The Jayhawks – Mockingbird Time
Seminal alt-country band The Jayhawks are back together with the original line-up on their eighth…read more→
Design | Letterpress Studio
As some of you already know, in my non-Record Dept. life I’m an Art Director/Graphic…read more→
Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’
Miami trio Jacuzzi Boys are back and still showing the love for teenage high jinks…read more→
The Horrors – Skying
High expectations abound when a band lands the cover of a major music magazine prior…read more→
Holcombe Waller – Into the Dark Unknown
Into the Dark Unknown, the 12 song cycle from Portland, OR based singer/songwriter Holcombe Waller,…read more→
Fruit Bats – Tripper
The Fruit Bats are back, following 2009’s Ruminant Band with their fifth full length, Tripper.…read more→
Brown Bird – Salt for Salt
Right on the heels of their EP The Sound of Ghosts, Providence, RI based indie…read more→
Mike Angus – Hymns
Canadian Mike Angus, frontman and half of the brother duo that partially comprise The Wheat…read more→
Good Luck Mountain – Good Luck Mountain
Brooklyn, NY based indie folk ensemble Good Luck Mountain released their excellent self-titled debut album…read more→
Crooked Fingers – Breaks in the Armor
The reunion tour of North Carolina noise rockers Archers of Loaf is receiving much press,…read more→
Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
San Francisco based male due of Christopher Owens and Chet “JR” White, together as Girls,…read more→
Willy Gantrim – Sings Country, Blues, and Ballads
Willy Gantrim deftly conjures up another era with his fantastic album, Willy Gantrim Sings Country,…read more→
Sarah MacDougall – The Greatest Ones Alive
Swedish native and Canadian songstress Sarah MacDougall self-released The Greatest Ones Alive, a full-length of…read more→
Carter Tanton – Free Clouds
Carter Tanton – former frontman for Tulsa, member of Lower Dens, and guitarist in Marissa…read more→
The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
You can’t talk about The War on Drugs without mentioning Kurt Vile, former frontman and…read more→
Theodore – Blood Signs EP
St. Louis based band Theodore recently signed with Misra Records, and their EP, Blood Signs,…read more→
Southeast Engine – Canary
This past spring, Athens, Ohio band Southeast Engine released their fifth album, Canary on the…read more→
Leatherbag – Yellow Television
Leatherbag is the proto-punk/rock band from Austin fronted by songwriter Randy Reynolds, a transplant from…read more→
The Besnard Lakes – You Lived in the City
Montreal quartet The Besnard Lakes, known for their expansive indie rock sound, have been exploring…read more→
Neighbors – August EP
Following the release of their Hooligans EP in 2010, the Brooklyn band Neighbors are back…read more→
Morning River Band – Between the Ocean and the Blues
New Jersey’s Morning River Band is back with another great self-released Americana/blues effort, Between the…read more→
Dex Romweber Duo – Is That You in the Blue?
For shame! I’ll admit that it was only recently that I was introduced to the…read more→
Tunnels – The Blackout
Tunnels is the solo project of Nick Bindeman (formerly of experimental bands Eternal Tapestry and…read more→
Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital
From Expo 86 to synth pop circa 1986, Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Atlas Strategic) is…read more→
The Globes – Future Self
The Globes are the latest sensation sweeping the Seattle music scene and touring across the…read more→
Nat Baldwin – People Changes
Hailing from Portsmouth, NH is the talented Nat Baldwin, bassist for Dirty Projectors and contributor…read more→
Oaken Lee – The Man I’ll Be
The new British duo Oaken Lee has self-released their debut EP of indie folk, The…read more→
Mini Mansions – Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions is the power pop project of Queens of the Stone Age bassist/Wires of…read more→
John Reischman and The Jaybirds – Vintage and Unique
Juno nominated band John Reischman & the Jaybirds have been playing together for a decade,…read more→
Vandaveer – Dig Down Deep
Vandaveer is a Washington D.C. based Americana project that revolves around songwriter/guitarist Mark Charles Heidinger…read more→
David Bazan – Strange Negotiations
Back in high school I only knew him as Dave, the nice kid in the…read more→
Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread
Regular readers of Record Dept. may have noticed that San Francisco’s Ty Segall (The Traditional…read more→
Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Mirror Traffic
The 2010 reunion tour of seminal indie rock band Pavement made many music headlines and…read more→
Fountains of Wayne – Sky Full of Holes
Grammy award nominated power pop band Fountains of Wayne celebrates their fifteen years together with…read more→
Carlos Forster – Family Trees
HUSH RECORDS The friendship of Carlos Forster (for Stars) and M. Ward (She & Him,…read more→
Buxter Hoot’n – Buxter Hoot’n
San Francisco based quintet Buxter Hoot’n self-released their self-titled third album of finely crafted Americana/Southern…read more→
Wooden Shjips – West
Wooden Shjips is Ripley Johnson (guitar, vocals), Dusty Jermier (bass), Nash Whalen (organ), and Omar…read more→
The Wooden Birds – Two Matchsticks
The Wooden Birds is the current project lead by Andrew Kenny (former frontman of slowcore…read more→
The Due Diligence – I Will Wreck Your Life
If legendary Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart gives you a nickname, and take it and…read more→
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World
It’s been almost exactly one year since Record Dept. reviewed Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s debut…read more→
Buffalo Killers – 3
Cincinnanti-based rock band Buffalo Killers released their third album, the apt and simply titled 3.…read more→
Golden Bloom – March To The Drums
Shawn Fogel, under the moniker Golden Bloom, recently released his six-song debut EP, March to…read more→
The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy
Since their debut EP, 2008’s Recordings of The Middle East, the Australian band The Middle…read more→
The Black Swans – Don’t Blame The Stars
There is a danger when, as a talented but relatively obscure band, the song lyrics…read more→
Prattle On, Rick – A Decade Begins
Nashville based Patrick Rickelton (Prattle On, Rick) self-released his debut EP of indie folk, Communion…read more→
Peter Case – The Case Files
Peter Case has dedicated his career to creating and capturing some of the most influential…read more→
Key Losers – California Lite
Portland band Key Losers is the newest project of Katy Davidson (Lloyd & Michael, Cynthia…read more→
Jonny Corndawg – Down on the Bikini Line
Jonny “Corndawg” Fritz is not your typical country singer. The former Nashville / current Brooklyn…read more→
Mark Davis – Eliminate the Toxins
Mark Davis may not be a household name in the U.S., but he is a…read more→
Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler
Boston painter turned singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler is proving with her fifth, self-titled album that her…read more→
Jolie Holland – Pint of Blood
Jolie Holland’s fifth solo release Pint of Blood finds the former founder of The Be…read more→
Gillian Welch – The Harrow and The Harvest
It’s been eight long years since Gillian Welch’s last solo full length album Soul Journey,…read more→
William Elliott Whitmore – Field Songs
Iowa based singer/songwriter and horse farmer William Elliott Whitmore is out with his eighth full-length…read more→
Frank Fairfield – Out on the Open West
Frank Fairfield is a musically talented young Californian with a definitively old-timey sound, whose career…read more→
Scott Pryor and The Common Sinners – If We Set Out Now
Austin-based singer/songwriter Scott Pryor and his Philadelphia convened band The Common Sinners recently self-released their…read more→
King Post Kitsch – The Party’s Over
Scotland based sound engineer Charlie Ward released the full length album The Party’s Over as…read more→
Storms – Lay Your Sea Coat Aside
Storms are Lori Scacco (Seely) and Barcelonian Eva Puyuelo (Savath & Savalas) and their debut…read more→
Melaena Cadiz – Rattle the Windows
Michigan born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Melaena Cadiz self-released her debut album of indie folk, Rattle the…read more→
White Denim – D
Austin has its share of great bands and rockers White Denim are on my current…read more→
Amor de Dias – Street of the Love of Days
MERGE Amor de Días (“love for days”) is Alasdair MacLean (The Clientele) and Lupe Núñez-Fernández…read more→
Point Juncture, WA – Handsome Orders
Portland, OR atmospheric indie pop band Point Juncture, WA released Handsome Orders, the eagerly awaited…read more→
D. Charles Speer and the Helix – Leaving The Commonwealth
Leaving the Commonwealth is the third full length album by Brooklyn quintet D. Charles Speer…read more→
Matt Bauer – The Jessamine County Book of the Living
Native Kentuckian turned Brooklyn citizen Matt Bauer released his sophomore effort The Jessamine County Book…read more→
Barn Owl – Shadowland
San Francisco guitarists Jon Porras and Evan Caminiti are Barn Owl and their three song…read more→
Witches – Forever
Athens, Georgia based trio Witches recently released their debut album of raw 90’s style rock…read more→
Small Sur – Tones
Three-piece project Small Sur has released their second album, the simply titled Tones. While not…read more→
Woods – Sun and Shade
Brooklyn band Woods is out with Sun and Shade – their sixth indie/folk rock album…read more→
Seapony – Go With Me
Seattle based trio Seapony released their debut album Go with Me, a home recorded twelve…read more→
The Ladybug Transistor – Clutching Stems
MERGE After sixteen years together, Brooklyn collective The Ladybug Transistor is still making consistently great…read more→
The Details – Lost Art
The Details are an alt-rock quartet hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, and their new album Lost…read more→
The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low
Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp managed to do the impossible on their fifth album Loud…read more→
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter – Marble Son
Seattle-based folk chanteuse Jesse Sykes and her talented backing band The Sweet Hereafter, which is…read more→
Hospital Ships – Lonely Twin
Jordan Geiger (formerly of Shearwater, and Appleseed Cast) has ventured into a solo project, Hospital…read more→
Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
L.A. folk-rock band Dawes draws upon the legacy of their locale, mining the Laurel Canyon…read more→
tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
Hot young band tUnE-yArDs – Merrill Garbus (vocals, multi-instrumental) and Nate Brenner (bass) – released…read more→
Bodies of Water – Twist Again
Married L.A. musicians David and Meredith Metcalf, together as Bodies of Water, self-released their third…read more→
EDM – Night People
Bloomington, Indiana psych-folk prog rockers EDM – formerly Early Day Miners – are back on…read more→
Grant Peeples – Okra and Ecclesiastes
GATORBONES RECORDS Okra and Ecclesiastes aren’t an obvious pair but they vividly conjure the deep…read more→
Paleo – Fruit of the Spirit
Midwesterner David Strackany, who records under the name Paleo, just released his latest folk album…read more→
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Indie folk singer-songwriter Bon Iver (a.k.a. Justin Vernon) is back with his eagerly anticipated sophomore…read more→
The Wave Pictures – Beer in the Breakers
MOSHI MOSHI British trio The Wave Pictures have been making music for more than a…read more→
Snowmine – Laminate Pet Animal
SELF-RELEASED Brooklyn based indie/psych pop band Snowmine was initially formed by three friends – Grayson…read more→
JD McPherson – Signs and Signifiers
To the chagrin of semiotics students everywhere, JD McPherson’s debut full-length is not a tribute…read more→
The Sweetback Sisters – Looking for a Fight
The Sweetback Sisters are neither relatives nor sisters; in fact they are a mostly male…read more→
Moon Duo – Mazes
Moon Duo – Ripley Johnson (of Wooden Shjips) and Sanae Yamada – are back with…read more→
Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Thurston Moore is best known for as a founding member of the seminal alt-rock…read more→
Brown Bird – The Sounds of Ghosts
Providence, RI based indie folk band Brown Bird self-released their EP The Sound of Ghosts.…read more→
David Olney – Film Noir
Nashville is not a city that typically inspires film noir – a Hollywood crime drama…read more→
Algebro – The Algebro Album
SELF-RELEASED After ten years in the works, Algebro – Thom Cathcart along with a four-piece…read more→
The Roadside Graves – We Can Take Care of Ourselves
AUTUMN TONE New Jersey rockers The Roadside Graves are releasing their artistic take on S.E.…read more→
Steve Earle – I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Legendary singer-songwriter, political activist and Grammy award winner Steve Earle recently released his 14th studio…read more→
Buddy Miller – The Majestic Silver Strings
Buddy Miller is a musician’s musician: longtime Nashville session guitarist, producer (Robert Plant’s Band of…read more→
Centro-matic – Candidate Waltz
Alt-country Texas band Centro-matic has been making music together for fifteen years, and their tenth…read more→
Coolrunnings – Dracula Is Only The Beginning
SELF-RELEASED Coolrunnings sound like they hail from the California coast with their hazy brand of…read more→
Antlers – Burst Apart
FRENCHKISS RECORDS Brooklyn trio Antlers made a name for themselves with 2009’s Hospice, and now…read more→
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes And Keys
Codes and Keys sees Death Cab for Cutie not settling, but inhabiting a more collaborative…read more→
Brontosaurus – Cold Comes To Claim
SELF-RELEASED Chicago math/prog rockers Nicholas Kelley and Nicholas Papaleo (a.k.a. Brontosaurus) are releasing their debut…read more→
Man Man – Life Fantastic
Philadelphia based Man Man’s fourth release, Life Fantastic, finds a dynamic, evolved band who still…read more→
Mount Moriah – Mount Moriah
Talented musicians Heather McEntire (of post-punk band Bellafea) and Jenks Miller (of psych metal group…read more→
Campfire OK – Strange Like We Are
Seattle’s Campfire OK, has recently released its debut album, Strange Like We Are, a set…read more→