‘Southern Independent Vol. 1 and Vol. 2’ are a pretty good representation of what’s out there in country and related genres that you’re not hearing on the radio.

You’re forgiven for forgetting that Chris Connor, one of the premier cool-jazz vocalists, took a quick detour into popular music in the mid-1960s. You May Also Like: Eliane Elias Confidently Expanded Her Main Influences on ‘Bossa Nova Stories’ Gentle Giant – ‘Free Hand [Steven Wilson Mix]’ (1975; 2021 reissue) GentleRead More

Three years into Battles’ existence, it had only issued a single and two EPs — until this, their long-awaited debut album. The wait was more than worth it. Where the EPs hinted at what was to come, they suffered a bit from a band struggling to define themselves. Mirrored provedRead More

Kate Bush didn’t make much of a stateside splash, despite achieving fame 25 years ago in Britain. So remakes like this one from Johanna and the Dusty Floor, brilliant though they may be, likely resonate with most listeners as if they were brand new. You May Also Like: ElectroBluesSociety feat.Read More

German pianist Christian Pabst is still studying (at the European Jazz Master’s Programme at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam), but his new CD with his longtime trio shows that he’s already learned a lot. Maybe it only seems that way because of the rapport he’s developed over the years with drummerRead More