Spiritual Cramp: Spiritual Cramp [Album Review]
Spiritual CrampSpiritual CrampBlue Grape Music [2023] I’ve been keeping an ear out for this debut ever since the San Francisco punk outfit, Spiritual Cramp, self-released … Read more
Mike Adams At His Honest Weight: Guess For Thrills [Album Review]
Mike Adams At His Honest WeightGuess For ThrillsJoyful Noise Recordings [2023] Mike Adams at His Honest Weight found the titular Adams recording with help from … Read more
Slow Pulp: Yard [Album Review]
Slow PulpYardANTI- [2023] Slow Pulp—indie rock band formed in Madison, WI, but currently via Chicago—recorded their debut album in relative isolation during the pandemic and … Read more
Glen Hansard: All That Was East Is West Of Me Now [Album Review]
Glen HansardAll That Was East Is West Of Me NowANTI- [2023] Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard may have gotten started in music busking on the streets … Read more
The Mountain Goats: Jenny From Thebes [Album Review]
The Mountain GoatsJenny From ThebesMerge Records [2023] The Mountain Goats’ singer/songwriter John Darnielle must wake up from his dreams every day with a story line … Read more
Black Pumas: Chronicles Of A Diamond [Album Review]
Black PumasChronicles Of A DiamondATO Records [2023] The eponymous debut album from the Black Pumas, released in 2019, feels like it was released much longer … Read more
Lydia Loveless: Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again [Album Review]
Lydia LovelessNothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way AgainBloodshot Records [2023] In the summer of 2022, when we were all trying to figure out how to … Read more
The Gaslight Anthem: History Books [Album Review]
The Gaslight AnthemHistory BooksRich Mahogany Recordings [2023] The Gaslight Anthem, after a nearly decade-long hiatus, returns with their sixth full-length album, History Books. This New … Read more
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: The Silver Cord [Album Review]
King Gizzard & The Lizard WizardThe Silver CordKGLW [2023] At this point in King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard’s career, it is a given that … Read more
Teenage Fanclub: Nothing Lasts Forever [Album Review]
Teenage FanclubNothing Lasts ForeverMerge Records [2023] One has to wonder if anyone thought about the possibility that they might be wearing the band name Teenage … Read more
Cherry Glazerr: I Don’t Want You Anymore [Album Review]
Cherry GlazerrI Don’t Want You AnymoreSecretly Canadian [2023] Clementine Creevy, also known as Cherry Glazerr, describes her fourth record, I Don’t Want You Anymore, as … Read more
Graham Parker & The Goldtops: Last Chance To Learn The Twist [Album Review]
Graham Parker & The GoldtopsLast Chance to Learn the TwistBig Stir Records [2023] There was a time, the late 70’s to be exact, when Graham … Read more
Wilco: Cousin [Album Review]
WilcoCousindBpm Records [2023] As a long-time fan of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco, I should probably acknowledge at the top that Cousin is not the rock … Read more
Deeper: Careful! [Album Review]
DeeperCareful!Sub Pop Records [2023] Already with two albums behind them, Chicago-based Deeper is ready for their close-up on this Sub Pop debut. There’s little doubt … Read more
Will Butler + Sister Squares: Will Butler + Sister Squares [Album Review]
Will Butler + Sister SquaresWill Butler + Sister SquaresMerge Records [2023] There should be little surprise that after spending 18 years playing in Arcade Fire, … Read more
Ratboys: The Window [Album Review]
RatboysThe WindowTopshelf Records [2023] If you’ve yet to come to the realization that band names don’t always offer a helpful or accurate sense of the … Read more
Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain [Album Review]
Buck MeekHaunted Mountain4AD [2023] By now, it’s obvious that the individual members of Big Thief are just as creative and productive individually as they are … Read more
Pale Jay: Bewilderment [Album Review]
Pale JayBewildermentColemine/Karma Chief Records [2023] Who is Pale Jay? The artist, one of Karma Chief Records’ latest signings, is something of an enigma, although we … Read more
Bethany Cosentino: Natural Disaster [Album Review]
Bethany CosentinoNatural DisasterConcord Records [2023] After over a decade and 4 full-length studio albums with Best Coast, her band with multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno, Bethany Cosentino … Read more
Ceili Rain: Crash This Gate [Album Review]
Ceili RainCrash This GateSelf-Released [2023] The Celtic pop/rock band Ceili Rain, centered around lead singer Bob Halligan Jr., got its start in 1995 in Nashville, … Read more
Being Dead: When Horses Would Run [Album Review]
Being DeadWhen Horses Would RunBayonet Records [2023] On their debut album, Being Dead takes listeners on a captivating journey through a psychedelic landscape that skillfully … Read more
Bush Tetras: They Live In My Head [Album Review]
Bush TetrasThey Live In My HeadWharf Cat Records [2023] That this is only the third album from NYC band, Bush Tetras, belies the fact that … Read more
Mull Historical Society: In My Mind There’s A Room [Album Review]
Mull Historical SocietyIn My Mind There’s A RoomXtra Mile Recordings [2023] In this rare and unique artistic venture, author and musician Colin MacIntyre, who records … Read more
Cut Worms: Cut Worms [Album Review]
Cut WormsCut WormsJagjaguwar [2023] Besides making the case that all the good band names have been taken, Max Clarke’s third, self-titled album as Cut Worms … Read more
Lucinda Williams: Stories From A Rock N’ Roll Heart [Album Review]
Lucinda WilliamsStories From A Rock N’ Roll HeartHighway 20/Thirty Tigers [2023] Professionally, 2020 was set up to be a great year for the celebrated singer/songwriter … Read more