Sugar TraditionMore SugarFeel It Records [2023] Wait until you spin the free-wheelin’ new EP from Detroit’s Sugar Tradition. More Sugar is a carefree record that was recorded live, encapsulating the raw and rebellious spirit of the 1960s era. It features a collection of songs with an enduring classic vibe, paying homage to the garage R&B … Read more
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 a “mature” album. This reference primarily relates to her personal growth rather than being a reflection of the record itself. This statement holds true in both the musical and lyrical … Read more
The NationalLaugh Track4AD [2023] I never thought that The National would embrace the concept of a surprise album, but here we are. That night at their 2023 Homecoming festival, the band tore through one of their greatest accomplishments in full: High Violet. Among other songs, they played the self-stated, Walkmen-inspired “Available,” and then followed that … Read more
Sufjan StevensJavelinAsthmatic Kitty Records [2023] Rare is the artist who does their best work when they are on top of the world, when all is going well, and they are happy and fulfilled. Sufjan Stevens has explored a wide and disparate subject matter, from the folky Psalm-like spirituality of Seven Swans, the unique geographic and … Read more
Darrell Scott String BandOld Cane Back RockerSoundly Music [2023] Before I get in over my head, I should probably acknowledge that bluegrass/country music is not my usual jam. If you read my stuff here before, that’s likely obvious to you. There’s a family story my Mom tells about my Indiana Gramps playing slide Hawaiian guitar … Read more
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 Parker’s name was often mentioned alongside Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson as the “angry young men” of British new wave or punk/pop, with regular debates about which artist was the … Read more
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 record I was hoping for or expected. Talk around the band’s fanbase began suggesting as far back as 2018 that the Chicago based band, once labeled the “American Radiohead” (or … Read more
The SextonesLove Can’t Be BorrowedRecord Kicks [2023] Produced by Kelly Finnigan of The Monophonics, Love Can’t Be Borrowed is the sophomore album by The Sextones. The record charts a soulful path that’s sure to captivate fans, both old and new. This Reno, Nevada-based band, comprised of Mark Sexton (guitar, vocals), Alexander Korostinsky (bass), Daniel Weiss … Read more
Nick Cave & Warren EllisAustralian Carnage: Live at the Sydney Opera HouseGoliath Records [2023] “This is a joyful song,” says Nick Cave by way of introduction to “Breathless,” a song from the 2004 double album release with his full band, The Bad Seed, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. But then in jest he adds, “So … Read more
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 as you take in the lush landscapes of the thirteen tracks here that this guitar driven quartet has absorbed some of the major punk/pop influences of the late-70’s and 80’s, … Read more
Sincere EngineerCheap GrillsHopeless Records [2023] Chicago-based indie punk artist Sincere Engineer started as a solo acoustic punk act, performing at dive bars and open mics. Singer Deanna Belos decided to forgo dental school for a career in punk music, and she has since toured the world with bands like Alkaline Trio, The Menzingers, and Joyce … Read more
Will Butler + Sister SquaresWill Butler + Sister SquaresMerge Records [2023] There should be little surprise that after spending 18 years playing in Arcade Fire, Will Butler carries some of that band’s sound and temperament with him into his debut with Sister Squares, or that his voice at times recalls that of his brother Win. … Read more
MitskiThe Land Is Inhospitable And So Are WeDead Oceans [2023] Indie sensation Mitski has once again delivered a record that resonates on multiple levels, this time with her seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We. Known for her poignant lyricism and genre-defying soundscapes, Mitski continues to push the boundaries of her … Read more
Allison RussellThe ReturnerFantasy Records [2023] In an unusual turn of events, the first two times I saw Allison Russell perform live I was a complete blank slate, I’d not heard any of her recordings or the work of her numerous musical collaborations beforehand. The first time was over Memorial Day weekend in 2017 at the … Read more
SparklehorseBird MachineANTI- [2023] To state the obvious, the arrival of a post-humous release from an artist that died all too early by suicide will often be tinged with the both the bitter and the sweet. Bird Machine, arriving 13 years after the death of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous, has been lovingly curated by his brother Matt … Read more
Mondo DragThrough The HourglassRidingEasy Records [2023] Over the last several years RidingEasy records has gained a reputation for great reissues of obscure hard rock, heavy psych, and proto-metal albums, especially their fantastic Brown Acid compilations (co-released with fellow Los Angeles label Permanent Records). But RidingEasy also has a solid roster of modern bands, most of … Read more
King’s X – Three Sides of One 2023 Tour, With Sound & Shape and Dressed in Electric, The King of Clubs, Columbus, OH, September 9, 2023 Saturday night’s sold-out club show with King’s X, the Texas-based rock power trio now in their 43rd year, proved a shining example of the unique chemistry and versatility that … Read more
Tony JayPerfect WorldsSlumberland Records [2023] San Francisco’s Tony Jay crafts a style of music that falls perfectly within my musical preferences. His slightly mysterious lo-fi bedroom pop has a unique ability to draw you into the lyrics, as the music and words seem to engage in a subtle battle for your attention. Recorded in 2021, … Read more
jaimie branchFly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War))International Anthem [2023] jaimie “breezy” branch, was a trumpeter and composer who had rapidly ascended as one of the brightest stars in the jazz world when she tragically passed away on August 22, 2022, at the age of just 39. In July 2022, this … Read more
Margaret GlaspyEcho The DiamondATO Records [2023] The first time I heard the lead single from Margaret Glaspy’s third album, Echo The Diamond, the kicking guitar hook of “Act Natural” knocked me down, but her spirited vocal and insightful lyrics left me on the ground, stunned. And, once we tracked down the album, I was both … Read more
Smug BrothersIn The Book Of Bad IdeasAnyway Records [2023] Ohio indie band Smug Brothers has released some great under-the-radar records since their formation in 2004. The band boasts a relaxed, stylish blend of power pop and lo-fi rock that captivates listeners right from their opening guitar strums. In The Book Of Bad Ideas continues to … Read more
Guided By Voices – 40th Anniversary Celebration; Dayton Masonic Center; Dayton, Ohio; September 1 & 2, 2023. With Special Guests: Dinosaur Jr., Built To Spill, Heartless Bastards, Wednesday, and Kiwi Jr. Night One It’s worth acknowledging right at the top, that the very existence of the band Guided By Voices – now 40 years into … Read more
Speedy OrtizRabbit RabbitWax Nine Records [2023] Speedy Ortiz, the indie rock outfit from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has made a long-awaited return with their fourth full-length studio album, Rabbit Rabbit. This release marks their first since Twerp Verse in 2018. Led by the enigmatic Sadie Dupuis, the band had already carved out a distinctive niche in the … Read more
Jeff RosenstockHELLMODEPolyvinyl Records [2023] HELLMODE marks the fifth studio album Jeff Rosenstock has released in the last ten years under his own name, following the dissolution of his beloved cult projects Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches. This record once again perfectly captures his frenetic, genre-bending tour de force that encapsulates … Read more
Frankie And The Witch FingersData DoomThe Reverberation Appreciation Society / Greenway Records [2023] First of all, let me start with a disclaimer: Frankie and the Witch Fingers are embarking on a tour in support of their latest album, Data Doom. If you have the opportunity to attend their concert, I highly recommend it. The last … Read more