This is a brilliant idea for an album, and who better than singer, pianist, conductor, and nightclub owner Michael Feinstein to put it together? When he was 20, he worked as Ira Gershwin’s assistant and archivist for six years, and […]
Like a gale force wind, Sugaray Rayford lifts us off the ground, out of our complacency, and into a sonic stratosphere from which we’ll never want to come down. From the blasting snare shot and blaring horns on the opening […]
Brooklyn-based guitarist Scott Metzger has garnered quite the rep during a 20-plus year career that has seen him collaborate with everyone from Nels Cline and Shooter Jennings to Dean Ween. He’s also become a pivotal component in Joe Russo’s Almost […]
As a favor to overly delicate ears, Landon Lloyd Miller’s pithy solo debut should come with an advisory that reads, “Warning: Contents Under Pressure.” Untethered from his likable roots band, The Wall Chargers, the Louisiana native delivers a striking portrayal […]
Matt Andersen has drawn from the best roots music has to offer over his decades-long career: down and dirty blues, heart-wrenching soul, life-affirming gospel, and introspective singer-songwriter balladry. These sounds, textures, and influences are laid bare on House to House, […]
Mavis Staples casts a long shadow. For most of the past two decades, Rick Holmstrom has been standing behind her onstage, backing up her brilliance with his guitar fills. “It’s like this light bulb that’s blasting out its full amps […]
That Cloud Cult is still doing what Cloud Cult has always done is a startling realization if you’ve paid any amount of attention to the Minnesota-based band’s output over the last 20-plus years. Craig Minowa is the load-bearing wall in […]
There is a common practice for artists — one for them, one for me — that is theoretically meant to keep creativity uninhibited. When last we heard from Tamara Lindeman and her band The Weather Station, she had made one […]
Despite Dan Auerbach’s knack for spinning gold, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, hometown heroes Ceramic Animal were already three albums and a ton of hard work in when they crossed paths with the producer and his magic touch. Establishing themselves locally as a […]
At a glance, the title of Yonder Mountain String Band’s new album, Get Yourself Outside, seems like an unambiguous call to action. But it’s not referencing the great outdoors: These songs are meant to encourage reflection and a conscientious shift […]
