First Listen: The Felice Brothers, 'Undress'
The Felice Brothers' folk-rock sound and vision has matured and focused, and the band does its best at making sense of our modern times.
Music Reviews
First Listen: Joy Williams, 'Front Porch'
Front Porch is not only a return home to Joy Williams' stripped-down, acoustic palette, but also an inquiry into the very meaning of home.
First Listen: Rhiannon Giddens, 'There Is No Other'
Giddens links folk instruments and traditions of the African-American diaspora with those of Francesco Turrisi, a pianist and master of the frame drum.
First Listen: Tacocat, 'This Mess Is A Place'
Tacocat retains its signature snark and surf-pop without sugarcoating the effects of the emotionally-draining political landscape.
Music Review: The Comet Is Coming's 'Trust In The Lifeforce Of the Deep Mystery'
The Comet is Coming defies definition. It's a little space jazz, a little electronic dance music, and all improvisation. The London trio's second album is Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
Herlin Riley's Swinging, Modern Style Shines On 'Perpetual Optimism'
The New Orleans drummer produces jazz with its own distinct character on his new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Perpetual Optimism is marked by Riley's upbeat nature and attention to detail.
First Listen: The Mountain Goats, 'In League With Dragons'
On his 18th album as the animating force behind The Mountain Goats, singer-songwriter John Darnielle builds an ambitious tribute to Dungeons & Dragons — and much, much more.
First Listen: Starflyer 59, 'Young In My Head'
For 25 years, Jason Martin has sung about futility, nostalgia and melancholy endings. Starflyer 59's new album finds a way to move forward.
Caroline Shaw's Love Letter To The String Quartet
On Orange, an album devoted entirely to her work, the young, Pulitzer-winning composer salutes a centuries-old genre.
First Listen: Sunn O))), 'Life Metal'
The massive metallic drone remains, but each track radiates a warmth and majesty filtered through a prism of intense, stratosphere-scaling sound.