The Graylings — Tell Me How It Ends
You never know what kind of mark you’ll leave on other people. I just ran into a student I taught four years ago. He gave me a big hug. I’m not saying I had a large part in his decision…
Category Review
Mrs. Greenbird — Dark Waters
On paper, Mrs. Greenbird would have been a difficult sell for me: male-female duet, emphasis on the”pop” part of folk pop, a Gothic tinge, big arrangements. Usually that’s an instant “no” for me but there’s a reason Mrs. Greenbird won…
DL Rossi — A Sweet Thing
If a thousand-yard stare could be turned into music, it’d be DL Rossi’s new album A Sweet Thing (out this Friday.) The 7-song record packs a mighty wallop, distilling Rossi’s past few years of hellish setbacks: cancer, divorce, substance use,…
Dave Ernst — Hickory Switch
Honestly, most of the time you just need a distorted guitar and a song in G. Dave Ernst knows this — and he uses it well. In a moment where Americana seems to celebrate who has the best acid trip…
Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers — Bought to Rot
I’ll admit that I was a bit thrown off by Laura Jane Grace’s new album, Bought to Rot. Since it was put out by Bloodshot Records — an alt-country and Chicago institution — I was hoping that this album would…