by Tom Johnson Who knew, at the time, that Low would crank things up like they did with The Great Destroyer, their 2005 Sub-Pop debut? Had they been holding back all those years, or did the label urge them to do something different? You May Also Like: Kiss’ fussy andRead More

by Mark Saleski No harm meant by this remark: I’d rather listen to John Mayer than Elliott Smith. So there, I’ve said it. Not to illustrate that I’ve got no indie cred. That I apparently have no taste in music. Not even to piss off the legions of Smith fans.Read More

As I await the release of Anthrax’s Worship Music, the band’s reunion with 1980s singer Joey Belladonna, I’ll try to drown out the soap-opera drama with changing lineups and re-records surrounding it by cranking up their last record You May Also Like: Anthrax – ‘For All Kings’ (2016) Anthrax, Sept.Read More

I wasn’t familiar with the work of vibraphonist Bill Ware (though a quick Allmusic search said that he’s played with the Jazz Passengers, Groove Collective and even Steely Dan) but I was, then as now, a sucker for the sound of vibes. What’s more, I’ll buy anything with the nameRead More

by Tom Johnson After an embarrassing attempt at recapturing the limelight he had with his first big hit (“Barely Breathing”), Sheik focused once again on the dark-hearted pop that he’s so good at. He missed the mark here and there, but more often than not, this unfortunately overlooked disc deliveredRead More

Muse released one of the most completely self-indulgent, ridiculously over-the-top fun albums I’ve heard that didn’t bear the name Queen.

by Mark Saleski I pride myself on knowing a fair amount about music. Of course, what this really means is that I’ve spent way too many hours sitting around listening to records — while no doubt thumbing through some rock publication … Rolling Stone, Creem, etc.) What you might notRead More

by Mark Saleski Many artists, when asked to pick a favorite from their own discography, will lean toward their most recent release. Sure, I can see that. You work on new material, it’s fresh and exiting, and right there in the front of your mind. I’ve wondered what Pat Metheny’sRead More

by Tom Johnson As a long-time fan of the group, I’ve simply come to expect to be perplexed by what electronic-noise pioneers Autechre put out. And, as it turns out, the more perplexed I am upon immediate inspection of the new material, the longer I tend to be interested. FirstRead More

by Tom Johnson For their major label debut, the Decemberists didn’t pull any punches. If anything, they seemed to have gone off the deep end, as if attempting to get the label to cry fowl. But they played along (“13 minute songs? Sure, why not?”) and we the listeners benefitedRead More