Paul Sanchez and Colmen DeKay — Nine Lives
I haven’t always been proud to be a New Yorker. It’s true. Mostly because I hadn’t really lived outside of New York until college. It wasn’t just that I hated living in suburbia (or near a city that has an…
Michael Cormier — Small Things
Blogging at work is totally kosher, right? Probably not, so I’ll make this quick. Michael Cormier, drummer and background singer for The Attic Stairs, is working on an album of his own in his Maine abode. An exciting and beautiful…
The Pollies — Where The Lies Begin
I’m still trying to get my ahead around what people mean when they talk about “that Muscle Shoals sound.” The Pollies’ debut, Where the Lies Begin, adds another layer to this ongoing project. Although it’s their first album, The Pollies…
The Devil’s Own — Graces and Eights
At the risk of allowing things to become too mellow in here, I have brought you The Devil’s Own. Two parts Uncle Tupelo and one part Two Cow Garage, this Oakland-based band is poised to storm the spotlight. It’s not…
Kelly Hogan — I Like to Keep Myself In Pain
I listened to this album through exactly once on Spotify, and then I rushed out to buy it. While the stable of musicians Hogan assembled for this album are impressive (Booker T, James Gadsen, Gabe Roth of the Dap-Kings, Scott…
Corin Tucker Band — Kill My Blues
Quite simply, this is the album that Sleater-Kinney fans have been waiting for. I was not initially sure if that meant it was a triumphant return. Though I was disappointed that the majority of the songs on The Corin Tucker…
Jeff Brown — Last Chance
Chicago-based Jeff Brown does not monkey around. A lawyer-musician, Brown came to me by way of Cobalt and the Hired Guns. Like Cobalt, Brown’s music challenging without being threatening. Brown describes his sound as “a singer-songwriter who got himself a…
We’re All Criminals — Various Artists
Presented with little comment: an Uncle Tupelo tribute album featuring some of the best bands in rock’n’roll today. Two Cow Garage performed their version of “We’ve Been Had” at their New York show. I’ve heaped praise on Empty Orchestra in…