Two Vancouver ladies, guitarist/singer Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller, continue the White Stripes-y duo movement with We Kill Computers, the band’s third release in four years. Consisting of 13 unpolished tracks, the simple blues/punk songs never break the four minute mark and are on a whole minimally produced, with…

Until now, Jeff Beck hadn’t put out an album in seven years, since the Grammy award-winning Jeff. Emotion & Commotion is not just a perfect title for Beck’s new album, but for his music, if you were to create a genre for it. It’s loud, distinctive, melodic and so emotional…

It’s hard to even refer to Darkthrone as a black metal band anymore, as they seem to have gone full speed metal/crust punk since The Cult Is Alive and perhaps most notably F.O.A.D. But if you think I’m complaining, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. While the duo of…

I suppose this had to happen. Mike Patton has released an album of Italian pop covers. And frankly, there are no singers of his ilk who would be better suited for the task. Even Patton’s haters have trouble arguing with his fantastic range and vocal style, and what are the…

Household Names from Austin, TX, sound like your everyday indie rock band with charming keyboards and timid vocals.  With Casio drumbeats, they have a Postal Service feel, but they also sound like Gin Blossoms because they can’t put down the tambourine or stop over harmonizing.

Stories, No Names is a…

If you have seen any film where Zooey Deschanel’s character sings (2003’s Elf and 2008’s Yes Man are a couple of examples), you’ve probably wondered whether or not you were hearing her real voice. Though her vocals were almost certainly overdubbed, you might be surprised to learn that, yes, she…

One of the greatest voices of her generation, Shelby Lynne, since 19, has been breaking hearts and pouring out her heart in song. Starting out interpretive, but now an accomplished composer, she’s, again, in rare form on the self-released Tears, Lies & Alibis, straddling pop, country, soul and folk with…

Bluesy guitar licks and unpretentious lyrics like, “You may think this song’s about a woman. What’s the matter, can’t you hear? Ain’t about nothin’ ‘cept an old John Deere” comprise the first songs off Seasick Steve’s (aka Steven Gene Wold) newest album, Man From Another Time. This album is made…

Even though the name of this band is Night Driving in Small Towns (lame), I preferred to listen to this album driving around on a sunny day last week. Actually, I think the music on Serial Killer is some of the least depressing indie stuff I’ve heard lately. It’s not…

I was raised on The Inner Mounting Flame, the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s 1971 debut. I was 20 and thought it was the be-all and end-all. Since then, I’ve stuck with British lead guitarist John McLaughlin’s Indian experiment Shakti, looked up his work with Miles, with drummer Tony Williams, and checked out…