Genre: Rock Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 8.5/10 Commentary: Sad, of course. And good. Hard to believe these were demo vocal recordings. More info: here. Listen: here.

It’s been a really good month for the genre. Doug Seegers – A Story I got to Tell Genre: Your Dad’s Country Rating: 9/10 Commentary: Perfectly traditional, and really good. Listen here           Ian Noe – Between the Country Genre: Interstitial Appalachian folk Rating: 8/10 Commentary: Modern Appalachian country. Not self-mocking, […]

Genre: Americana Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 3.5/10 Commentary: Almost unlistenably smug and tedious, another ineffectual contribution to the culture wars from the Felice Brothers. More info: here. Listen: here.

Genre: Broadway Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 7.5/10 Commentary: Devin Townsend is sort of a thrash metal granddad. All the reviews describe this album as uncharacterizable and groundbreakingly creative. It is only uncharacterizable because the reviewers didn’t grow up listening to Broadway musical scores. It is a musical. A heavy metal musical. 8.5/10 for […]

Genre: Folk/drone Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 9/10 Commentary: This is is new artist for me, and my first real exposure to Northumbrian smallpipes. So far, one of the best albums of the year. More info: here. Listen: here.

Genre: Classical Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 5.5/10 Commentary:So I really like pop culture takes on this symphony. For example Colin Stetson’s 2016 version is one of my favorite albums in recent years. This version with rock singer Beth Gibbons (Portishead) is interesting but, I think, ultimately unsuccessful. Beth’s voice is to flat and […]

Genre: Quantum Jazz Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 8.5/10 Commentary:An album of pure space music. Not like, “music of the spheres”. More like – you know that robot guy who runs around the space ship sweeping floors and checking the air conditioning while the crew is in cryosleep for 4 light years? This is […]

Metal round-up for May! Devil Master – Satan Spits on Children of Light Genre: Cheeky black metal Rating: 7/10 Commentary: Wonderfully diverse, campy, tons of fun. Listen here           Lucifera – La Cacería de Brujas Genre: Columbian Thrash Metal Rating: 5/10 Commentary: Great female vocalist. New band to me. Listen here […]

Genre: Pure Cheese Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6/10 Commentary: This is an unbelievably delightful piece of guilty confection. I will not tell you how may times I listened to it on repeat. More info: here. Listen: here.

Genre: Experimental Format Reviewed: Spotify 320 kbps Rating: 6.5/10 Commentary: It’s … OK. It won’t knock your socks off, and you sort of expect more from these two. But it is a perfectly fine album, and two songs (“Ministry” and “Reveries”) are magnificent. More info: here. Listen: here.