Nicole Atkins – Goodnight Rhonda Lee CD/LP (Single Lock)
Nicole Atkins is a rare artist whose timeless songwriting and raw, emotional voice spans decades – a miasma of faded glamour and nostalgic pop noir. Nicole’s voice has always recalled a classic vinyl collection, a heir to the legacy of Roy Orbison, Lee Hazlewood, Sinatra, Aretha, Carole King and Candi Staton. However, she remains untethered to a decade or movement or the whim of the hipster elite.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – War Machine [A Netflix Original Film/OST] CD (Lakeshore)
Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds/Grinderman bandmate Warren Ellis composed the score for the Netflix film starring Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, Topher Grace, and more. “Together we made a score that was both light and dark, propulsive and meditative at the same time. We developed a kind of ‘spiritual electronics’ that captured both the melancholy and the terrible absurdity of the Afghan war,” the two of them said.

Dan Croll – Emerging Adulthood CD/LP (Communion)
There are multiple moments on Dan Croll’s extraordinary second album, Emerging Adulthood, which may cause you to question his sanity. Press play on the riotous “One Of Us” and prepare for the album’s purest pop moment. Soak up the dreamy “January Comes Too Soon” and sense the spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire summoned alongside vintage soul. Delve as deep as you dare into the Tijuana-tinged “Away From Today” and discover what could be the sound of a shotgun blast and crystal raindrops nestled next to a nod to the Pearl & Dean theme. Continue reading →

Bloodclot – Up In Arms CD/LP (Metal Blade)
At its purest, there is little that can match the visceral thrill and empowering spirit of hardcore. As frontman of New York City hardcore kings Cro-Mags, this is something John Joseph knows very well, and with Up In Arms, he and his Bloodclot compatriots deliver a furious collection that hits hard on every level.

Bonzie – Zone On Nine CD/LP (Beevine)
The second album from Chicago-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bonzie, Zone On Nine pulls off the sublime feat of feeling both intensely intimate and otherworldly in scope.  Throughout Zone On Nine, Ferraro eschews the confessional singer-songwriter approach and claims her role as a fiercely honest observer and commentator who delivers her lyrics with powerful abandon.

Boris – Dear CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sargent House)
In the 25th year of their existence Boris deliver an album they describe as “heavenly-far beyond heavy.” Though Boris has traversed a broad swath of sonic territories, they have always been consistent in their embracing of excess, pushing their myriad of approaches and stylistic forays to points of intoxicating absurdity. Continue reading →