Album Reviews: September 11, 2018

 La Force - La Force (Montreal) With years in AroarA and Broken Social Scene amongst her numerous features, Ariel Engle makes a powerful solo debut as La Force. By taking her  past signature sounds and twisting them in the best way, Engle makes music that stands out. Engle cleverly provides

Album Reviews: September 3, 2018

 Blood Orange - Negro Swan (London, England) Over his last several albums Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes) has made leaps and bounds for the world of hip hop and R&B. This latest record continues that energy by placing Hynes in a more guiding role as producer while he still brings

Album Reviews: August 27, 2018

 Interpol - Marauder (New York City) Over the years, Interpol has become such a distinct body as a New York band that they could have easily become a legacy act without anyone getting too upset. However for their latest album, the sleekly-dressed band decidedly balances out a sharp new pop

Album Reviews: August 20, 2018

 Miles Kane - Coup De Grace (Merseyside, England) After a few cycles playing in The Last Shadow Puppets with Alex Turner, Miles Kane has decidedly switched up his solo game. Pulling in a darker and less overtly derivative sound, Kane produces one of his sharpest albums while keeping things fun.

Album Reviews: August 6, 2018

 Phantastic Ferniture - Phantastic Ferniture (Australia) If you were lucky enough to catch Julia Jacklin's heartbreaking indie-folk, her chipper new indie project is the perfect cure to her older blues. Working with friends Elizabeth Hughes and Ryan K Brennan for simple and fun pop, Jacklin crafts something exciting while still 

Album Reviews: July 30, 2018

 The Internet - Hive Mind (Los Angeles) With all the talent that the likes of Syd and Steve Lacy have delivered in their solo work in recent years, it's easy to forget how powerful their supergroup The Internet has been. As much a return to form as it is a

Album Reviews: July 16, 2018

 Florence + The Machine - High As Hope (U.K.) Throughout the years Florence Welch has continuously evolved her writing to match where she is in her life. As she sheds many of her usual metaphors for this latest album, her arrangements vary enough to both excite and occasionally underplay her

Album Reviews: July 9, 2018

 The Gorillaz - The Now Now (U.K.) Despite his collaborator heavy release last year Damon Albarn's animated band has returned as a much more solo venture this time around. Stripping things down for more focused songs, Albarn makes an album with more distinct moments than distinct sounds. With the glossy

Album Reviews: June 25, 2018

 Protomartyr - Consolation (Detroit) After their last album, Protomartryr needed to clear the chamber on their material to move forward. Though it doesn't bring the same over-arching thematic glory of their recent LP, this new record is a fierce and dynamic set of songs. Rallying cries and vicious riffs roar

Album Reviews: June 18, 2018

 Neko Case - Hell-On (Tacoma, WA) Whether it's been alt-country or something indefinable in the world of  modern folk, Neko Case has always blown audiences away. After some recent work with the New Pornographers and case/lang/veirs, Case comes out swinging with a record that has something to say. "Hell-On" starts

Album Reviews: Peach Kelli Pop, Theresa Wayman and more

 Peach Kelli Pop- Gentle Leader (Ottawa/Los Angeles) Given how brief Peach Kelli Pop's last EP was, it was genuinely shocking how much of a sonic push forward she made. This pays off in parts on their latest LP, where they mix a much more dynamic exploration of sound with a

Swing into Spring with These Classic Spins

 Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth - The 24-Carat Black You’d need an extra set of hands to count the past members of the 70s soul/funk group 24-Carat Black but it all started when Motown / Stax musician and producer Dale Warren caught a glimpse of a young Cincinnati, Ohio band called The

Empire building, one city at a time

 Young Empires‘ highly anticipated album Wake All My Youth feels like it's been a long time coming – from the 1980s, in fact. Not that you can blame singer and keyboardist Matthew Vlahovich , bassist Jacob Palahnuk, guitarist Robert Aaron Ellingson, and drummer Taylor Hill, as they've been busy as hell. Touring and