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.
The gap of 36 years between albums, does not help the Boomtown Rats to create something great.
There have been a number of bands in recent years who have begun playing with this style once again, but Ptolemea are among the few who dare to explore and stretch the genre to its breaking point.
This March 27, Elektrafied- The Elektra Years 1979-1982 brings together the three albums recorded for Elektra by historic power pop outfit Shoes
Fontaines D.C are the subject of a new documentary Sold For Parts, a fly on the wall view into the recording of their debut masterwork Dogrel.
From Big Stir Records comes a new compilation in the digital singles series. The Fifth Wave brings the best of global power pop bands and labels together.
On April 18th, RSD will mark the return of the debut studio album by Scottish legends the BMX Bandits. C86 is an album worthy of the title masterpiece, which will see a release on white vinyl with a brand new remaster.
The French band returns with an excellent Jim Diamond-produced sophomore effort.
Featuring former Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper and his Noctorum partner Dare Mason, One Day will find fans among those who appreciated Pink Floyd’s instrumental send-off The Endless River or Mike Oldfield’s classic Tubular Bells.
In all honesty, the record follows the usual rules: intro, head, solos, return to the head – it’s what jazz is built on. But describing the record’s mechanics belies the brilliance that lies in its tracks.
A hive of activity has kicked off surrounding the influential, and totally indispensable Buzzcocks. With a new single “Gotta Get Better”, comes news of a new box set on May 29th spanning the ’91 and onwards work of the band.
On March 6th, The Domestiques debut lands, The Domestiques Vol.1 is a well-structured and expertly crafted work of noise art
For music nerds that follow such things, Music from the Early 21st Century presents a dream team of post-fusion improvisers.
Zilla With Her Eyes Shut is a brilliantly bold and provocative record that proves something can have commercial appeal without once sacrificing experimentation or artistic integrity.
Patterson Hood and company wrestle with despair over the state of the world today.
On March 6th, Futureman Records release Garden Of Earthly Delights ~ An XTC Celebration. An album featuring a plethora of talent covering songs by XTC and crew. This is something really special.
On May 22, Throwing Muses return with a new album Sun Racket, and here is the first track to drop “Dark Blue”.
Not only has Talk in Code always had a way with a great pop tune they have also always been smart enough to move with the times. I remember watching them in their earliest incarnation where they could easily have been found on a bill opening for the likes of Coldplay or Travis, which was exactly right for those times. Talk Like That is exactly right for these times.
With only seven songs, Setz manages to cover a lot of territory and themes with Metamorfosis, and she emerges as one of the most innovative new singer-songwriters precisely because of her commitment to originality and self-satisfaction.
