier and more luxurious production and arrangements, this self-titled sixth LP outshines it.
“Their songs are full of sensory imagery and deeply felt instrumentation, and it’s their unique way of trying to approach universal joys and sorrows that allows the band to achieve the emotional connection with their listeners that makes them so special.”
In just four songs, Cordova makes a bold statement at a blisteringly fast pace with Runaway Summer, and sets a precedent for their next full-length album, whatever that may be.
The covers obviously can’t compare to the originals, but In the Light of Led Zeppelin does a more than commendable job of proving the elasticity of a well-written song and that recording another artist’s work doesn’t have to mean a faithful reproduction.
For an album recorded at a practice space, there is an accomplished aspect to Basement Recordings regardless of its very unpolished state.
By looking back through the history of world and pop music, James Labrosse ends up creating something with Orange Night that is both fresh and exciting.
Joan of Arc’s latest is a patchwork of retrospective blips that fade in and out at an almost subliminal rate, not looking to drag new meaning out of the past but rather to ensure that nothing was overlooked.
““Golden Blunders” is marvelous ear candy with a memorable main melody and strong lyrics. And the muscle behind the sweetness kicks ass! That’s what power pop is all about really, an amalgam of sweetness and light mashed with hard driving drums and bass, and these guys do it so well!”
Maniac’s Release ‘Dead Dance Club’ Is A Radiant Devotion To Punk Rock
Ultimately, And the Stars Above is music which one can easily put on in the background while carrying on with one’s day, but it also invites close listening and individual interpretation.
Dork Matter isn’t a great leap forward for The Thirds, but it makes the case once again that they are very capable of writing subtly mature pop with a brand of confessional lyricism rare in their scene.
By the 1990s, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins had been relegated to the annals of obscurity.
Strange Culprits captures a band still finding their footing, but there’s plenty of glimpses of a strong, captivating identity to warrant numerous listens.
“There really is no mistaking Victoria Legrand’s winsome alto, or the delicate little flourishes the group employs to dress up their sound. Victoria and musical partner Alex Scally have produced a winning collection of songs on what is arguably their best album.”
