big stir records Archive
13 Aug 2022
Album Review: Nick Frater — Aerodrome Motel
Nick Frater is a remarkably prolific artist; in recent months and years he seems to be cranking out new music at a furious pace. And his quality control program is […]
28 Jul 2022
Album Review: Maple Mars – Someone’s Got to Listen
When Maple Mars released Galaxyland in 2010, I was thrilled. Thought it was the group’s fourth album, Galaxyland was my introduction to the group led by Rick Hromadka. And what […]
18 Jun 2022
Album Review: Walker Brigade — If Only
If we’re honest, it’s not the hardest thing in the world to create a batch of hard rocking tunes. It’s substantially more challenging to write durable melodies, and/or to create […]
17 Jun 2022
Album Review: Spygenius — Jobbernowl
Those Cantabrigian masters of melody are at it again. Jobbernowl may sport an inscrutable title, but the music is accessible in the extreme. Spygenius’ knowing way with ear candy tune […]
28 Feb 2022
Album Review: Chris Church — Darling Please
The Posies came out of the Pacific Northwest with a sound that had little to do with grunge; the duo (later a full band) combined power pop sensibility with a […]
26 Feb 2022
Album Review: Lannie Flowers — Flavor of the Month
Texas singer, songwriter and guitarist Lannie Flowers is a giant in the power pop subgenre. His body of work showcases chiming, hooky and melodic songs with an immediate, relatable character. […]
19 Mar 2021
Hundred-word Reviews, March 2021
Hey, kids: collect ’em all! Five new albums, all highly recommended. Here’s the lowdown on each, in exactly 100 words per. Maxwell Farrington & Le SuperHomard – Once If you’re […]
16 Feb 2021
Hundred-word Reviews: February 2021, Part 1
The majority among these five lean in a powerpop direction. Rob Fetters – Ship Shake If Fetters’ name strikes you as familiar, that may be because you fondly remember The […]
30 Jan 2021
Album Reviews: Big Stir Singles — The Seventh and Eighth Waves
Time was, Jordan Oakes reigned as the tastemaker supreme in the powerpop world. His Yellow Pills compilation series shone a light on the very best that the genre had to […]
26 Sep 2020
Album Review: Librarians With Hickeys – Long Overdue
I’m a pushover for the big, chiming guitar sound that characterized Big Star and many of the “paisley underground” (or Children of Nuggets, if you prefer) bands that eventually followed […]
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