Glossary – Feral Fire
The latest album from Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Glossary was release this past summer and it’s called Feral Fire. It’s a great Southern rock record in the tradition of bands like the Allman Brothers, Thin Lizzy, and Lucero. First and foremost, Feral Fire is a guitar record, but there’s some country twang and plenty of hip-shaking moments (Read more…)
Carl Hauck – Windjammer
So Chicagoan Carl Hauck’s Windjammer might just be (along with Laura Veirs’ July Flame) my favorite folk-ish release of the year. Delicate and layered folk music with gorgeous melodies, great guitar playing, and interesting accompaniments that include a Kenny G style saxophone part. Adding the sax is a bold move, but it’s there. Can you (Read more…)
Rumspringer – Empty Towers
Empty Towers is the Rumspringer full-length that I’d been eagerly awaiting since they released their self-titled EP last year. The band is from Tempe, Arizona but their sound is a universal and completely unhinged from their geography. Rumpsringer’s brand of good old fashioned pop punk is as awesome as it is imperfect. The vocals are (Read more…)
Castevet – The Echo & The Light
Earlier this year my friends from the amazing Tiny Engines label released the gorgeous vinyl version of Castevet’s newest record The Echo & The Light. It’s the second record from this Chicago group that I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. It’s not totally (or really at all) dissimilar from last year’s Summer Fences and still (Read more…)
Helen Earth Band – Our Own Ghost City
Helen Earth Band is from San Diego and (although they aren’t quite as abrasive as some of their peers and predecessors) they do have more than a little of that city’s angular and mathy post-hardcore sound. The 13 songs on Our Own Ghost City are full of complex rhythms, interlocking guitar lines, and pleasantly melodic (Read more…)
.357 String Band – Lightning From The North
It’s true. I’ve always liked loved punk music but these days I’m just as likely to be listening to something that could very well be considered a form of country or folk music as anything else. One band that combines the two is Milwaukee’s .357 String Band. I loved their previous album, Fire & Hail (Read more…)
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Just a few weeks ago my neighbors were (for whatever reason) blasting their gospel music at 10AM on a Sunday morning. It was WAY too loud so what exactly did I do? Well, I cranked up some LCD Soundsystem (I think it was probably “Losing My Edge”) and turned the bass way up and let (Read more…)
Jack Rose – Luck In The Valley
For those who aren’t familiar with him or his work, American folk guitarist Jack Rose died a year ago last week on December 5, 2009. He was only 38 years old but had already compiled an extensive discography of amazing material including Red Horse, White Mule (2002), Kensington Blues (2005), and the posthumous Luck In (Read more…)
Smoke Or Fire – The Speakeasy
Smoke Or Fire’s got a new album out now on Fat Wreck and it’s a good ‘un. The Speakeasy is the band’s third full length (and first in three years) of fast-paced personal/political punk that’s as edgy as it is catchy. It’s powerful music that’s meant to be played loud as kids sing and shout (Read more…)
