Chuck D’s ‘The Black in Man’ Makes the Message Bounce
Chuck D unleashes a brief but vital onslaught of old-school fury; it just might be the gutpunch today's scene desperately needs.
Matt Casarino
Brian Setzer: Rockabilly Riot! All Original
It's a fine line between "retro" and "novelty", but no one walks it better than Brian Setzer.
Natalie Merchant: Natalie Merchant
Get past the former Maniac's slick and tasteful adult contemporary sound and you'll find her most personal and compelling album in nearly two decades.
Asia: Gravitas
Gravitas is pleasant enough, but with watered-down pomp and too much texture, the men of Asia don't bring enough heat to the moment.
von Grey: Awakening
On their second EP, the four young sisters of Von Grey make a strange, joyful sound that maintains their Americana roots while diving into wonderful new waters.
Marah: Marah Presents: Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania
A couple of hipsters write and record music to some old, unpublished folk lyrics. Sound familiar? Well, you ain't heard nothing yet.
The Dollyrots: Barefoot and Pregnant
LA's favorite bubblegum punk duo deliver a deeply hooky, melodic, and wacky set of spiky anthems. Check your pulse if you don't find yourself bopping along.
The Jezabels: The Brink
The Brink is a collection of arty, swirling dance pop-rock, but the songs ultimately collapse under their own weight.
The Casket Girls: True Love Kills the Fairy Tale
You know how every John Hughes soundtrack has that one left-field New Wave song in the middle of the latter half? The Casket Girls turned that song into an album.
Matt Boroff: Sweet Hand of Fate
Sweet Hand of Fate is an irresistible, thundering blend of crunchy blues-rock and grungy beatnik solipsism.
Dot Wiggin Band: Ready! Get! Go!
The lead singer of the Shaggs returns with a new band, but without the glorious dissonance provided by her sisters, Ready! Get! Go! will test your tolerance -- and not in a good way.
Dum Dum Girls: Too True
Dum Dum Girls’ latest set of retro-rock is heavy on the formula, but who cares when the formula’s this good?