Carolina is an album of exceptional beauty. I don’t mean to say that this is a carefully crafted Old Master hung up somewhere in the Met. It’s more like a painting from the Hudson River School: thoughtfully composed, but earthy…

And now for something completely different, some pop hip-hop from Lemuelle Roque, who hails from the Philippines. Can’t tell you why I like it — I just do. Maybe listening to hours and hours of dubstep, reggaeton, and what passes…

What you see is what you get with No Salvation. Here. Yeah, that’s pretty stark. It’s also no-frills and hardscrabble, hones-to-goodness punk with a heavy side of Americana. The soaring opener, “Highwater Chevy,” will be in the back of your…

Some breakups are really bad. One in particular has fueled Sad and French’s entire artistic output for the past two years. Damn, Jose. At least the rest of us benefit from it. Sad and French has moved away from the…

Dereconstructed is, if nothing else, the most aptly titled album of the year. It represents the manic, frenzied sound of Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires’ sophomore album. It also has a nod to Reconstruction, the botched attempts at…