Gillian Welch Acony 2001 When I first heard Father John Misty cover ‘Everything is Free’, I was stunned. Once I discovered the original track accompanied by its composer I was in awe. Gillian Welch has released nine albums with her musical partner, David Rawlings. Welch and Rawlings have released five albums under her name, three…

Azizi Gibson preHistoric Records 2022 It’s refreshing to hear that good rap still exists. These days rap is oversaturated with no-talent lip service and intelligence has been completely depleted from the art. Not within the confines of Azizi Gibson’s You Reap What You Sew. I’ve known about Gibson since hearing his track ‘Hood Opera’, a…

SZA Top Dawg • RCA 2022 Top Dawg entertainment hit the mother lode with SOS. With the song ‘Kill Bill’ at number 1 for eight of nine weeks since its debut, there is little reason not to be inquisitive about the remainder of the album. SZA definitely has a Lauryn Hill vibe; stylistically utilizing elements…

billy woods x Messiah Musik Backwoodz Studioz 2022 Jazz drone beats, interesting rhyme formation, and purposeful context and delivery make this a fun listen. The album’s off-time signatures also make for unique changes of gears between songs. billy woods isnt just rapping in New York, he’s breathing New York into his music. As the founder…

Bloc Party Infectious / BMG 2022 I’m going to go full on Claude Bessy here and just say it, there was never such a thing as indie rock. The same goes for alternative and new wave before that. “It was the polite thing to say when you are trying to explain you were not into…

High Command Southern Lord 2022 High Command’s Eclipse of The Dual Moons isn’t reinventing the wheel, it’s scything the chariot. This is a fun album. From the warm gain of the guitars to the low-tuned drums, this is thrash with a stoner timbre. The album art is well done and reminiscent of Boris Vallejo or…

Cold Brats • Gel 2022 This is an EP split by Cold Brats from Romania and Gel from the garden state. New Jersey hardcore has found a stable pillar in Gel. Coldbrats are extremely reminiscent of Germs and hold their own on the release. These Bucharest punks are extremely tongue-in-cheek with their content and seem…

Ryan Adams Pax-Am Records 2023 Ryan Adam has come through with another full LP cover, Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Springsteen fans will agree that this album is his magnum opus. It’s a diverse reflection of lives through modern, folk, storytelling. Pulling influences from New York proto-punk to Chuck Berry, its cohesion is unparalleled. The album is…