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 Festville in 2014, she moved to Nashville and began making records for the Rounder label. Her 2017 release, Spades & Roses, won her comparisons to … Read more
Joseph AirportVector 23Joseph Airport Records [2022] On November 24th, 1971, during a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle, a man going by the name Dan Cooper handed one of the flight attendants a note. When she started to walk away without reading it, Cooper leaned toward her and said, “Miss, you’d better look … Read more
Drive-By Truckers w/ Lydia Loveless: Dayton Masonic Center; Dayton, OH; Saturday, July 23, 2022 As Drive-By Truckers suggest in a couple of their album titles, they are an “American Band” paying tribute to the ongoing “Southern Rock Opera” taking place all around them over the course of 26 years, and 14 studio albums. Rooted in the … Read more
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 have been surprising if he didn’t. It also shouldn’t surprise you that “Hello, Hi” is more of an acoustic affair as Ty has changed it … Read more
Adrian BelewElevatorBliss Entertainment/Ingrooves Music Group [2022] Adrian Belew may have played an essential role in King Crimson’s 80’s revival, accompanying Robert Fripp into the 90’s and early 2000’s, but the celebrated guitarist was first “discovered” by Frank Zappa, and went on to play supportive roles alongside David Bowie, Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club, … Read more
Telekinetic YetiPrimordialTee Pee Records [2022] Unearthed and thawed from an ice shelf in Dubuque, IA, Telekinetic Yeti LIVES! The duo composed of Alex Baumann (Guitar/Vocals) and new member Rockwel Heim (Drums) takes on their second outing, Primordial. With one album, Abominable, released in 2017, Telekinetic Yeti only had room for growth and that’s exactly what … Read more
black midiHellfireRough Trade Records [2022] Written in isolation in London after the release of last year’s Cavalcade, Hellfire (black midi’s third LP) continues to expand and build on the elements found in its predecessor, while also reaching back and tapping into the muscular strength on their debut, Schlagenheim (2019). This progression forward has created another … Read more
InterpolThe Other Side Of Make-BelieveMatador Records [2022] On the easy-going final track of NYC-band Interpol’s 7th studio album, The Other Side of Make-Believe, vocalist Paul Banks sings, “I keep pushing it forward/all these obstacles in my way,” so perhaps the best advice given all of life’s challenges and disappointments is to “Go Easy.” In the … Read more
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 back in 1987. They have never looked back and have influenced countless punk bands that includes more mainstream acts like Green Day, Blink-182, New Found … Read more
Tedeschi Trucks BandI Am The Moon: II. AscensionFantasy/Concord Music [2022] As promised, a month after the initial EP from the “I Am The Moon” project, Tedeschi Trucks Band returns with this 7-song second chapter, a further continuation of this thought experiment fleshed out in the band’s rich, musical vocabulary. On I. Crescent, especially in the … Read more
Young GuvGUV IVRun For Cover Records [2022] Ben Cook — a.k.a. Young Guv — completes his pandemic GUV series with the final installment IV. The New Mexico sessions that were recorded back in 2020 have already spawned three albums with IV showcasing the last of the quarantine tracks. The interesting thing about I-IV is how … Read more
WeezerSZNZ: SummerCrush Music/Atlantic Records [2022] No doubt the biggest challenge when committing to produce a concept album around a predetermined narrative and artistic themes is maintaining the integrity of the storyline and finding creative ways to meet the established expectations. With SZNZ: Spring, Rivers Cuomo laid down a number of markers that he attempts to … Read more
Liam GallagherC’mon You KnowWarner Records [2022] Liam Gallagher’s third individual release, C’mon You Know, is easily his best solo record to date. The album is straight out of the Brit rock playbook and brings plenty of big anthems, sing along choruses, guitar rock and contains songs that are easily ready for the big stage. The … Read more
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 of Rain” tour’s arrival in Dayton, Wednesday was a dreary, rainy day at mid-afternoon, but by the time the opening act, legendary L.A. punk band … Read more
PrincePrince And The Revolution: LiveLegacy Recordings [2022] The word “genius” probably gets thrown around too loosely when referring to talented pop and rock artists. Even the most successful artists often flow in and out of fashion, often those who’ve produced a recognized “masterpiece,” suffer from the dreaded sophomore curse or move all too soon from … Read more
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Chagall GuevaraHalcyon DaysSplint Entertainment [2022] No doubt every serious music listener has got a few pet bands that have been relegated to the world of “shoulda, coulda, woulda,” an act you encountered in their early days that impressed you that they had the songs, the sound, the talent, the smarts to go the distance and … Read more
Guided By VoicesTremblers And Goggles By RankGBV Inc. [2022] Depending on how you add them up, Tremblers And Goggles By Rank is Guided By Voices’ thirty-sixth album. For the current lineup, featuring Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare Jr. on guitars, Kevin March on drums, Mark Shue on bass, and Travis Harrison handling production duties, this … Read more
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 opened for them on their last tour called Loma then recorded and released two albums, played and recorded adaptations of David Bowie’s Lodger album, eventually … Read more
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 has tackled tough topics like divorce, middle-age, and global warming. His balance of being able to address those areas with compassion while still successfully lifting … Read more
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 hues and textures of the palette. Of course, Soccer Mommy is singer/songwriter Sophie Allison; buoyed by a strong critical response and tours opening for Liz … Read more
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 Real Estate. The new solo album was written throughout 2020 and 2021, and comes from a nostalgic mindset but also with the thought of the … Read more
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, Big Time continues her growth as the record itself pulls back some from the orchestra pieces that comprised 2019’s All Mirrors. Pedal steel is a … Read more
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 album was written in a cabin but it sounds much bigger with its frequent rock out moments from Englehorn’s guitar mashing with his drummer and … Read more
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 years, a decade leading the Athens, GA band Vigilantes of Love, and 20 years producing indie rock, folk/rock, and Americana as a solo artist. Currently … Read more