new release Archive

Album Review: Dopapod – s/t

Interactivity is what you make it. And for their latest album, Dopapod has devised a way for listeners to immerse themselves even more deeply into the band’s unique world. The […]

EP Review The Fuzztones – Encore

For forever now, The Fuzztones have been bringing their trademark version of garage punk to enthusiastic listeners. In recent years, main Fuzztone Rudi Protrudi has turned his focus toward tributes, […]

EP Review: Diplomats of Solid Sound – The Live EP

This nine-person ensemble released a fine album, A Higher Place, in 2019. That was my first exposure to the Iowa group, but I soon discovered that they have been together […]

Album Review: SVT — Always Comes Back

As I’ve mentioned before, SVT is the band most often named among those interviewed for my latest book as the Bay Area band most deserving of greater success than they […]

Hundred-word Reviews for May 2022, Part 2

I present five more reviews, in capsule form. Three of these are new releases; two are archival titles. All are deserving of deeper investigation. Alice Austin – Goodnight Euphoria Los […]

Hundred-word Reviews for May 2022, Part 1

It’s time for some more hundred-word reviews. These quick capsule reviews get to the point quickly, and readers should note that all come recommended. Don’t be misled by the lack […]

Album Review: Brian Jonestown Massacre — Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees

One might say that there are two very different sides to the Brian Jonestown Massacre. In person, live and onstage, the band defines erratic. At its best, a BJM concert […]

Album Review: Teeth of England — Serrated Cuts

Dave Sinclair is a North Carolina musician, but he’s teamed up with Memphis players as Teeth of England. With a band that includes Bluff City mainstay Jack Oblivian on drums, […]

Album Review: Louis Armstrong — The Nightclubs

A new compilation from Dot Time Records brings together an assortment of live performances by Luis Armstrong. Dating from the first half of the 1950s, these nine tracks (seven more […]

Album Review: Times Beach — Step in Time

The creatively fertile arts community in the Bay Area – centered for a time around the San Francisco Arts Institute – informed the music scene. As I wrote about in […]