Detroit’s Big Life Channel Punk’s Revolution Summer
For those who like their hardcore punk with hooks and intelligent, witty lyrics, Big Life deliver big time on two EPs. They are music lovers first and foremost.
indie rock
Of Montreal Return with Catchy Musical Hooks
There’s enough strong material to keep longtime Of Montreal fans feeling connected while Kevin Barnes continues to indulge wherever their musical muse leads.
Hüsker Dü’s ‘Zen Arcade’ at 40: Do You Remember?
In the early 1980s, Hüsker Dü paved the way for alternative rock, adding the power, anger, and pain of hardcore punk to a mix of 1960s and 1970s pop-rock styles.
Dr. Dog Find Their Groove on First Album in Six Years
Dr. Dog return with their 11th album, which moves in and out of classic styles. It features their best track to date while proving they are still having fun.
RJD2 Refines His Signature Sound on ‘Visions Out of Limelight’
RJD2 felt he was getting pigeonholed for his sample-based style, only to be lambasted when diverting from it. On his new album, he embraces his true muse.
Joyce Manor’s ‘Never Hungover Again’ Is a Timeless Snapshot of Fading Youth
Joyce Manor’s ‘Never Hungover Again’ still sounds urgent and endlessly replayable cranked up loud with the windows down, and it will stay that way.
The Folk Implosion Begin Again with ‘Walk Thru Me’
After a quarter century, Lou Barlow and John Davis of the Folk Implosion return with an album that testifies to their enduring friendship.
Rui Gabriel Comes of Age on the Reflective Triumph ‘Compassion’
It’s not easy to make a record that can soundtrack a barbecue and also provide balm for a dark night of the soul, but Rui Gabriel’s solo debut does just that.
Kasabian Deliver Infectious Grooves on ‘Happenings’
Conceived in a spirit of celebration, Kasabian’s eighth LP is a concise, stadium-friendly set of danceable, infectiousness pop-rock for life’s brighter moments.
The Black Watch Might Be Signaling the Beginning of Their End
With Weird Rooms, John Andrew Fredrick and the Black Watch are at the late height of their powers and perhaps the end of their life as a group.
The Decemberists’ New LP Offers a Unified Whole
The Decemberists’ As It Ever Was, So It Will Be indulges the right indulgences (mostly) but makes space for the group to speak with tenderness and gravitas.
Joan of Arc Are Resurrected at Last (Just Ask Tim Kinsella)
By putting Joan of Arc’s collected works in a dynamic box set, Tim Kinsella gauges how fans and critics are reconciling with the band’s work with modern ears.