Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit: Weathervanes [Album Review]
Jason Isbell And The 400 UnitWeathervanesSoutheastern Records/Thirty Tigers [2023] When Sam Jones’ documentary, Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed, hit HBO early this Spring, music fans not only got…
Maya Ongaku: Approach To Anima [Album Review]
Maya OngakuApproach To AnimaGuruguru Brain [2023] Maya Ongaku is a trio hailing from the seaside communities surrounding Enoshima, a small island located 50 km southwest of Tokyo, Japan. The group…
Rufus Wainwright: Folkocracy [Album Review]
Rufus WainwrightFolkocracyBMG [2023] While it took him 25 years, after making sophisticated pop albums both of the classic past and more modern pop as well as exploring the world of…
Beach Fossils: Bunny [Album Review]
Beach FossilsBunnyBayonet Records [2023] Beach Fossils, the indie rock band hailing from Brooklyn, has returned after five years with their fourth studio album, Bunny. Known for their dreamy and introspective…
Protomartyr: Formal Growth In The Desert [Album Review]
ProtomartyrFormal Growth In The DesertDomino [2023] Protomartyr, the Detroit-based post-punk band, has returned with their sixth studio album, Formal Growth In The Desert. The record contains waves of emotion that…
Water From Your Eyes: Everyone’s Crushed [Album Review]
Water From Your EyesEveryone’s CrushedMatador Records [2023] Water From Your Eyes, the Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Nate Amos and Rachel Brown, has returned with Everyone’s Crushed, an album that defies…
Shannon Lay: Covers Vol. 1 [Album Review]
Shannon LayCovers Vol. 1Sub Pop Records [2023] Shannon Lay, formerly with the band Feels and part of Ty Segall’s backing band, has released a handful of indie releases as well…
Vanity Mirror: Puff [Album Review]
Vanity MirrorPuffWe Are Busy Bodies [2023] The duo of Toronto-based Brent Randall (Gentle Brent) and Los Angeles-dwelling Johnny Toomey (The Turns) is known for their previous achievements with the Los…
Rufus Wainwright: Rufus Wainwright (25th Anniversary) [Classic Album Revisit]
Rufus WainwrightRufus Wainwright (25th Anniversary Edition)UMe Released: May 19, 1998/Reissue: May 19, 2023Producer: Jon Brion, Pierre MarchandLength: 53:26/Reissue: 1:36:00 When the self-titled debut, Rufus Wainwright came out in 1998 it…
The Bug Club: Green Dream In F# [Album Review]
The Bug ClubGreen Dream In F#Bingo/We Are Busy Bodies [2022/2023] The Bug Club’s debut album, Green Dream In F#, was originally released late last year by UK label Bingo Records….
St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Angels In Science Fiction [Album Review]
St. Paul & The Broken BonesAngels In Science FictionATO Records [2023] For all their efforts to expand their 8-piece band’s sound to include psychedelia and hip-hop rhythms, and as wide…
The Bomboras: Songs From Beyond! [Album Review]
The BomborasSongs From Beyond!MuSick Recordings [2023] In the realm of surf rock, few bands capture the spirit of the genre as brilliantly as The Bomboras. With their energetic performances and…
Tinariwen: Amatssou [Album Review]
TinariwenAmatssouWedge [2023] In the two decades since Tinariwen emerged from their base in the African desert to tour the globe, they have got to know many renowned American country, folk,…
Bruce Cockburn: O Sun O Moon [Album Review]
Bruce CockburnO Sun O MoonTrue North Records [2023] It’s been 6 years, since Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Coe-burn) released an album with voice and lyrics, Bone On Bone, and…
The Murlocs: Calm Ya Farm [Album Review]
The MurlocsCalm Ya FarmATO Records [2023] Melbourne’s The Murlocs, the Australian rock band of Ambrose Kenny-Smith and associated with the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, have returned with the…
Parannoul: After The Magic [Album Review]
ParannoulAfter The MagicTopshelf Records [2023] After The Magic is the third studio album by South Korean shoegaze musician Parannoul. The album is a more mature and refined album than Parannoul’s…
The Salt Collective: Life [Album Review]
The Salt Collective LifePropeller Sound Recordings [2023] It would be easy on an album featuring a so-called “supergroup” collaboration, with so many established indie/rock artists listed as participants, to lose…
Olivia Jean: Raving Ghost [Album Review]
Olivia JeanRaving GhostThird Man Records [2023] Back in 2019, when Olivia Jean was opening for The Raconteurs on tour The Fire Note review assessed that her mix of ‘50’s rock…
shame: Food For Worms [Album Review]
shameFood For WormsDead Oceans [2023] When we first heard shame return on 2021’s Drunk Tank Pink, it blew our ears off! To quote Christopher Anthony, “This is a record that…
The Lemon Twigs: Everything Harmony [Album Review]
The Lemon TwigsEverything HarmonyCaptured Tracks [2023] If there were really such a thing as time travel, it wouldn’t be all that hard to convince even the most astute music listener…
Wiped Out: Welcome To Fear City [Album Review]
Wiped OutWelcome To Fear CityOtitis Media Records [2023] If you’re a fan of surf music, then you’ll definitely want to check out Welcome To Fear City by Wiped Out. Originally…
Durand Jones: Wait Til I Get Over [Album Review]
Durand JonesWait Til I Get OverDead Oceans [2023] Durand Jones is the lead vocalist of the modern soul band Durand Jones & The Indications, which has released three solid studio…
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raise The Roof Tour [Concert Review]
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raise The Roof Tour; Rose Music Center at the Heights; Dayton, Ohio; May 3, 2023 Almost as incongruous as the coming together of Robert…
Ian Hunter: Defiance, Pt. 1 [Album Review]
Ian HunterDefiance, Pt. 1Sun Records [2023] One of the tells among all the other obvious signs that you are getting old, not just older but old, is when a band…
Rose City Band: Garden Party [Album Review]
Rose City BandGarden PartyThrill Jockey Records [2023] Rose City Band’s Garden Party is a delightful blend of psychedelic and country sounds that create a truly unique listening experience. This fourth…
Velvet Crush: Teenage Symphonies To God [Classic Album Revisit]
Velvet CrushTeenage Symphonies To God550 Music/Epic Records Released: July 5, 1994Producer: Mitch Easter, Velvet CrushLength: 46:00 Velvet Crush’s Teenage Symphonies To God is an album that deserves to be held…
Wilco and More on Mountain Stage [Concert Review]
Mountain Stage with Larry Grace Featuring Wilco, Peter Case, Garrison Starr & more: Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Ohio University; Athens, OH; Sunday, April 30, 2023 To…
Indigo De Souza: All Of This Will End [Album Review]
Indigo De SouzaAll Of This Will EndSaddle Creek Records [2023] The final track on Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album in 2021, Any Shape You Take, was “Kill Me,” a song…
Jethro Tull: RökFlöte [Album Review]
JETHRO TULL REVIEW HISTORYThe Zealot Gene (2022) JETHRO TULL LINKSOfficial Website | Facebook | Instagram | Inside Out Music
The National: First Two Pages Of Frankenstein [Album Review]
The NationalFirst Two Pages Of Frankenstein4AD [2023] The National’s ninth studio album, First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, derives its title from a moment deep in singer Matt Berninger’s bout with…
The Tallest Man On Earth: Henry St. [Album Review]
The Tallest Man On EarthHenry St.ANTI- [2023] In the title track of The Tallest Man on Earth’s 7th album, Henry St. Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson drops the façade for a…
Washer: Improved Means To Deteriorated Ends [Album Review]
WasherImproved Means To Deteriorated EndsExploding In Sound Records [2023] Improved Means To Deteriorated Ends marks the return of the Brooklyn/Philadelphia-based indie rock duo, Washer. It has been six years since…
Crocodiles: Upside Down In Heaven [Album Review]
CrocodilesUpside Down In HeavenLolipop Records [2023] Crocodiles’ Upside Down In Heaven is an album that showcases the band’s signature noise-pop sound, but with a more mature and refined approach. The…
Feist: Multitudes [Album Review]
FeistMultitudesInterscope Records [2023] Arriving six years after her last release, Canadian singer/songwriter Feist decided to workshop the songs for her sixth full-length album in a series of intimate residency events…
Metallica: 72 Seasons [Album Review]
Metallica72 SeasonsBlackened Recordings [2023] Metallica’s 72 Seasons is a true testament to the band’s longevity, power, and unbridled creativity. It is their first studio album since 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct,…
superviolet: Infinite Spring [Album Review]
supervioletInfinite SpringLame-O Records [2023] superviolet is the moniker for Ohio-based songwriter and former The Sidekicks frontman Steven Ciolek. Infinite Spring is his debut record and its more acoustic approach marks…
Yves Tumor: Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) [Album Review]
Yves TumorPraise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)Warp Records [2023] Yves Tumor is a singer, songwriter, and producer known for his experimental…
Hayden: Are We Good [Album Review]
HaydenAre We GoodArts & Crafts [2023] Hayden is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his introspective and emotive lyrics, melodic sensibilities, and his ability to create a warm and inviting atmosphere…
Temples: Exotico [Album Review]
TemplesExoticoATO Records [2023] On their 4th full-length album, the often-labeled psychedelic pop/rock quartet Temples, have chosen a title that comes close to describing both the breadth of their compositions and…
Deerhoof: Miracle-Level [Album Review]
DEERHOOF REVIEW HISTORYMountain Moves (2017) / The Magic (2016) / La Isla Bonita (2014) DEERHOOF LINKS Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp | Joyful Noise Recordings
The Natural Lines: The Natural Lines [Album Review]
The Natural LinesThe Natural LinesBella Union [2023] From his own reporting, indie rocker Matt Pond PA has been trying to quit the music business for years, except for one thing….
Mudhoney: Plastic Eternity [Album Review]
MudhoneyPlastic EternitySub Pop Records [2023] Thirty-five years in, and two years after the Deluxe Edition re-release of their second full-length album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge; 30th Anniversary, Mudhoney has…
Wednesday: Rat Saw God [Album Review]
WednesdayRat Saw GodDead Oceans [2023] Asheville, North Carolina band Wednesday jumped right up to the top of the indie scene with their guitar fueled sophomore record Twin Plagues in 2021….
Alasdair Roberts: Grief In The Kitchen And Mirth In The Hall [Album Review]
Alasdair RobertsGrief In The Kitchen And Mirth In The HallDrag City Records [2023] Scottish-native and singer/guitarist, Alasdair Roberts has always loved the traditional folk music of his homeland, and again…
The New Pornographers: Continue As A Guest [Album Review]
The New PornographersContinue As A GuestMerge Records [2023] For over two decades, The New Pornographers have been a reliable indie rock staple with a line-up that has varied from studio…
boygenius: The Record [Album Review]
boygeniusThe RecordInterscope Records [2023] boygenius is the supergroup trio comprised of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Their debut album is the follow up to the group’s fantastic 2018…
The Hold Steady: The Price Of Progress [Album Review]
The Hold SteadyThe Price Of ProgressPositive Jams/Thirty Tigers [2023] With 20 years and eight albums worth of songs under their belt, The Hold Steady are now a recognizable quantity. Coming…
The Reds, Pinks & Purples: The Town That Cursed Your Name [Album Review]
The Reds, Pinks & PurplesThe Town That Cursed Your NameTough Love/Slumberland Records [2023] The Reds, Pinks & Purples was the DIY kitchen pop project of San Franciscan Glenn Donaldson but…
The Killers w/ The Lemon Twigs: Imploding The Mirage Tour 2023 [Concert Review]
The Killers With The Lemon Twigs; Imploding The Mirage Tour: Schottenstein Center; Columbus, OH; Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Early in The Killers’ set on Tuesday night, the second official day…
Lana Del Rey: Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd [Album Review]
Lana Del ReyDid You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean BlvdInterscope Records [2023] At several points on this monumental 9th album from singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey, she reports that…
Depeche Mode: Momento Mori [Album Review]
Depeche ModeMomento MoriColumbia Records [2023] By all accounts, Depeche Mode were unlikely to make their 15th album, “Momento Mori.” Tensions between the band’s two creative voices, Martin Gore and Dave…
Andrew Gabbard: Cedar City Sweetheart [Album Review]
Andrew GabbardCedar City SweetheartColemine/Karma Chief Records [2023] He’s finally gone and done it: Andrew Gabbard made a country album. For those who jumped on board with 2021’s Homemade, this might be…
Connections: Cool Change [Album Review]
ConnectionsCool ChangeTrouble In Mind Records [2023] Connections have established a strong position on the indie music scene since 2013 with five full lengths and a handful of 7″s released over…
U2: Songs Of Surrender [Album Review]
U2Songs Of SurrenderInterscope Records [2023] A while back, it became cool for a significant moment in time for major touring rock acts to pause in the middle of their set…
The Lost Days: In The Store [Album Review]
The Lost DaysIn The StoreSpeakeasy Studios SF [2023] After meeting at a memorial for a mutual friend, Tony Molina (Ovens) and Sarah Rose Janko (Dawn Riding) started spending time together…
Lonnie Holley: Oh Me, Oh My [Album Review]
Lonnie HolleyOh Me, Oh MyJagjaguwar [2023] Long before Lonnie Holley made any music, he had been discovered as a visual artist and sculptor, initially making sandstone carvings from discarded stone…
The Royal Arctic Institute: From Coma To Catharsis [Album Review]
The Royal Arctic InstituteFrom Coma To CatharsisAlready Dead Tapes And Records [2023] The Royal Arctic Institute is a quintet of seasoned NYC musicians playing their own brand of cinematic, post-rock…
Gee Tee: Goodnight Neanderthal [Album Review]
Gee TeeGoodnight NeanderthalUrge/Goner Records [2023] Sydney’s Kel Mason is the man behind the spastic lo-fi punk sounds of Gee Tee. He has released a multitude of music under this moniker…
Eyelids: A Colossal Waste Of Light [Album Review]
EyelidsA Colossal Waste Of LightJealous Butcher Records [2023] As they finish out their first decade as a band, Portland, Oregon’s Eyelids have covered a lot of ground. From the half-studio,…
Shana Cleveland: Manzanita [Album Review]
Shana ClevelandManzanitaHardly Art Records [2023] Manzanita is the common name for a kind of small evergreen tree endemic to California which has strong medicinal properties. It is a fitting title…
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs: Land Of Sleeper [Album Review]
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs PigsLand Of SleeperRocket Recordings/Missing Piece Group Records [2023] Disciples of the riff fall to your knees and raise your hands to the heavens shouting,…
Gramercy Arms: Deleted Scenes [Album Review]
Gramercy ArmsDeleted ScenesMagic Door Record Label [2023] Gramercy Arms is a NYC musical collective brought together around the songwriting of Dave Derby, who keeps the focus of this third album…
Philip Selway: Strange Dance [Album Review]
Philip SelwayStrange DanceBella Union [2023] Philip Selway, best known as the drummer in Radiohead, has released his third solo album revealing an affinity for the elegant and artful, technologically enhanced,…
Ron Gallo: FOREGROUND MUSIC [Album Review]
Ron GalloFOREGROUND MUSICKill Rock Stars [2023] Ron Gallo has been a very well known name on the indie circuit since his solid 2017 record Heavy Meta was released. He has…
Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows: Hail To The Underground [Album Review]
Jack Harlon & The Dead CrowsHail To The UndergroundBlues Funeral Recordings [2023] I will fully admit that I am a very hard sell on cover albums. I have always felt…
Lucero: Should’ve Learned By Now [Album Review]
LuceroShould’ve Learned By NowLiberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers [2023] If that sturdy, fast drumbeat that opens Lucero’s new album doesn’t convince you they mean business by the time the crunchy rhythm…
Narrow Head: Moments Of Clarity [Album Review]
Narrow HeadMoments Of ClarityRun For Cover Records [2023] Moments Of Clarity is the third long player from Houston’s Narrow Head. The record continues the heavy alternative rock and shoegaze mix…
Neutral Milk Hotel: The Collected Works Of Neutral Milk Hotel [Box Set Review]
Neutral Milk HotelThe Collected Works Of Neutral Milk HotelMerge Records [2023] Neutral Milk Hotel made two modest lo-fi releases in the mid to late 90’s that over time proved far…
Okonski: Magnolia [Album Review]
OkonskiMagnoliaColemine Records [2023] Magnolia, the debut album from jazz trio Okonski, uses a simple formula: piano, bass, and drums. But simplicity can be deceptive, and Magnolia manages to cover a lot of…
The Church: The Hypnogogue [Album Review]
The ChurchThe HypnogogueCommunicating Vessels [2023] The stature and reputation of Australian indie/rock band The Church is such that with only one charting Top 40 hit to their name, “Under the…
Inhaler: Cuts & Bruises [Album Review]
InhalerCuts & BruisesGeffen Records [2023] The first thing anyone is going to tell you about Irish band Inhaler is that the band’s singer and rhythm guitarist is Elijah Hewson, the…
Fran: Leaving [Album Review]
FranLeavingFire Talk Records [2023] The sophomore release from Chicago-based band, Fran, finds vocalist and principal songwriter Maria Jacobson reflecting on the underlying philosophical values and thinking that people rely on…
Tee Vee Repairmann: What’s On TV? [Album Review]
Tee Vee RepairmannWhat’s On TV?Computer Human/Total Punk Records [2023] Australia’s Ishka Edmeades is involved with a multitude of bands that includes Satanic Togas, Set-Top Box, Research Reactor Corporation, Gee Tee,…
Shonen Knife: Our Best Place [Album Review]
Shonen KnifeOur Best PlaceGood Caramel Records [2023] The Japanese female pop/punk trio that is Shonen Knife have been plugging along since the early 80’s, parlaying their novelty act status to a…
Pile: All Fiction [Album Review]
PileAll FictionExploding In Sound Records [2023] Take a moment to remember everything that you know about Boston’s Pile. Ok, perfect, now forget all that. Pile has been making music solo…
CIVIC: Taken By Force [Album Review]
CIVICTaken By ForceATO Records [2023] Melbourne-based five-piece CIVIC are back with their biggest rock album to date. The group lead by the power singer Jim McCullough takes their fiery punk…
Quasi: Breaking The Balls Of History [Album Review]
QuasiBreaking The Balls Of HistorySub Pop Records [2023] It appears to have taken a global pandemic to get Portland, Ore. power duo Quasi back into the studio 10 years after…
Yo La Tengo: This Stupid World [Album Review]
Yo La TengoThis Stupid WorldMatador Records [2023] This Hoboken, N.J., indie-rock trio have been faithfully plugging along for nearly 40 years, with a new release every few years offering their…
The 1984 Draft: Best Friends Forever [Album Review]
The 1984 DraftBest Friends ForeverPoptek/Sell The Heart/Engineer Records [2023] The Dayton music scene has no shortage of great bands, from heavy hitters like The Breeders and Guided by Voices to…
The WAEVE: The WAEVE [Album Review]
The WAEVEThe WAEVETransgressive Records [2023] The WAEVE represents a new collaboration between Blur lead guitarist and second vocalist Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall, who was in the British pop…
The Drin: Today My Friend You Drunk The Venom [Album Review]
The DrinToday My Friend You Drunk The VenomDrunken Sailor/Feel It Records [2023] Today My Friend You Drunk The Venom is the third long player from Cincinnati’s post-punk group The Drin….
The Arcs: Electrophonic Chronic [Album Review]
The ArcsElectrophonic ChronicEasy Eye Sound / Concord [2023] Had things gone as planned, we’d likely have gotten a follow-up to The Arcs’ fine 2015 debut album, Yours, Dreamily, by 2018,…
The Men: New York City [Album Review]
The MenNew York CityFuzz Club Records [2023] Brooklyn’s The Men put out several fantastic punk records back in the early 2010’s and then over the last 10 years have expanded…
The Bad Ends: The Power And The Glory [Album Review]
The Bad EndsThe Power And The GloryNew West Records [2023] According to their bio, three of the guys in this so-called Athens, GA super-group formed while they were picking up…
R. Ring: War Poems, We Rested [Album Review]
R. RingWar Poems, We RestedDon Giovanni Records [2023] War Poems, We Rested is the sophomore record from R. Ring and it is the band’s first full-length release since their excellent…
CVC: Get Real [Album Review]
CVCGet RealCVC Recordings [2023] Listening to Welsh band CVC’s debut Get Real is a lot like stepping into a pop/rock time warp machine set on the 70’s and early 80’s….
King Tuff: Smalltown Stardust [Album Review]
King TuffSmalltown StardustSub Pop Records [2023] On his sixth album, Kyle Thomas who performs under his original band name King Tuff, steps away from the guitar-driven garage-band power-pop that dominated…
The Tubs: Dead Meat [Album Review]
The TubsDead MeatTrouble In Mind Records [2023] London group The Tubs formed in 2018 after the dissolvement of UK post-punk band Joanna Gruesome by former members Owen ‘O’ Williams and…
Margo Price: Strays [Album Review]
Margo PriceStraysLoma Vista Recordings [2023] When Nashville singer-songwriter Margo Price made her debut in 2016 with Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, on Jack White’s Third Man label, the album went to No….
Ex Pilots: Ex Pilots [Album Review]
Ex PilotsEx PilotsSmoking Room [2023] Recorded at home between 2009 – 2019, Pittsburgh’s Ethan Oliva, aka Ex Pilots, gives recording credit of his self-titled debut to Logic Pro, a Korg…
Dave Rowntree: Radio Songs [Album Review]
Dave RowntreeRadio SongsCooking Vinyl [2023] 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for fans of the Britpop/alternative rock band Blur. While the quartet hasn’t toured since supporting their…
Guided By Voices: La La Land [Album Review]
Guided By VoicesLa La LandGBV Inc. [2023] After releasing two excellent albums last year (Crystal Nuns Cathedral and Tremblers and Goggles By Rank), Guided By Voices are getting 2023 started…
Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning: Coming, Going [Album Review]
Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning Coming, GoingArkMusic [2022] Flautist Brian Dunning, who died last February at the age of 70, had a solid recording career before he collaborated with Jeff…
Riverside: ID.ENTITY [Album Review]
RIVERSIDE REVIEW HISTORYLove, Fear And The Time Machine (2015) RIVERSIDE LINKS Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Inside Out Music
Iggy Pop: Every Loser [Album Review]
Iggy PopEvery LoserGold Tooth/Atlantic Records [2023] Iggy Pop, sometimes called “the Godfather of Punk” for his role as frontman/vocalist with The Stooges, an early proto-punk band that formed in Detroit…
Belle And Sebastian: Late Developers [Album Review]
Belle And SebastianLate DevelopersMatador Records [2023] When novelist Nick Hornsby wrote that “Sentimental music has this great way of taking you back somewhere at the same time that it takes…
Dead Meadow: Force Form Free [Album Review]
Dead MeadowForce Form FreeBlues Funeral Recordings [2022] Formed in the fall of 1998, Dead Meadow rose out of the Washington, D.C. indie/punk scene and have continued to evolve their sound…
Houseghost: Another Realm [Album Review]
HouseghostAnother RealmRad Girlfriend Records [2022] Another Realm is the sophomore album from punk group Houseghost out of Dayton, Ohio. The trio is made up of drummer Tyler Beaty (Goon, Break…
Bill Callahan: YTI⅃AƎЯ [Album Review]
Bill CallahanYTI⅃AƎЯDrag City Records [2022] I think one could easily build an argument that Bill Callahan is one of the stronger singer/songwriters of the past 25 years. The Smog band…
Heather Redman & The Reputation: Heather Redman & The Reputation [Album Review]
Heather Redman & The ReputationHeather Redman & The ReputationMagnaphone Records [2022] It’s safe to say that soul music has been experiencing a major revival the last few years. The rise…
Brendan Benson: Low Key [Album Review]
Brendan BensonLow KeySchnitzel Records [2022] Brendan Benson released his seventh solo album, Dear Life, early in 2020, and even though he played all the instruments when recording he’d put a…
Various Artists (Kribo Records): Sounds Of Lecak Vol. 1 [Album Review]
Various Artists (Kribo Records)Sounds Of Lecak Vol. 1Guruguru Brain [2022] Even with the internet connecting us with people all over the world, it’s often easy to look past music scenes…
Too Much Joy: All These Fucking Feelings [Album Review]
Too Much JoyAll These Fucking FeelingsPropeller Sound Recordings [2022] It seems that when the members of Too Much Joy pulled their instruments out of mothballs to make last year’s Headphone…
Elder: Innate Passage [Album Review]
ElderInnate PassageArmageddon Shop [2022] When Elder’s previous album Omens was released in 2020 it was my number three album of the year for good reason. Elder constructed a muscular tower…
OVENS: OVENS [Album Review]
OVENSOVENSTankcrimes [2022] I believe that our faithful TFN followers know the catchy sounds of Tony Molina and hopefully checked out his Headphone Approved release this year titled In The Fade….
Big Joanie: Back Home [Album Review]
Big JoanieBack HomeKill Rock Stars [2022] It has been four years since the debut album from Black feminist punk band Big Joanie. The UK trio of Estella Adeyeri, Stephanie Phillips,…
Nora O’Connor: My Heart [Album Review]
Nora O’ConnorMy HeartPravda Records [2022] Chicago-based vocalist Nora O’Connor’s list of credits providing backing vocal support, both in the studio and on tour, is as long as her arm. She’s…
Ribbon Stage: Hit With The Most [Album Review]
Ribbon StageHit With The MostK Records [2022] Ribbon Stage are a trio from NYC that have created a debut album that is a compact earworm of noise pop. Hit With…
The Stroppies: Levity [Album Review]
The StroppiesLevityTough Love Records [2022] After the release of The Stroppies debut Whoosh and the Look Alive EP, the Melbourne quartet firmly established themselves as a top tier indie jangle…
Mike Baggetta/Jim Keltner/Mike Watt: Everywhen We Go [Album Review]
Mike Baggetta/Jim Keltner/Mike WattEverywhen We GoBIG EGO Records [2022] I can’t be the only music fan that has imagined what it would be like to bring together some of your…
Todd Rundgren: Space Force [Album Review]
Todd RundgrenSpace ForceCleopatra Records [2022] Fifty two years into a career that includes more than twenty solo studio albums, another ten with the band Utopia, plus production credits on albums…
The Reds, Pinks & Purples: Summer At Land’s End [Album Review]
The Reds, Pinks & PurplesSummer At Land’s EndTough Love/Slumberland Records [2022] San Francisco’s The Reds, Pinks & Purples can write some of the most gorgeous tragic indie pop songs you…
Spoon: Lucifer On The Moon [Album Review]
SpoonLucifer On The MoonMatador Records [2022] In just a few weeks, The Fire Note will publish its writers’ favorites and picks for the best releases of the year, and it’ll…
GIFT: Momentary Presence [Album Review]
GIFTMomentary PresenceDedstrange Records [2022] Brooklyn-based GIFT are a psych-rock quintet that have blended a classic shoegaze approach with muscular indie guitars and airy vocals to create a memorable debut in…
Dream, Ivory: About A Boy [Album Review]
Dream, IvoryAbout A BoyAWAL [2022] The music of Dream, Ivory is the product of Filipino/American twentysomething siblings raised on the endless musical resource of the internet. The duo released an…
Smirk: Material [Album Review]
SmirkMaterialFeel It Records [2022] Nick Vicario and his project Smirk gained some deserved spotlight last year with the release of LP. The album combined tracks that originally appeared on two…
Weyes Blood: And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow [Album Review]
Weyes BloodAnd In The Darkness, Hearts AglowSub Pop Records [2022] Singer/songwriter Natalie Mering performs under the moniker Weyes Blood, a name derived from her original stage name Wise Blood, taken…
The Tallest Man On Earth: Too Late For Edelweiss [Album Review]
The Tallest Man On EarthToo Late For EdelweissANTI- [2022] Swedish folk singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson performs under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, and Too Late for Edelweiss is his…
Phoenix: Alpha Zulu [Album Review]
PhoenixAlpha ZuluLoyaute/Glassnote Records [2022] It’s been 13 years since French electro/pop/alt/dance band Phoenix released their American breakout album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix with hit singles “Lisztomanio” and “1901,” but here on…
Delivery: Forever Giving Handshakes [Album Review]
DeliveryForever Giving HandshakesFeel It/Spoilsport/Anti Fade Records [2022] The intense pulsating rhythm in Delivery’s opening track, “Picture This,” will give you your first realization that their debut record, Forever Giving Handshakes,…
Lambchop: The Bible [Album Review]
LambchopThe BibleMerge Records [2022] Over the decades, Kurt Wagner and his various collaborators have more than lived up to their early claim to the title “Nashville’s most f@%#ed up country…
Dumb: Pray 4 Tomorrow [Album Review]
DumbPray 4 TomorrowMint Records [2022] I really like it when you can hear progression with a band, but the overall group sound doesn’t drastically change. That is the case with…
Weezer: SZNZ – Autumn [Album Review]
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Martha: Please Don’t Take Me Back [Album Review]
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Simple Minds: Direction Of The Heart [Album Review]
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Ghost Funk Orchestra: A New Kind Of Love [Album Review]
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Dropkick Murphys: This Machine Still Kills Fascists [Album Review]
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Death Cab For Cutie: Asphalt Meadows [Album Review]
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Surprise Chef: Education & Recreation [Album Review]
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Changes [Album Review]
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Drugdealer: Hiding In Plain Sight [Album Review]
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Guided By Voices: Scalping The Guru [Album Review]
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Richard X. Heyman: 67,000 Miles An Album [Album Review]
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The 1975: Being Funny In A Foreign Language [Album Review]
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Archers Of Loaf: Reason In Decline [Album Review]
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Robyn Hitchcock: Shufflemania! [Album Review]
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Arctic Monkeys: The Car [Album Review]
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Dry Cleaning: Stumpwork [Album Review]
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Sloan: Steady [Album Review]
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Lou Reed: Words & Music, May 1965 [Album Review]
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Plains: I Walked With You A Ways [Album Review]
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Pixies: Doggerel [Album Review]
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Laminated Denim [Album Review]
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Daniel Lanois: Player, Piano [Album Review]
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Disq: Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet [Album Review]
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Alvvays: Blue Rev [Album Review]
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No. 2: First Love [Album Review]
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The Cult: Under The Midnight Sun [Album Review]
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava [Album Review]
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Tedeschi Trucks Band: I Am The Moon: IV. Farewell [Album Review]
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Cool It Down [Album Review]
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2nd Grade: Easy Listening [Album Review]
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Beth Orton: Weather Alive [Album Review]
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Mercyland: We Never Lost A Single Game [Album Review]
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MJ Lenderman: Boat Songs [Album Review]
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Mike Adams At His Honest Weight: Graphic Blandishment [Album Review]
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Alex G: God Save The Animals [Album Review]
Alex GGod Save The AnimalsDomino [2022] God Save The Animals is Alex Giannascoli’s, aka Alex G, ninth album at the young age of 29. He has been a staple on…
The Murlocs: Rapscallion [Album Review]
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Flogging Molly: Anthem [Album Review]
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King’s X: Three Sides Of One [Album Review]
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Whitney: SPARK [Album Review]
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Rhett Miller: The Misfit [Album Review]
Rhett MillerThe MisfitATO Records [2022] When Rhett Miller recorded his solo debut in 1989 with his friend and producer Murry Hammond, the two had not yet imagined that they’d go…
The Beths: Expert In A Dying Field [Album Review]
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The Black Angels: Wilderness Of Mirrors [Album Review]
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Boon: Bad Machine [Album Review]
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Built To Spill: When The Wind Forgets Your Name [Album Review]
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The Afghan Whigs: How Do You Burn? [Album Review]
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Interpol | Spoon: Lights, Camera, Factions Tour 2022 [Concert Review]
Interpol | Spoon w/ Seratones; Lights, Camera, Factions Tour: KEMBA Live!; Columbus, OH; Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Tuesday evening’s outdoor concert was not only a great way to end the summer…
GA-20: Crackdown [Album Review]
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Ezra Furman: All Of Us Flames [Album Review]
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Gordi: Inhuman (EP) [Album Review]
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Tall Dwarfs: Unravelled 1981-2002 (Box Set) [Album Review]
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Ben Harper: Bloodline Maintenance [Album Review]
Ben HarperBloodline MaintenanceChrysalis Records [2022] Ben Harper’s longevity as an artist has been enriched by a series of smart collaborations. Known for favoring a Weissenborn lap slide guitar and opening…
Cheekface: Too Much To Ask [Album Review]
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Cass McCombs: Heartmind [Album Review]
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Ghost Funk Orchestra: Night Walker / Death Waltz [Album Review]
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CLAMM: Care [Album Review]
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Dawes: Misadventures Of Doomscroller [Album Review]
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The Sadies: Colder Streams [Album Review]
The SadiesColder StreamsYep Roc Records [2022] Toronto band, The Sadies are practically a Canadian indie-rock institution. Playing a mix of rock, country, psychedelia and punk – often in the same…
The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out [Album Review]
The Mountain GoatsBleed OutMerge Records [2022] Singer/songwriter John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats have been on a solid run for a while now, and here on their 21st studio outing…
The Chats: Get F*cked [Album Review]
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Kiwi Jr.: Chopper [Album Review]
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Ryan Adams: FM [Album Review]
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Tony Molina: In The Fade [Album Review]
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Osees: A Foul Form [Album Review]
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Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Boy Named If & Other Favorites Tour 2022 [Concert Review]
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She & Him: Melt Away – A Tribute To Brian Wilson [Album Review]
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The Gabbard Brothers: The Gabbard Brothers [Album Review]
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Andrew Bird | Iron & Wine Outside Problems Tour 2022 [Concert Review]
Andrew Bird / Iron & Wine Outside Problems Tour w/ Meshell Ndegeocello: PNC Pavilion; Cincinnati, OH; Thursday, August 4, 2022 The sky was dark with storm clouds on Thursday evening as…
Amanda Shires: Take It Like A Man [Album Review]
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Wire: Not About To Die [Album Review]
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Florist: Florist [Album Review]
FloristFloristDouble Double Whammy [2022] Sometimes you put on a record that you just know is going to be fantastic. That was the immediate vibe I had with Florist’s fourth LP…
Steve Earle & The Dukes: Jerry Jeff [Album Review]
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Tedeshi Trucks Band: I Am The Moon: III. The Fall [Album Review]
Tedeschi Trucks BandI Am The Moon: III. The FallFantasy / Concord Music [2022] The amazing enterprise that the Tedeschi Trucks Band undertook by dropping an EP of material from their…
Hooveriii: A Round Of Applause [Album Review]
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Tedeschi Trucks Band: Wheels Of Soul Tour 2022 [Concert Review]
Tedeschi Trucks Band w/ Los Lobos & Gabe Dixon: Rose Music Center; Dayton, OH; Sunday, July 24, 2022 Generally speaking, journalistic practice requires one to start a concert review with the…
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: XI – Bleed Here Now [Album Review]
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Caroline Spence: True North [Album Review]
Caroline SpenceTrue NorthRounder Records [2022] Virginia native, Caroline Spence did what any Americana singer/songwriter would do after winning the American Songwriter Lyric Contest and additional accolades at the Kerrville Folk…
Joseph Airport: Vector 23 [Album Review]
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Drive-By Truckers w/ Lydia Loveless 2022 Tour [Concert Review]
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Ty Segall: “Hello, Hi” [Album Review]
Ty Segall“Hello, Hi”Drag City Records [2022] It shouldn’t really be a surprise that during the now called “isolation months of 2020,” Ty Segall recorded an album. In fact, it would…
Adrian Belew: Elevator [Album Review]
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Telekinetic Yeti: Primordial [Album Review]
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black midi: Hellfire [Album Review]
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Interpol: The Other Side Of Make-Believe [Album Review]
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Screeching Weasel: The Awful Disclosures Of Screeching Weasel [Album Review]
Screeching WeaselThe Awful Disclosures Of Screeching WeaselMonona Music/Rum Bar/Striped Records [2022] Screeching Weasel recorded their debut album in one night for $200 and released it on Chicago label Underdog Records…
Tedeschi Trucks Band: I Am The Moon: II. Ascension [Album Review]
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Young Guv: GUV IV [Album Review]
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Weezer: SZNZ – Summer [Album Review]
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Liam Gallagher: C’mon You Know [Album Review]
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The Psychedelic Furs: Made Of Rain 2022 Tour w/ X [Concert Review]
The Psychedelic Furs w/ X: Made Of Rain 2022 Tour; Rose Music Center; Dayton, OH; Wednesday, July 6, 2022 As if special ordered for the day of The Psychedelic Furs “Made…
Prince: Prince And The Revolution – Live
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Porcupine Tree: Closure/ Continuation [Album Review]
PORCUPINE TREE LINKSWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Megaforce Records | Music For Nations
Chagall Guevara: Halcyon Days [Album Review]
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Guided By Voices: Tremblers And Goggles By Rank [Album Review]
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Shearwater: The Great Awakening [Album Review]
ShearwaterThe Great AwakeningPolyborus Music [2022] In the six years since that last Shearwater album, Jonathan Meiburg published a novel, formed a new band with members of the band that had…
Tim Heidecker: High School [Album Review]
Tim HeideckerHigh SchoolSpacebomb Records [2022] Tim Heidecker is a talented artist that over the years has been known both for his comedy and a more serious singer songwriter side that…
Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever [Album Review]
Soccer MommySometimes, ForeverLoma Vista Recordings [2022] On the 2020 release, Color Theory, Soccer Mommy explored emotions across the spectrum, but clearly her lyrics felt most at home in the darker…
Martin Courtney: Magic Sign [Album Review]
Martin CourtneyMagic SignDomino [2022] Magic Sign is the second full-length solo record from Martin Courtney. Courtney is best known to many of us as the front man of indie mainstays…
Angel Olsen: Big Time [Album Review]
Angel OlsenBig TimeJagjaguwar [2022] Angel Olsen’s career has been on an upward trajectory ever since her debut album, Half Way Home, was released in 2012. Now on her sixth album,…
Gus Englehorn: Dungeon Master [Album Review]
Gus EnglehornDungeon MasterSecret City Records [2022] Montreal singer-songwriter Gus Englehorn’s sophomore record, Dungeon Master, may be one of the most unique listens you put to your ear this year. The…
Bill Mallonee: Here It Opens With A Prayer, But It Closes With A Song [Album Review]
Bill MalloneeHere It Opens With A Prayer, But It Closes With A SongSelf-Released [2022] Bill Mallonee may not be a household name, but he’s been making music for over 30…
Ben Craven: Monsters From The Id [Album Review]
BEN CRAVEN LINKSWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp
Bobby Oroza: Get On The Otherside [Album Review]
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Tedeshi Trucks Band: I Am The Moon – I. Crescent [Album Review]
Tedeshi Trucks BandI Am The Moon: I. CrescentFantasy/Concord Music [2022] When singer/songwriter Susan Tedeschi, already with six albums and a storied career to her credit, and slide guitar wunderkind and…
The Dream Syndicate: Ultraviolet Battle Hymns And True Confessions [Album Review]
The Dream SyndicateUltraviolet Battle Hymns And True ConfessionsFire Records [2022] In many ways, Steve Wynn and his reconstituted band, The Dream Syndicate, have spent the decade since the band reformed…
Green/Blue: Paper Thin [Album Review]
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Andrew Bird: Inside Problems [Album Review]
Andrew BirdInside ProblemsLoma Vista Recordings [2022] In the follow-up to his fine, Headphone Approved 2019 release, My Finest Work Yet, Andrew Bird continues to deliver smart, thoughtful music that displays…
John Doe: Fables In A Foreign Land [Album Review]
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Horsegirl: Versions Of Modern Performance [Album Review]
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Sharon Van Etten: We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong [Album Review]
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Drive-By Truckers: Welcome 2 Club XIII [Album Review]
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Dehd: Blue Skies [Album Review]
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Mitch Mitchell’s Terrifying Experience: Appalachian Tontine [Album Review]
Mitch Mitchell’s Terrifying ExperienceAppalachian TontineThrill Kill City Music [2022] Somewhere in a Dayton, Ohio neighborhood, squalls of guitar feedback escape into the night air. Cans of cheap beer and ash…
Slang: Cockroach In A Ghost Town [Album Review]
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