Upbeat/catchy indie pop! If you like bands like Vampire Weekend and The Drums (and who doesn’t?) this CD will be right up your alley. Running through the album is a…
Brilliant. Jim James, leader of My Morning Jacket, nails is on this, not his first, solo release. Imaginative syncopation behind his nuanced but powerful vocals drive each song to make…
Delta Spirit is a straightforward rock ballad type of band. They craft guitar driven epics with soaring vocals and pounding drums, but the album’s strong first few songs are followed…
This is the is local mainstay’s debut album, filled with moody arena rock anthems that wouldn’t have been out of place on alternative rock radio last decade (with shades of…
The Chieftains are world-famous Irish folk group. They’ve been making music for fifty years. They’ve played for the Pope. So don’t get too excited about all the guest appearances here…
Charli XCX wrote “I Love It” for Icona Pop, though she could’ve easily kept it for herself judging by this album full of infectious pop songs. Her sound fits right…
Ducktails fires on all cylinders for its fourth album. Matt Mondanile (also of Real Estate) finds the perfect niche and gives indie pop its next great band. The Flower Lane starts…
Apollo Cobra’s second album revives 80s disco/dance music with startling fidelity, for better or for worse depending on your taste. Motherland has a few catchy beats (‘Motherland’ and ‘Pissed’ in…
Dance music, plain and simple. One 4/4 synth-washed banger after another. Track 1 is the perfect introduction to the group, with a slow build to an in-the-clouds chorus. Honestly you…
Omega Swan is a local band that reminds me of something you would see playing in a garage. They have an underground rock sound with a lot of funky guitar…
Steve Martin’s talent for Bluegrass music continues to blow my mind. He’s taking some time away from the Steep Canyon Rangers, but this collaboration with singer-songwriter Edie Brickell is breathtaking.…
Speedy Ortiz has been getting a good deal of attention lately for bringing back the kind of angsty, well-written, female rock that artists like Liz Phair pioneered. Although I don’t…
The one word I kept thinking while listening to this album was smooth. This is a very laid back album with some great kick-back tracks. Good for a romantic date…
I love this album. It is so ambient. The only issue I have is that there are too many songs that start with the singer soloing first, however, when one…
This album produces an interesting combination: folk music and synths. “Sun Arise!” is that combination in a nutshell, with Fleet Foxes style harmony vocals over a soft, starry synth line.…
While Smith Westerns broke out on their last album, “Dye It Blonde,” their follow-up shows that their sound hasn’t gotten stale. Two excellent songs bookend what is otherwise a decent…
At this point, you probably already know whether or not you like She and Him. Volume 3 is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward at their She-and-Himmiest ever, and if you’re…
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Caitlin Rose is fantastic on her sophomore album. The country influence is heavy, sometimes too much for my taste, and the songs are catchy and radio-friendly. Her voice…
This is kind of a strange, self-indulgent album but rewarding. Villagers mix together a lot of different sounds, with indie rock sensibilities, frequent ambient passages and occasional bursts of singer/songwriter…
Extremely creative/enjoyable instrumental electronic music. The first four tracks are muscular techno soundscapes, with “Breathe This Air” adding a sprinkling of piano flourishes to the mix. The back half of…
Our neighbors from Belmont, the Delta Saints, have created a distinctly Southern debut album. Death Letter Jubilee is a rock album soaked in moonshine and served at some dimly lit…