new release Archive
02 Aug 2016
The Yawpers: Chronicling the American Experience, One Character at a Time
“Hey, I’m sorry I missed your call,” says Nate Cook of the Yawpers. “I didn’t hear the phone; I was vacuuming.” He laughs when I suggest that activity is “not […]
01 Aug 2016
Album Review: The Long Distance Relationship
I sometimes joke (or as Senator Al Franken says, “kid on the square”) that I avoid reviewing music made by artists local to Asheville NC “because I gotta live in […]
29 Jul 2016
Album Mini-review: Steve Gunn — Eyes on the Lines
File next to: Kurt Vile & the Violators, Hiss Golden Messenger, Grateful Dead Though his stated influences variously suggest that his own music might be experimental, avant-garde or folk-leaning, Steve […]
29 Jul 2016
Album Mini-review: Dhani Harrison & Paul Hicks — Seattle Road
File next to: Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, thenewno2 When George Harrison first stepped out of the shadow of the Beatles, he did so with a pair of albums that few heard. […]
26 Jul 2016
Ron Gallo: Heart Over Head
The primitive side of rock ‘n’ roll informs Ron Gallo‘s music as showcased on RG3 – EP, a three-song preview of his upcoming album Heavy Meta, due out in August. […]
22 Jul 2016
David Bazan: Just Like the Record, Almost
“We wanted to make a record.” That may sound like the most obvious of statements for a recording artist to make, but David Bazan is trying to convey a deeper […]
20 Jul 2016
Album Mini-review: Melvins — Basses Loaded
File next to: The Sword, Black Sabbath, Sunn O))) Loosely – and really only geographically – associated with the Pacific Northwest grunge scene, The Melvins long have stood apart from […]
19 Jul 2016
Album Mini-review: Band of Skulls — By Default
File next to: Led Zeppelin, Stone Roses, Siena Root Rock substyles come and go, but there’s always a place for catchy riff-centric rock of the kind made by this Southampton, […]
19 Jul 2016
Album Mini-review: Jimbo Mathus — Band of Storms
File next to: JD McPherson, Dr. John the Night Tripper, The Replacements Every so often, an artist comes along who displays a true understanding of what rock ‘n’ roll is […]
18 Jul 2016
Black Mountain: Canadian Krautrock?
Conventional wisdom holds that Vancouver-based Black Mountain is somehow retro in its approach to making music. A more careful listen, however, suggests that the band’s music features new sounds that […]