The Morakestra Witness To Connection Stratking Records By Chris Homer On their sophomore album, Texas’ The Morakestra creates a record of hook-filled rock songs built around multiple soaring guitar riffs and the haunting vocals of Will Mora. The LP’s tracks range from the acoustic folk sound of “Angel” to the upbeat Franz Ferdinand-style rhythms of […]

Todd Snider The Excitement Plan Yep Roc Records By Noel Wurst I was 16 years old when Snider’s first album, Songs for the Daily Planet, came out. “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” was a hidden track on it (remember how awesome hidden tracks were?) and it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard in my […]

Foma Inverness By Eileen Tilson Sitting right on the cusp between EP and LP at eight tracks and 25 minutes in length, Inverness is full of complexities in its design and build yet is very organic in its execution. Listing contributions from six musicians (Edward M. Burch, Chani Hawthorne, Jeffrey Schmidt, Hun Kim, Charith Premawardhana […]

Country Line StrangersHeartbreak Motel By Eileen Tilson Lead singer Matt Megrue needs to take up unfiltered Camels and Jeremiah Weed straight out of the bottle. His vocals are too smooth for the intentions of the band; in fact, his lyrics bring you to places you have definitely been… middle school dances, seedy bars and rural […]

Ben Folds Presents:University A Cappella!Epic By Al Kaufman Leave it to Ben Folds to make geek chic. A cappella music has been the butt of jokes on everything from The Office to Scrubs. But Ben Folds, who is not adverse to meeting cheese head on (the guy produced a William Shatner CD for crying out […]

Deleted Scenes Birdseed Shirt What Delicate Recordings By Ben Grad “Turn to Sand,” the first track from Deleted Scenes' Birdseed Shirt, is the best track on their new album. By itself, it's enough to make a listener very very eager to see their Star Bar show tonight.  The Washington, DC-based band plays a (on first […]

Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kickin TeamNational ChampionsDoublenaught Records By Al Kaufman Everyone needs a good ass-kicking once in a while. Rock music has needed one for a good long time now. Terry Anderson, who often teams up with former Georgia Satellite Dan Baird to make up the Yayhoos, is just the guy to do […]

Casiotone for the Painfully AloneVs. ChildrenandAdvance Base Battery LifeTomlab By Al Kaufman Chicago native and film school dropout Owen Ashworth and his Casio make up Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. It's a combination of a painfully flat voice with a lots of digital beeps and beats. On Vs. Children, Ashworth has grown warmer and more organic, […]

Ear PWRSuper Animal Brothers IIICarpark Records By Al Kaufman Devin Booze and Sarah Reynolds, the duo that comprise Ear PWR, are so gosh darn cute you just want to pinch their cherubic little cheeks. Super Animal Brothers III is full of so many hyperactive, day-glo loops and beats it makes Gwen Stefani sound like Peter […]

Von IvaGirls on FilmStickfigure RecordsBy Eileen Tilson Rumor has it that Von Iva, grandmother of Jillian Iva and the band’s namesake, was one of the most seductive snake-charmers of her time. She captivated her audience, mesmerizing them with her control of her body; Walking on stage in her short shorts and heels on Von Iva’s […]

Magic WandsMagic Love & Dreams By Eileen Tilson With a name like Dexy Valentine, from the leader of a band called The Magic Wands, you are most likely to expect a scene out of a Hogwarts prom, and truth be told, you would not be that far off. With their four song EP, Magic Love […]

Elizabeth & the Catapult Taller Children Verve Forecast Elizabeth & the Catapult's fearless leader Elizabeth Ziman has some serious credentials on her musical CV. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, she was introduced to music through classical piano, leading her to fall in love with composers like Debussy and Chopin, and discovered a talent that […]

Wayne HancockViper of MelodyBloodshot By Al Kaufman You won't hear Wayne Hancock on country radio. That's because Hancock is too country for today's country radio. Hancock is an unabashed throwback to the days of Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Tubbs. This is old fashioned roadhouse, honky-tonk, country, with a yodel or two thrown in for good […]

Nerd ParadeThe Span of a Life By Alexandra Edwards Hearkening back to the days when the American South was inextricably tied to rock 'n' roll, Nerd Parade's The Span of a Life contains the kinds of big sounds and inventive daring that rock music should be about. The songs would, in fact, make the perfect […]