Lessons In Time – Swords and Spears
Lessons In Time, aka Blake Wassell, is a 19-year-old Australian musician who takes found sounds…read more→
Kathryn Calder – Are You My Mother
Kathryn Calder’s solo release, Are You My Mother? marks this Canadian artist’s solo debut. Formerly…read more→
Jack Rose with D. Charles Speer and The Helix – Ragged and Right
The prolific guitarist Jack Rose (Pelt), whose tribute album Honest Strings I recently reviewed, collaborated…read more→
Wages – In Sun
Wages makes sweet pop songs that soar and swell on their debut EP, In Sun.…read more→
Grand Canyon – The Hits
Grand Canyon is a rootsy country punk collective that naturally hails from Albuquerque, NM. Their…read more→
Eskalators – Cats and Dogs Living Together EP
18-piece orchestral pop collective Eskalators (not to be confused with British ska band The Eskalators)…read more→
Frontier Ruckus – Deadmalls and Nightfalls
Lansing, MI based indie folk band Frontier Ruckus is set to release Deadmalls & Nightfalls…read more→
The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo
New Zealand’s The Phoenix Foundation hasn’t gotten much attention stateside, but keen listeners may have…read more→
Mary Gauthier – The Foundling
Modeled after Willie Nelson’s The Redheaded Stranger, New Orleans singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier delves more fully…read more→
Hezekiah Jones – Bread of Teeth
Following the success of their 06 full-length debut Hezekiah Says You’re A-Ok and 07’s Come…read more→
Our Orthodox – Our Orthodox
Indie folk rocker Neal Harris’ (a.k.a. Our Orthodox) self-titled debut uses pure acoustic guitar, vocals,…read more→
Ronnie Fauss – New Songs for the Old Frontier Volume One
09’s New Songs for the Old Frontier Volume One finds Dallas, TX alt-country Americana singer/songwriter…read more→
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein is best known as the writer and illustrator of books like “Where the…read more→
Coolrunnings – Babes Forever EP
Babes Forever, one of two recent EPs from Coolrunnings, takes inspiration from west coast surf-rock,…read more→
Sonny and the Sunsets – Tomorrow Is Alright
Sonny & the Sunsets, fronted by San Francisco playwright/songsmith/troubadour Sonny Smith, effortlessly drift through 50’s,…read more→
Ghosts I’ve Met – Payphone Patience EP
Ghosts I’ve Met is a Seattle based indie folk act centered around Sam Watts with…read more→
Wolf Parade – Expo 86
The third album by Canadian indie-rockers Wolf Parade, Expo 86, follows the band’s 08 At…read more→
Honest Strings: A Tribute to the Life and Work of Jack Rose
Philadelphia based acoustic guitar prodigy Jack Rose (formerly of noise/drone band Pelt) died suddenly of…read more→
Blitzen Trapper – Destroyer of the Void
Portland’s favorite bearded sextet, Blitzen Trapper, have just released their fifth album, Destroyer of the…read more→
Vermillion Sands – Vermillion Sands
Italian garage pop quartet Vermillion Sands (not to be confused with the similarly named 80’s…read more→
Thee Oh Sees – Warm Slime
San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees boldly start off Warm Slime with the title track that…read more→
Plants and Animals – La La Land
Montreal trio Plants and Animals follow up their well-received debut Parc Avenue with La La…read more→
BLK JKS – Zol!
Indie rock band BLK JKS from Johannesburg has a very timely release for their EP…read more→
Secret Cities – Pink Graffiti
Secret Cities’ 10-track album influenced by “Brian Wilson and young people” puts an impressive spin…read more→
Leopold and His Fiction – Golden Friends
San Francisco lo-fi indie rock trio Leopold and His Fiction’s third release Golden Friends features…read more→
Candy Claws – Hidden Lands
Candy Claws is an eight-piece experimental dream pop band from Fort Collins, Colorado that seamlessly…read more→
Doug Burr – O Ye Devastator
O Ye Devastator – the follow-up to Doug Burr’s acclaimed The Shawl from 08 –…read more→
Patrick Park – Come What Will
Colorado-born but LA based singer/songwriter and guitarist Patrick Park’s fifth album Come What Will continues…read more→
Trampled By Turtles – Palomino
Duluth, Minnesota bluegrass band Trampled By Turtles’ fifth studio album, Palomino, finds the acoustic quintet…read more→
Pearson – Clear Thinking on Mixed Feelings
Canadian slowcore folk band Pearson’s debut Clear Thinking on Mixed Feelings is a finely polished…read more→
People of the North – Deep Tissue
People of the North take listeners to psych-rock heaven with Deep Tissue, a four-track LP…read more→
Jeremy Messersmith – The Reluctant Graveyard
It may be called The Reluctant Graveyard, but Jeremy Messersmith’s latest release is anything but…read more→
Woods – At Echo Lake
The Brooklyn band Woods’ fifth release At Echo Lake is another superb set of psych-tinged…read more→
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Saltwater Band, formerly of the Aboriginal rock/roots band Yothu…read more→
The Wilderness of Manitoba – When You Left the Fire
The Wilderness of Manitoba’s debut full-length album When You Left the Fire is the much…read more→
Mountain Man – Made the Harbor
Mountain Man is a trio of three women (Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle, and Alex Sauser-Monnig)…read more→
Sleigh Bells – Treats
The current incarnation of Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells – Derek Miller (guitar, beats) and Alexis Krauss…read more→
Folk Music for the End of the World
The first-rate 07 compilation Folk Music for the End of the World put out by…read more→
Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam – Life Stream
Leave the city behind and prepare to drift through the countryside with Life Stream, the…read more→
Friend of All the World – Up These Branches
Montreal’s Robert Cole, recording under the moniker Friend of All the World, spent about two…read more→
The Love Language – Libraries
The second release Libraries from North Carolina’s The Love Language sounds like lo-fi, effects-laden ’60s…read more→
Wye Oak – My Neighbor/My Creator
Baltimore indie folk duo Wye Oak delivers its third release My Neighbor/My Creator less than…read more→
Kyle Swartzwelder – Our Home in Yonder Field
While spending most of 09 touring throughout the East Coast in support of his acclaimed…read more→
Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring
Thistled Spring is the follow-up to Horse Feathers’ 08 stark winter soundscape House with No…read more→
Yellow Ostrich – Wild Comfort
Yellow Ostrich is an artist I stumbled upon while surfing around on Bandcamp.com and is…read more→
Chimes & Bells – Into Pieces of Wood
Copenhagen’s Chimes & Bells, fronted by Caecilie Trier (Choir of Young Believers), released their debut…read more→
Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Bear in Heaven’s second LP, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, is a spacey ride comprising 10…read more→
Librarians – Present Passed
Librarians’ follow-up their 07 debut, Alright Easy Candy Stranger with Present Passed, which sees the…read more→
Suckers – Wild Smile
Brooklyn four-piece Suckers take a range of elements from glam and R&B to African rhythms…read more→
Moon Duo – Escape
San Francisco’s Moon Duo describe their music as “primordial and disorienting sonic stew,” which is…read more→
Washington Mile – Simple Hearts
Seattle’s Washington Mile is starting to create a small buzz in the indie music blogosphere,…read more→
Gold and Silver Compilation 1
The German label Gold & Silver Recordings released a superb compilation of spare acoustic folk…read more→
The Jim Jones Revue – The Jim Jones Revue
Britain’s Jim Jones Revue, who made their American debut at this year’s SXSW music festival,…read more→
Lucas Dawson – Another Way to Say Goodbye
Australian Lucas Dawson’s debut album, Another Way to Say Goodbye, is a classic break-up album,…read more→
Look Mexico – To Bed To Battle
Look Mexico’s second full-length album sees the band experimenting with new sounds and instruments, giving…read more→
Bizi Gara – Horsebat
Native Parisian painter/musician Baptiste Ibar’s (a.k.a. Bizi Gara) second album Horsebat is a collection of…read more→
The Apples in Stereo – Travellers in Space and Time
The Apples in Stereo wants you to go back to the future with its latest…read more→
The Naked Hearts – Mass Hysteria
Brooklyn’s Naked Hearts takes indie pop and adds a generous dose of melancholy on their…read more→
The Megaphonic Thrift – Decay Decoy
Norway’s The Megaphonic Thrift is the collaboration between Richard Myklebust (Stereo 21), Linn Frøkedal and…read more→
Elephant Micah – Plays the Songs of Bible Birds
Since his first folk home recordings and experimentations in ’00, Elephant Micah (singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist…read more→
The Henry Clay People – Somewhere on the Golden Coast
The third album Somewhere on the Golden Coast from Los Angeles band The Henry Clay…read more→
Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils
One of my favorite up-and-coming acts (and SXSW standouts) – Brooklyn based-band Beach Fossils –…read more→
John Goraj – Possible
John Goraj is a great up-and-coming indie folk singer/songwriter originally from South Dakota now based…read more→
The Mynabirds – What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood
Following the demise of the DC indie pop group Georgie James in 08, Laura Burhenn…read more→
Essie Jain – Until the Light of Morning
British born, NYC based indie singer/songwriter Essie Jain releases her third effort, Until the Light…read more→
Caribou – Swim
Electronic dance music gets exceptional treatment on Swim, the new release from Caribou (formerly known…read more→
Gayngs – Relayted
Anyone yearning for ‘80s retro, soft rock, smooth jams – look no further. Indie collective…read more→
The Crooked Brothers – Deathbed Pillowtalk
Winnipeg’s The Crooked Brothers finds Matt Foster and Darwin Baker (SubCity Dwellers) and Jesse Matas…read more→
Unnatural Helpers – Cracked Love and Other Drugs
Seattle garage-punk band Unnatural Helpers has fun with their second full-length release, Cracked Love &…read more→
Holy Fuck – Latin
Toronto’s Holy Fuck, after two full-length releases, is now known just as much for its…read more→
Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs – Medicine County
Medicine County, the latest album by Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, is steeped in traditional,…read more→
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Broken Social Scene returns after five years with Forgiveness Rock Record, an album with the…read more→
Everest – On Approach
On Approach, Everest’s follow-up to their 2008 debut, Ghost Notes, combines sweeping pop songwriting with…read more→
Black Tambourine – Black Tambourine
Noise-pop band Black Tambourine may not have gotten its due in the ‘90s, but the…read more→
Mark Sultan – $
Montreal’s Mark Sultan (BBQ Show in King Khan, Spaceshit) returns with 13 gritty, retro inspired…read more→
The Black Keys – Brothers
Brothers – the sixth album by The Black Keys and their third on Nonesuch Records…read more→
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Dirty Shirt Rock ‘N Roll: The First Ten Years
Dirty Shirt Rock ‘N Roll: The First Ten Years is a 22 track retrospective of…read more→
The Fresh & Onlys – August in My Mind
San Francisco-quartet The Fresh & Onlys’ latest EP August in My Mind continues their mash-up…read more→
Giant Cloud – Old Books
New Orleans-based quintet Giant Cloud blends classic psychedelia and indie rock with lush harmonies and…read more→
Roky Erickson with Okkervil River – True Love Cast Out All Evil
Roky Erickson, former ‘60s frontman of psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators who spent…read more→
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Infinite Arms – Band of Horses’ third record and the first since moving on from…read more→
Josh Ritter – So Runs the World Away
Idaho native and Brooklyn transplant Josh Ritter’s sixth album, So Runs the World Away, finds…read more→
Tim Schmidt – Slower Things
Singer-songwriter Tim Schmidt, a Swedish native based out of Leipzig, Germany (not to be confused…read more→
Sam Amidon – I See the Sign
I See the Sign, the latest release from modern folk singer Sam Amidon, continues the…read more→
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
The Hold Steady’s fifth album, Heaven Is Whenever, sees the New York-by-way-of-Minnesota band producing another…read more→
The National – High Violet
High Violet, the new full-length record by Brooklyn five-piece The National, is an edgy, melodic…read more→
The Wailing Wall – Low Hanging Fruit
New York based multi-instrumentalist The Wailing Wall (a.k.a. Jesse Rifkin) follows-up his exceptional debut, Hospital…read more→
Aaron Espe – Songs from a Small Town
Aaron Espe is an indie-folk-pop artist I stumbled upon on CD Baby that came highly…read more→
Delorean – Subiza
The Barcelona based four-piece Delorean plays an infectious mix of dance music and indie pop…read more→
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and The Cairo Gang – Wonder Show of the World
The latest Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy release, Wonder Show of the World, is a collaborative effort…read more→
The Infamous Stringdusters – Things That Fly
The Infamous Stringdusters began as a supergroup of Nashville pickers who quickly garnered adoring fans…read more→
Black Prairie – Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
Feast of the Hunters’ Moon is the debut album from Portland, OR based Black Prairie,…read more→
Hacienda – Big Red and Barbacoa
Big Red and Barbacoa, Hacienda’s follow-up release to 08’s Loud is the Night, adds more…read more→
The New Pornographers – Together
Together, the new release from the New Pornographers, sees the band returning to a bigger,…read more→
Nicki Bluhm – Toby’s Song
The striking vocalist/guitarist Nicki Bluhm and her five-piece band The Gramblers tap the classic West…read more→
Drink Up Buttercup – Born and Thrown on a Hook
The debut release by Philadelphia’s Drink Up Buttercup, Born and Thrown on a Hook, is…read more→
Bombadil – Tarpits & Canyonlands
Taking its name from a character in a J.R.R. Tolkien poem, this band from North…read more→
Bryan Yurgelis and The Winter Shakers – The Frontier Life
Cleveland’s Bryan Yurgelis is a writer, artist, and singer/songwriter for the indie folk band The…read more→
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned The Hard Way
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are known as one of the most electrifying acts in…read more→
Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
Long Beach, CA four-piece Avi Buffalo adopted their name from Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, the band’s 18…read more→