LeonardCohen

Essential New Music: Leonard Cohen’s “Can’t Forget: A Souvenir Of The Grand Tour”

Drawn from Leonard Cohen’s Herculean world tour of 2012-’13, this rather humbly titled live disc feels like just that—a postcard,
FFS

Essential New Music: FFS’ “FFS”

Franz Ferdinand and Sparks want to pump you up The idea of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks together in the studio is
SVE

Essential New Music: Sharon Van Etten’s “I Don’t Want To Let You Down”

One of Sharon Van Etten’s talents has always been her ability to make something seem bigger than it actually is.
SpaceMerchants

Essential New Music: The Space Merchants’ “The Space Merchants”

This Brooklyn band refers to itself as “a country band travelling through space” or, when feeling particularly pretentious, “Johnny Cash
CynthiaGMason

Essential New Music: Cynthia G. Mason’s “Cinematic Turn”

Returning after a seven-year hiatus from music, Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Cynthia G. Mason has lost nary a step. Her new five-song

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

HeartlessBastards

Essential New Music: Heartless Bastards’ “Restless Ones”

It would seem that Austin transplants Heartless Bastards have evolved into a band of unique focus—a smart, purposeful ensemble boasting

ADVERTISEMENT

KarenDalton

Essential New Music: Various Artists “Remembering Mountains: Unheard Songs By Karen Dalton”

She had one of the most haunting, most arresting voices in all of American musical history, as immediately recognizable as

ADVERTISEMENT

GP

Essential New Music: Graham Parker & The Rumour’s “Mystery Glue”

This is Graham Parker’s second album with the reunited backup band that gave his early albums so much fire and
Helio

Essential New Music: The Helio Sequence’s “The Helio Sequence”

The Helio Sequence has worked on a fairly panoramic screen over the past decade and a half, projecting its evocative
BeautyPill

Essential New Music: Beauty Pill’s “Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are”

On its first album in 10 years, D.C. band Beauty Pill takes a sledgehammer to boundaries and orthodoxies. Prior releases
HalfJapanese

Essential New Music: Half Japanese’s “Volume 3, 1990-1995”

Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t get any better than this. Period. These three albums—1990’s We Are They Who Ache With Amorous
LowCutConnie

Essential New Music: Low Cut Connie’s “Hi Honey”

Even when a mere year separated the release of Low Cut Connie’s second album from its first, the energetic combo
TTMOE

Record Review: The Tallest Man On Earth “Dark Bird Is Home”

Kristian Matsson is a musician who can hold a theater of thousands in rapt attention with just an acoustic guitar
/ RECORD REVIEWS
Mew

Essential New Music: Mew’s “+ -“

Since 1994, the Danish indie rockers in Mew have found interesting and engaging ways to bend progressive rock into exotic