Hooveriii: Water For The Frogs [Album Review]

HooveriiiWater For The FrogsThe Reverberation Appreciation Society [2021] At this point in 2021, if your band hails from Australia, Los Angeles or Austin it won’t surprise anyone if your specialty is psychedelia. That leads us to LA’s Hooveriii (pronounced Hoover 3), which you can add to your psychedelic rolodex as the group brings their own … Read more

Mt. Mountain: Centre [Album Review]

Mt. MountainCentreFuzz Club Records [2021] Australian five-piece Mt. Mountain’s fourth album, Centre, is a sprawling, psychedelic rocker that rides the edge of quiet waves right before they crash. That anticipation of when their music switches gears is exactly Mt. Mountain’s strength and it is why Centre is great listen from front to back. This surreal … Read more

Smirk: LP [Album Review]

SmirkLPDrunken Sailor/Feel It Records [2021] Smirk is the solo project of Nick Vicario (Public Eye, Crisis Man, Autistic Youth), and while you’ll hear similarities to some of his past more punk bands these 12 tracks from his new record titled LP, highlight Vicario having fun at this point in his career. Smirk has a much … Read more

Floatie: Voyage Out [Album Review]

FloatieVoyage OutExploding In Sound Records [2021] There is something special about Floatie’s math rock that brings you closer to your speakers and that is what makes the Chicago-based band’s debut, Voyage Out, so engaging. The band approaches each song with a cautious but focused playing of their instruments that never really leaves a mid-tempo pace … Read more

Josh Caterer: The Hideout Sessions [Album Review]

Josh Caterer The Hideout SessionsPravda Records [2021] Back in October, Smoking Popes’ vocalist and main songwriter Josh Caterer put together a new band, with John San Juan (of the Hushdrops) and John Perrin (drummer with NRBQ), and played a live show in the empty venue of The Hideout in Chicago, sending their music out over … Read more

Ghost Of Vroom: Ghost Of Vroom 1 [Album Review]

Ghost Of Vroom Ghost Of Vroom 1Mod y Vi Records [2021] The story goes something like this: after making 3 critically acclaimed albums in the 90’s with Soul Coughing, a NYC band that distinguished itself from that decades heavy grunge/rock dominance with what Mike Doughty calls his “quasi-rap thing” delivered over the band’s unique mix … Read more

Triptides: Alter Echoes [Album Review]

TriptidesAlter EchoesAlive Natural Sound Records [2021] The current streaming generation, for the most part, does not seem to really like listening to one album all the way through let alone develop artist loyalty. It is just the times I guess but there are plenty of past groups that would never have “made it” if they … Read more

Peter Case: The Midnight Broadcast [Album Review]

Peter Case The Midnight BroadcastBandaloop Music [2021] Singer/songwriter Peter Case’s first brush with mainstream rock star level fame came when his band the Plimsoul’s appeared in the 1983 cult classic movie, “Valley Girl,” which featured Nicholas Cage. The band was featured playing “A Million Miles Away,” their near-hit, and a couple other live songs in … Read more

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: L.W. [Album Review]

King Gizzard & The Lizard WizardL.W.Flightless Records [2021] One thing that never was in question during this eternal pandemic lockdown was that Australia’s King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard would crank out some more records. L.W. is the bands seventeenth studio album and is the bookend to last year’s K.G. release and considered Volume 3 … Read more

Julien Baker: Little Oblivions [Album Review]

Julien BakerLittle OblivionsMatador Records [2021] “Until then I’ll split the difference / Between medicine and poison / Take what I can get away with / While it burns right through my stomach” is just one of the very first devastating lyrics you will hear from Julien Baker on the opening track “Hardline” from her third … Read more

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: Carnage [Album Review]

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis CarnageGoliath Records [2021] The one time I was able to see the Australian band Nick Cave & The Bad Seed play live, they delivered a set in the afternoon on the 1994 version of the Lollapalooza festival, the year Beastie Boys and Smashing Pumpkins were the headliners. Fresh from the … Read more

The Hold Steady: Open Door Policy [Album Review]

The Hold Steady Open Door PolicyPositive Jams/Thirty Tigers [2021] At this point, with 7 studio albums under their belt since debuting on the scene in 2004, The Hold Steady have locked down a pretty reliable piece of rock & roll real estate around the storytelling narratives of singer/songwriter Craig Finn. The band’s 2019 album, aptly … Read more

The Weather Station: Ignorance [Album Review]

The Weather Station IgnoranceFat Possum Records [2021] With the fifth album from her band The Weather Station, Canadian singer/songwriter Tamara Lindeman has expanded her band’s sonic palette to include a fuller sound that includes a richer, jazzier sound carried in the percussion and the increased textures achieved by the addition of saxophone, flute and in … Read more

Calyx: Stay Gone [Album Review]

CalyxStay GonePlastic Miracles / Ethospine Noise / Chumpire / Salinas Records [2021] I always enjoy when I come across a record that just bursts with raw energy. That is exactly how I would quickly describe Calyx’s full length debut, Stay Gone, as the Pittsburgh trio has perfected their brash style of indie punk rock. The … Read more

Charlie Peacock: Skin And Wind [Album Review]

Charlie Peacock Skin And Wind UTR Media [2021] Unless you’re someone who studies the small print credits list when you pick up a new album, you likely have never heard of Charlie Peacock, the producer of The Civil Wars’ 2011 debut, Barton Hollow, which picked up two Grammy’s for Best Folk and Best Country Duo Performance. … Read more

Lucero: When You Found Me [Album Review]

Lucero When You Found MeLiberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers [2021] On the tenth studio album from long-time Memphis band Lucero, singer and songwriter Ben Nichols leads his bandmate crew through 10 songs that celebrate the rock & roll influences he heard on the radio throughout his youth in a series of story songs that reflect his … Read more

Steve Earle & The Dukes: J.T. [Album Review]

Steve Earle & The Dukes J.T.New West Records [2021] Steve Earle, one of the founding fathers of Outlaw Country and Americana, has gotten awfully good at something he likely never hoped to be known for. Especially this time. Back in 2009, Earle released Townes, a tribute to his friend and mentor, Townes Van Zandt, who … Read more

Kikagaku Moyo: Live At Levitation [Album Review]

Kikagaku Moyo Live At LevitationThe Reverberation Appreciation Society [2021] Kikagaku Moyo’s name translated means “geometric patterns.” The group hails from Tokyo, Japan and has been active since 2012. The band also hosts their own label, Guruguru Brain, which has some of the best psychedelic artists on their roster in music today. When this album hit … Read more

Kiwi Jr.: Cooler Returns [Album Review]

Kiwi Jr.Cooler ReturnsSup Pop Records [2021] I always like to watch bands grow from their debut and attempt one of the biggest moments in any band’s career which is to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. Toronto’s Kiwi Jr. for sure is in that watch group following their catchy 2019 debut Football Money on Canadian label … Read more

shame: Drunk Tank Pink [Album Review]

shameDrunk Tank PinkDead Oceans [2021] How about a record that embraces the isolation of current times with a simmering post-punk that will hit your core? If that peaks your interest then shame’s sophomore record, Drunk Tank Pink, is a release that you need to spin right now. The band presents a much more mature sound … Read more

Sonny Falls: All That Has Come Apart​/​Once Did Not Exist [Album Review]

Sonny FallsAll That Has Come Apart​/​Once Did Not ExistPlastic Miracles [2020] If we would have gotten hold of Sonny Falls new double album before December it would have landed in our 2020 Top 50 end year list. The album was actually released in three parts starting on August 7th, when the first cassette was released, … Read more

Aaron Frazer: Introducing… [Album Review]

Aaron FrazerIntroducing…Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound [2021] One element that helped make the last record from Durand Jones and The Indications, American Love Call, a success was the quality songwriting and elegant falsetto coming from drummer Aaron Frazer. Has creativeness and voice was the perfect balance for the band but also put a large spotlight on … Read more

The White Stripes: Greatest Hits [Album Review]

The White Stripes Greatest HitsThird Man Records/Columbia Records [2020] Here in 2020, 13 years after the last studio release from The White Stripes, it’s funny for those of us who saw the band live in their heyday in the 00’s because apart from hearing “Seven Nation Army,” on what’s left of alternative rock radio, probably … Read more

Phoebe Bridgers: Copycat Killers EP [Album Review]

Phoebe Bridgers Copycat Killers EPDead Oceans [2020] After releasing her critically acclaimed sophomore release, Punisher, back in the summer only to have it earn her 4 Grammy nods including Best New Artist, singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers has collaborated with orchestrator Rob Moose to re-present 4 songs from that strong indie rock collection. Moose is best known … Read more