Be Your Own PetMommyThird Man Records [2023] Be Your Own Pet has a solid history of delivering a wild and unapologetic ride through the chaotic realm of garage punk and indie rock. Mommy marks the band’s first LP in 15+ years and was written and recorded by the three founding members Jemina Pearl Abegg (vox), … Read more
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 artist’s music, Ratboys is a case in point. First of all they have a female singer, and the primary musical motifs on their fourth studio full-length of original material, The … Read more
The ConnellsRing (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)Craft Recordings [2023] Released: September 1, 1993/Reissue: May 26, 2023Producer: Lou Giordano | The Connells | Tim HarperLength: 50:15/Reissue: 2:10:00 Released in 1993, The Connells’ album Ring remains a quintessential find of the indie rock scene, showcasing the band’s masterful songwriting and distinctive sound. With its melodic hooks and introspective … Read more
Kendra MorrisI Am What I’m Waiting ForColemine/Karma Chief Records [2023] When Kendra Morris released Nine Lives at the beginning of 2022, it was the culmination of more than ten years of creative partnership with producer and songwriter Jeremy Page. The psych-soul opus, Morris’s first for Colemine imprint Karma Chief Records, was one of the best … Read more
Sonic YouthLive In Brooklyn 2011Silver Current Records [2023] Sonic Youth will undoubtedly secure their place in the history books due to their profound influence on the alternative and indie music scenes, especially throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Renowned for their sound experimentation, they seamlessly integrated elements of noise, feedback, and unconventional guitar tunings. By challenging … Read more
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 working together as a band. After the band released two separate full-length albums in 2019, U.F.O.F. and Two Hands, both earning attention in the Grammy nominating process, singer/songwriter Adrianne Lenker … Read more
PalehoundEye On The BatPolyvinyl Records [2023] The fourth album from El Kemper’s Palehound is a break-up record to beat all break-up records, as their poetic distillation of the moments that led up to the relationship’s inevitable dissolution fuel the driving music of their rock trio. Kemper’s diary-like lyrics in “Independence Day” chronicle how a collision … Read more
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 do know a few things about him: he’s trained as a jazz vocalist and pianist, calls southern California home, and always wears a red ski mask and white bucket hat … Read more
OseesIntercepted MessageIn The Red Records [2023] Osees have adopted several different monikers over the years, showcasing their chameleon-like nature. This American psychedelic rock band originated in San Francisco in the late 1990s. Led by the multi-talented musician and songwriter John Dwyer, Osees’ music has consistently been characterized by its high-energy garage rock sound, interwoven with … Read more
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 has stepped away to create her solo debut, Natural Disaster. Given her previous ventures in power pop/alt rock with excursions into surf rock and country, her solo work here, supported … Read more
The Exploding HeartsGuitar Romantic (Expanded & Remastered)Third Man Records Released: April 1, 2003/Reissue: May 26, 2023Producer: The Exploding Hearts, Pat KearnsLength: 29:00/Reissue: 38:00 In a world where punk and power pop collide, The Exploding Hearts’ debut album Guitar Romantic emerged as a timeless gem that pays homage to the past while infusing a youthful and … Read more
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, as a more personal artistic expression for the songwriter whose credits include songs recorded by metal acts like Judas Priest (“[Take These] Chains” and “Some Heads Are Gonna Rolls”), KISS, … Read more
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 combines vintage influences with present-day experimentation. Comprising of friends Falcon Bitch and Gumball, the band demonstrates an adeptness for blending elements of lo-fi, surf, folk, jazz, and indie rock into … Read more
BEEFBEEFFeel It Records [2023] BEEF’s lineup is led by Takoda Hortenberry, who takes on the roles of both drummer and lead vocalist. His wife, Ally, contributes her skills on keys and vocals, while John Hoffman (Vacation) handles the bass duties. Guitarist Sam Richardson, who also happens to be the founder of Feel It Records, completes … Read more
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 the band’s remaining original members – guitarist Pat Place and vocalist Cynthia Sley – have been playing around the New York club scene since 1979; the label bio suggest the … Read more
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 music under the moniker of the Mull Historical Society, seeks to bring together the two artistic worlds of his creative life. As an author, MacIntyre’s debut novel, “The Letters of … Read more
feeble little horseGirl With FishSaddle Creek Records [2023] Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, feeble little horse presents an invigorating and charmingly unpredictable sophomore offering with Girl With Fish. The album is a collection of brief yet captivating tracks brimming with feedback-laden melodies. The band undertook the independent recording and production of this release, embarking on a … Read more
rockyrockyLulu’s Sonic Disc Club [2023] Australia’s rocky is a new recording project featuring Xanthe Waite (Terry, Primo) and Raven Mahon (Grass Widow, Green Child). The album is a fantastic slice of modern post-punk at its roots but is presented in a much more artistic package. The album swings big by actually giving less as its … Read more
Nils LofgrenMountainsCattle Track Road Records [2023] Unless you’re one of those people that read the album credits, checking out who produced, who played bass, who guested on which guitar solo, there’s a chance you’ve missed Nils Lofgren’s storied career. While only 19 years old, Lofgren played guitar and piano on Neil Young’s After the Gold … Read more
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 feels like an attempt to take singer/songwriter pop music back to the early days of rock & roll before the Beatles and Stones started speeding things up, with front-loaded loud … Read more
The Budos BandFrontier’s EdgeDiamond West Records [2023] The Budos Band, known for their unique instrumental blend of Afrobeat, funk, soul, and psychedelic rock, has once again delivered a powerful and mesmerizing release with their new mini-album, Frontier’s Edge. The band enters a new era after a two-decade run with the legendary Daptone Records. Frontier’s Edge … Read more
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 Lucinda Williams. Over two decades after her breakthrough album, 1998’s Carwheels on a Gravel Road, her 15th album Good Souls Better Angels, with its anti-Trump anthem “Man Without a Soul,” … Read more
Ceramic DogConnectionKnockwurst Records [2023] If you’re a fan of alternative Americana rock, there’s no chance you haven’t heard Marc Ribot’s play guitar, and I’d bet even without knowing who was playing you were blown away by how it was perfect for the moment, and yet completely outside of the box of your usual expectations. Ribot’s … Read more
BlurThe Ballad Of DarrenParlophone/Warner Records [2023] It’s almost impossible to imagine the pressures—whether on the outside from fans and the press, or relationally between the band’s 4 musicians, each pursuing their diverse side-projects, or as artists living in the shadow of your previous triumphs—on Brit-pop band, Blur, as they reconvene to record their 9th studio … Read more
Guided By VoicesWelshpool FrilliesGBV Inc. [2023] Figuring out how to rate a new Guided By Voices album is hard. Do I compare it against the most recent albums or their entire discography? How will I feel about it after the next four come out? Will the hardcore fans think I’m being too harsh? Will the … Read more