Pikefruit: Sprig | A Fascinating, If Flawed, Debut
On Sprig, the debut EP from Pikefruit, the Seattle duo presents some interesting musical ideas about the next steps in dream-pop to mixed results.
Adam P. Newton
Oozing Wound: High Anxiety | Nuanced Hardcore for Grownups
High Anxiety by Oozing Wound is hardcore for grownups, especially in its approach to chugging, thrashing, and getting the crowd whipped into a circle.
Pedro the Lion: Phoenix | The Importance of Story and Rebirth
What I found most striking about Pedro the Lion's new album, Phoenix is how it’s easily the most lyrically extroverted album in David Bazan’s canon.
Jesus Freak by dc Talk | What Would People Think?
Adam P. Newton discusses the newest installment in the 33 1/3 series - Jesus Freak by dc Talk, written by Will Stockton and D. Gilson.
Okie from Muskogee: Recorded “Live” in Muskogee, OK by Merle Haggard | A Critique of Willful Misinterpretation
“Okie from Muskogee: Recorded ‘Live’ in Muskogee, OK” is a superb and insightful book, one that rejected easy classification, like its subject Merle Haggard.
MANIAC: Dead Dance Club | The Joys of No-Frills Rock Music
So, when Dead Dance Club by MANIAC hit my ears, I was instantly transported back to the front seat of my 1997 Toyota Corolla.
Wild Moccasins: Look Together | Breaking Up Sucks, but the Music is Great
when I heard that the new release from Wild Moccasins, Look Together was rooted in the breakup between its two principal members I was worried.
GAS: Rausch | Music Discovery as a Force for Good
GAS' new album, Rausch is a master class in projecting measured nuance with the capacity to amaze if you peek beneath the surface.
Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel | Reflections on Art, Artistry, and Growth
I don’t want Courtney Barnett to sit still - not for my sake or my daughter’s, even if that means she won’t be able to truly appreciate how good Tell Me How You Really Feel is for several years.
Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music | A Lifetime of Busting Barriers
Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music portrays an artist of strength and verve who’s committed to being exactly who she wants to be on her terms, no matter what the traditional paternalistic power structure dictated she should do.