Rock Music Reviews
Listen Will Sexton: From The Beatles To Buddy Holly
May 4, 2012 – A hip-shaking nod to rockabilly and Tex-Mex, "For Always" evokes Ricky Nelson and Texas Tornados.
Listen Yellow Ostrich: Beyond The Bedroom
May 3, 2012 – When "Marathon Runner" begins, Alex Schaaf sings not as a homebound tinkerer, but as a frontman.
Listen Grace Woodroofe: Eerie Calm Amid The Chaos
May 1, 2012 – While her band rages in "Transformer," Woodroofe faces the object of her devotion without blinking.
Listen Howlin' Wolf: A Blues Legend With An Earthy Sound
April 26, 2012 – Rock historian Ed Ward examines the evolution of the blues legend's singular talent.
Listen Todd Snider: 'Stoner Fables' With A Layered Worldview
April 23, 2012 – Snider's new album, Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables, combines pessimism with humor and energy.
Listen Christian Mistress: Headbanger's Ball
April 20, 2012 – Recalling '80s British heavy metal, "Haunted Hunted" is set apart by Christine Davis' smoky vocals.
Listen Loudon Wainwright III Looks Back At His 'Old Man'
April 16, 2012 – The singer chronicles his relationship with his father on his new album, Older Than My Old Man Now.
Listen Bonnie Raitt's 'Slipstream': A Barnstorming Good Time
April 10, 2012 – Slipstream is Raitt's first album since 2005, and she's produced most of the tracks herself.
Listen Of Montreal: The Sweet With The Sour
April 10, 2012 – With its horns and woodwinds, "Dour Percentage" is danceable like a disco hit, but twice as flirty.
Listen Matt Keating: Realpolitik Romance
April 9, 2012 – An astute chronicler of human affairs, Keating documents love's unraveling in "Just About Now."
Listen Terry Malts: A Panacea For Pessimism
April 4, 2012 – In "I Do," the band makes music that's fun to listen to, fun to move along with, and fun to make.
Listen Dr. John: Swamp Grooves From The Bayou Underworld
April 3, 2012 – With help from Dan Auerbach, Dr. John returns to the spooky, percussive sounds of his first records.
Listen Sarah Jaffe: Finding The Ragged Side
March 28, 2012 – Even amid the unfamiliar sounds of "Glorified High," Jaffe settles in and makes herself at home.
Listen Dr. John: A 'Big Shot,' Reinvigorated
March 23, 2012 – The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach makes Dr. John sound fresh by connecting him to his vital musical past.
Listen Now, Now: Perfect Pop In 100 Seconds
March 16, 2012 – A marvel of economy and concision, "Dead Oaks" sums up a relationship without wasting a breath.