AMERICAN FOOTBALL – LP4
I have a theory about why this album got such great reviews – it’s because most American music journalists working today are 38-year-old Midwesterners who were into emo as young teens when these guys first came out. (7)
RODNEY CROWELL – Then Again
A “lost” album recorded around 20 years ago and shelved, with a couple of new tracks. Crowell lives where country meets blues, soul, and rock, and even this one proves he deserves a place in the pantheon of Southern singer/songwriters alongside his mates Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle. (8)
LOW CUT CONNIE – Livin’ In The USA
Protest music you can shake your ass to, sounds like a low-budget Springsteen doing covers of his favorite Stones and Motown songs. (8)
MARGO PRICE – Days Of Unrest
More protest music released to coincide with the USA’s 250th anniversary, this time from a country artist who explores mariachi and folk here. The duet with Joan Baez on “Deportee” is stellar and the cover of Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” rocks hard. (8)
PROTEST THE HERO – Within
The word “punk” gets thrown around quite a bit when discussing PTH and for the life of me I cannot understand why because this is HEAVY FUCKING PROGRESSIVE METAL. If you like Canadian weirdness, from Rush to Voivod to Sacrifice to Propagandhi, you probably love these guys already. (8)
THE ROLLING STONES – Foreign Tongues
They’ve still got it! A highly enjoyable album, Jagger still in form, Wood playing some of his best leads in decades, and Richards stealing the show by singing the best track on the album. (8)
ROSE TATTOO – The Albums 1981-1984
This confusingly titled 4-disc box set actually includes the first four albums starting with their 1978 debut, plus a bunch of bonus tracks (7-inch edits, single b-sides, live tracks). If you say you’re an AC/DC fan but never heard these guys, what are you waiting for? (same goes for The Angels). (8)
MICHAEL J SHEEHY & THE HIRED MOURNERS – Don’t We Deserve Some Kind Of Love?
This guy has been around since the 90’s but never became famous, mainly because he preferred drinking and drugging to having a career. Now sober, he releases an introspective, quiet, beautiful album about survival and not giving up. (8)
WARNING – Rituals Of Shame
Cult UK doom metal heroes pile one minor chord on top of another until there’s no room to breathe, and the guy sings like his girlfriend died and his dog ran away (or vice versa). Sort of like prime Candlemass meets clean vocals-only My Dying Bride. (8)
JACK WHITE – Frozen Charlotte
After 2024’s excellent “No Name” White returns with another strong riff-filled album, his most Led Zep-sounding effort ever and himself in full-on Guitar God mode. (8)
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