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Album reviews
THE DIVING BELL - BEHOLD THE BITTER MONUMENT
FOR FANS OF: THE DECEMBERISTS, FRUIT BATS, BOWERBIRDS, FREELANCE WHALES TL;DR REVIEW: THE DIVING BELL UTILIZES ARPEGGIATING ACOUSTICS AND SURREAL ELECTRIC RIFFS UNDER POLYPHONIC VOCAL STRUCTURES AND STUNNING HARMONIES TO CREATE MASTERFUL ARRANGEMENTS. READ MORE |
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10 GREAT SONGS OVER 6 MINUTES LONG
As someone who writes songs that tend to hover around the 2 and a half minute mark, I've always been critical of songs that are 5 or 6 minutes but don't seem to go anywhere.I have begun to think of 6 minutes as an anchor for song length. READ MORE |
THE CROOKED NORTH - THE CROOKED NORTH
FOR FANS OF: JOHN PRINE, EARL SCRUGGS, TRAMPLED BY TURTLES, LINDA RONSTADT TL;DR REVIEW: EACH SONG ON THIS SELF TITLED ALBUM PACKS BLISTERING BLUEGRASS SOLOS AND STUNNING HARMONIES INTO JUST 4 MINUTES WITH EACH MUSICIAN SHOWING A MASTERY OF THEIR CRAFT. READ MORE 
LEAH SHOSHANAH - A CHILD LIKE THIS
FOR FANS OF: SHARON VAN ETTEN, LAURA MARLING, BRIDGET ST. JOHN TL;DR REVIEW: AIDED BY FLUTES, MANDOLINS, AND ALLITERATIVE REFRAINS, LEAH SHOSHANAH'S A CHILD LIKE THIS DIGS DEEP INTO TRADITIONAL FOLK TO CREATE AN ALBUM THAT SOUNDS REFRESHINGLY ORIGINAL IN 2017. READ MORE |
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SARAH EIDE - SARAH EIDE
FOR FANS OF: ANAIS MITCHELL, JOANNA NEWSOM, BEN FOLDS TL;DR REVIEW: IT'S AN AMAZING DISPLAY OF PIANO PLAYING WITH SONGS THAT SHOW EMOTIONAL REFLECTIONS OF A MATURE SONGWRITER WITH PLENTY TO OFFER. READ MORE 
MIKE VIAL - A WORLD THAT'S BIGGER
Although Vial plays without other musicians, (which feels appropriate on this personal record) you feel the depth of a full band from his practiced style, especially when he uses his 12-string guitar to stunning effect. READ MORE |
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MY 11 FAVORITE TINY DESK CONCERTS
I have been a huge fan of the Tiny Desk Concerts since it was a podcast that I downloaded back in 2009. NPR Music has introduced me to some of my favorite bands over the years. It's unbelievable the amount of talent they have crammed behind that desk. READ MORE |
ABUD: A BARD - MAKING A FRIEND FROM SCRATCH
Making A Friend From Scratch straddles humor and cynicism while maintaining a central theme of positivity. And the guitar playing is so good you guys. READ MORE 
THE JERFS - HYPERVIGILANTE
Their traditional rock band line up is enhanced with thoughtful arrangements, solid instrumentation and the unbelievable chemistry of the two singers Amy Braun and Laura DiMonte. READ MORE |
FRANCES LUKE ACCORD - FLUKE
Despite the few guest musicians peppered throughout the album and the bold, almost cinematic, arrangements this is still a pure folk duo who would be just as entrancing with a dusty, out of tune hand-me-down guitar on the side of the road. READ MORE
Despite the few guest musicians peppered throughout the album and the bold, almost cinematic, arrangements this is still a pure folk duo who would be just as entrancing with a dusty, out of tune hand-me-down guitar on the side of the road. READ MORE
THE WILD REEDS - BLIND AND BRAVE
Alternating banjo and guitar led songs with stellar three part harmonies over an omnipresent percussion and double bass, The Wild Reeds have crafted a folk album that is full of personality and instant classics. READ MORE
Alternating banjo and guitar led songs with stellar three part harmonies over an omnipresent percussion and double bass, The Wild Reeds have crafted a folk album that is full of personality and instant classics. READ MORE
THE ALDERMANIACS - VOX POP
The Aldermaniacs are a duo that works best as a duo: a guitarist and a cellist trading lead vocals back and forth to create an album that is abundant with character and diversity. Recorded over just two days in 2014 without overdubs, harmonies, or guest musicians, Vox Pop has the feel of a pristine house show. READ MORE
The Aldermaniacs are a duo that works best as a duo: a guitarist and a cellist trading lead vocals back and forth to create an album that is abundant with character and diversity. Recorded over just two days in 2014 without overdubs, harmonies, or guest musicians, Vox Pop has the feel of a pristine house show. READ MORE
ANDY MASTERS (ANTI BEYOND) - CLOSET SPACE
Anti Beyond (the stage pseudonym used by Chicago musician Andy Masters) finds a fresh sound with his self proclaimed "Meditative Indie Rock." Closet Space is chock-full of gems and intricacies that further intrigue with each listen. READ MORE
LIZ CHIDESTER - OTTER HILL
Opening with the acapella song Between Two Mountains, Chidester shows that even a guitar can be redundant when faced with the enormity of her vocal talent. At the end of the day the most impressive thing about Otter Hill is that amidst all of the lone acoustic-guitar-playing folk singers out there, Liz has created something that is original and stunningly beautiful. READ MORE
MATTHEW MORGAN - EMPATHY FOR INANIMATE OBJECTS
If anyone could make me feel empathy for inanimate objects it would be Matthew Morgan. Over a contemplative acoustic guitar his rich baritone shows an impressive vocal range all the while maintaining a powerful emotional presence. READ MORE
RATBOYS - AOID
AOID is an album lush with many great ideas that impress, not just with their diversity but their seamless integration into one stunning final product. For all its maturity and variety this album could easily be a retrospective of a great career. Instead this is one of Ratboys' first releases. Despite a variety of sounds and ideas, AOID never deviates from the overall vision. READ MORE
SEDGEWICK - GARDENS EP
In just 17 minutes the Gardens EP creates a journey that tackles increasingly melancholy topics and moves beyond a collection of songs. Sedgewick's well curated music aligns with inventive harmonies and evocative lyrics to create something bigger. READ MORE
FRANCES LUKE ACCORD AND THE BAREFOOT CHILDREN'S CHOIR - KANDOTE
It takes a special kind of musician to make a song with an African children’s choir singing Kumbayah and rain sticks without sounding contrived. Frances Luke Accord pull this off partially because they are such fantastic musicians and partially because everything about this album is so genuine. They didn't add this children's choir to random songs, they put this together for the Barefoot Truth Children's Choir. They aren't describing Uganda, they are taking you there. READ MORE