MATTHEW RYAN Dear Lover (The Acoustic Version) matthewryanonline.com Over the course of a dozen albums, Matthew Ryan has created a singular sound that combines low-lit arrangements with a pensive perspective. The haunting music is so consistently somber it often makes Leonard Cohen seem giddy by comparison. Regardless, Ryan’s opted to strip the sound down even more by reimagining his last album with the barest of instrumentation—acoustic guitar... 

DAVID RHODES Bittersweet davidrhodes.org David Rhodes’ lengthy résumé as a guitarist and composer includes work with Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison and Robert Plant, but he is perhaps best known for his 25-year collaborative partnership with Peter Gabriel. Bittersweet is the first solo album of his prodigious career, and his most concerted effort since his work with the band Random Hold in the late ’70s. Not surprisingly, songs like “Bittersweet,”... 

JODY PORTER Close to the Sun jodyporter.com Taking temporary leave of his day job with Fountains of Wayne, guitarist Jody Porter hews to his edgier inclinations. With only a couple of exceptions—“Aurora” and “In Between Time”—there’s little here that resembles the playful pop his usual band is best known for. Close to the Sun is more in line with Belltower, the artsy British band Porter played with early in his career. Then as now, Porter... 

GREAT BIG SEA Safe Upon the Shore greatbigsea.com After 18 years and 10 albums, Newfoundland’s leading musical proponents are newly independent and pared down to a core trio. The newfound flexibility becomes a launching point for Great Big Sea to veer from their usual overarching anthems. Recording in far-flung locales—studios, buses and basements—they welcome special guests, including producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. Following last year’s... 

ALBERT CASTIGLIA Keepin’ On albertcastiglia.com On his aptly titled fourth album, Castiglia, a Cuban-American guitar slinger, walks the line between traditional treatments and contemporary reinvention. His back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago. Castiglia’s muscular style is reflected in the fluid fretwork of “Cadillac Assembly Line,”... 

CINDY BULLENS Howling Trains and Barking Dogs cindybullens.com It’s fitting that 30 years after her solo bow with “Survivor,” Cindy Bullens remains as spirited as ever. It hasn’t been easy; after contributing to the Grease soundtrack and singing with Elton John, family obligations curtailed a promising career. A move to Nashville in 1990 boosted her fortunes, offering opportunities to write with noted vets Radney Foster, Bill Lloyd, Matraca... 

WILLIAM BRITTELLE Television Landscape myspace.com/williambrittelle William Brittelle demonstrates the distinction between a traditional songwriter and a sophisticated composer through a series of symphonic soundscapes bearing an expansive and thematic feel. Synths, strings, supple acoustic guitars and flailing metallic riffing provide a shifting setting, as Brittelle braces the arrangements with rich, vibrant textures and continual kinetic fluidity.... 

THE BRITANNICAS The Britannicas myspace.com/thebritannicas Chicago’s Herb Eimerman, a member of America’s power-pop elite, goes international with the Britannicas—literally and figuratively. Featuring Eimerman on bass, joined by Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson and Aussie drummer Joe Algeri, the Britannicas’ self-titled debut overflows with ear candy and retro touches. The soaring harmonies that grace “Those Good Vibrations” suggest the... 

THE JASON ADAMO BAND Transistor jasonadamomusic.com The Jason Adamo Band’s latest album bulges with emotive anthems, surging melodies, towering refrains and passionate performances. This is music that would sound just fine on rock radio playlists between mainstays U2, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen. Transistor bodes well for that possibility, with songs like “Los Angeles,” “Guilty Bystander” and “Far Away From Here” conveying the angst... 

EDWARD ROGERS Sparkle Lane edwardrogersmusic.com Edward Rogers finds inspiration in the quaint melodies and elaborate arrangements first conjured up by acts like the Kinks, the Hollies and the Zombies as they were crafting their seminal ’60s sounds. As an English expatriate, Edwards comes by that heritage naturally. His earlier work with the folk-rock quartet Green Rooftops and his chamber pop duo, Bedsit Poets, offered the initial evidence, and... 

STRIPMALL ARCHITECTURE Feathersongs for Factory Girls stripmallarchitecture.com Though the songs do bear a psychedelic feel, the enigmatic quartet that calls itself Stripmall Architecture generally defies categorization. Rebecca Coseboom’s dreamy vocals compete with weird sonic elements and akimbo melodies, but the end results are consistently intriguing.  Read More →

MILAGRES Seven Summits myspace.com/milagresmusic Milagres maintains a mysterious aura, a dark yet dreamlike sound that recalls the likes of the Moody Blues, Genesis, Ultravox and other cosmic contemporaries. Its debut finds the band fixated on a mountain-climbing theme, expressed through related tales of tragedy and intrigue.  Read More →

SARAH DASHEW Where I Belong sarahdashew.com QUICK TAKE + Dashew’s emotive vocals and lithe arrangements make Where I Belong a formidable follow-up to 2006’s much-lauded Jealous Girl. The catchy title track and haunting “Anywhere” and “Almost Here” find her channeling a variety of emotions while still creating a coherent whole.  Read More →

JENNIE ARNAU Chasing Giants jenniearnau.com QUICK TAKE + Jennie Arnau’s blend of vibrancy and vulnerability brings a fresh approach to Chasing Giants. Whether accompanied by the pluck of a banjo and a brace of fiddles (the cheery “For the Winter”) or simply ambling along contentedly (the assuring “Safe Tonight” and “No Guarantees”), Arnau is always appealing.  Read More →

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness olafurarnalds.com QUICK TAKE + This 23-year-old Icelandic composer casts a haunting spell. These brooding, overcast tunes meander at a sobering pace before finally gathering momentum and building into a series of sweeping crescendos. This is beautifully crafted neo-classical music, with an emphasis on mood as much as melody.  Read More →

THE WELL WISHERS Post Modern Romantic myspace.com/thewellwishers Tallying 10 albums in 17 years, first with his band Spinning Jennies and more recently with acclaimed power-pop champs the Well Wishers, singer, guitarist and chief musical architect Jeff Shelton has racked up an impressive track record. Post Modern Romantic is his most formidable effort to date, a non-stop barrage of power chords, relentless riffing and hard-crunching melodies. The... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Sing Me to Sleep: Indie Lullabies indielullabies.com With all proceeds going to the Valerie Fund, an organization helping children with cancer and blood disorders, this effort succeeds before the first note is ever strummed. Despite contributions from a broad contingent of shoegazing ensembles, there aren’t many headliners—Stars, Neil Halstead and Tanya Donelly are the few better-known names. Yet given a selection of standards... 

CHRIS PUREKA How I Learned to See in the Dark chrispureka.com With How I Learned to See in the Dark there’s only a little light cast on Chris Pureka’s surroundings. It’s a more plaintive set of songs, as defined by its measured tones and a sense of quiet contemplation. Mournful violin and subdued guitars provide the accompaniment, giving Pureka’s emotional delivery all the emphasis it needs. A closer listen is occasionally required to fully... 

JAZZ MAFIA Brass, Bows and Beats jazzmafia.com Doggedly blurring boundaries between genres, Jazz Mafia’s music seems a bundle of contradictions. After all, reconciling an entire jazz orchestra and a small army of musical virtuosos with hip-hop rhythms, rappers, singers and MCs would appear tough enough in the studio, but particularly unwieldy in concert. So it’s impressive that on the aptly named live disc Brass, Bows and Beats, this extraordinary... 

HOODOO GURUS Purity of Essence hoodoogurus.net While their résumé encompasses three decades and nine albums, the Hoodoo Gurus evince an energy that should make bands half their age envious. Co-producing with Charles Fisher (and employing veteran producer Ed Stasium for the mix), the group turns Purity of Essence into a blistering tour de force, as formidable a rock ’n’ roll record as anything in recent memory. “Crackin’ Up,” “Burnt Orange,”... 

TERRI HENDRIX Cry Till You Laugh terrihendrix.com With a stylistic sweep that encompasses country, blues, jazz and practically everything in between, Texan Terri Hendrix has created a flourishing cottage industry with a consistent string of albums hailed by fans and critics alike. Partnered once again with erstwhile producer and multitasking session pro Lloyd Maines, the new record finds Hendrix stirring the pot even more, opting to go it alone with... 

HALSTED Life Underwater halstedmusic.com Singer-songwriter Ryan Auffenberg reaped critical kudos with his last LP, 2008’s Marigolds, a title that hinted at the fact that his talents had just started to bloom. Now that he’s re-launched himself under a new name, his methods may have changed—but happily, his means have not. Auffenberg continues to purvey his hushed vocals and haunting pop melodies with equal aplomb, but in the company of the other... 

MARK ERELLI AND JEFFREY FOUCAULT Seven Curses markerelli.com, jeffreyfoucault.com Fans of forlorn folk music take note—this low-key summit of two exceptional singer-songwriters is a marriage made in the heartland. Taking on a set made up mostly of murder ballads penned by giants like Bruce Springsteen (“Johnny 99”), Steve Earle (“Ellis Unit 1”) and Neil Young (“Powderfinger”), Erelli and Foucault find a common thread in rustic arrangements... 

STEVE DAWSON I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums stevedawsonmusic.com As chief steward of Chicago’s alt-country combo Dolly Varden, Steve Dawson’s status as an Americana original is unquestioned.  Yet even though his tenure with the band has produced five albums over the course of a 15-year history, Dawson still has plenty to offer individually. This, his second solo album (third if one counts Duets, recorded with foil Diane Christiansen),... 

BOB CHEEVERS Tall Texas Tales bobcheevers.com The album cover offers a first hint of Bob Cheevers’ venerable nature—with a portrait that resembles the rugged Indian chief once etched on an old nickel, he projects an air of grizzled authenticity. And Cheevers is the real deal, a dusty Texas troubadour with a wise perspective and a weathered set of tunes. Whether he’s crooning everyday observations (“Grown Up People,” “Luckenbach”) moaning... 

ADMIRAL RADLEY I Heart California admiralradley.com Although the band is made up of members of nu-folk combos Earlimart (Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray) and Grandaddy (Aaron Burtch and Jason Lytle), Admiral Radley bears only a passing resemblance to the music the players make at their day jobs. For starters, this new conglomerate tends to eschew the hazy musings that those two groups are known for, substituting a cheerier approach suitable to warm... 

PERNICE BROTHERS Goodbye, Killer pernicebrothers.com Massachusetts’ Joe Pernice has honed his craft under a variety of guises over the last two decades—recording with the alt-country outfit the Scud Mountain Boys in the early 1990s, as a solo artist using both his own name and the pseudonym Chappaquiddick Skyline, and on and off for the past dozen years with his main vehicle, the Pernice Brothers. He mixes things up on this latest effort with... 

The Rubinoos Biff-Boff-Boing! rubinoos.com QUICK TAKE + Billed as a children’s album, Biff-Boff-Boing! moots the distinction between camp and kids’ stuff with a nostalgic tone that carries echoes of both bubblegum and Broadway. The power-pop veterans’ own kooky creations fit seamlessly alongside beloved novelty numbers like “Boris the Spider” and “Sugar Sugar.”  Read More →

Eric Roberts My Brazilian Heart ericroberts.org QUICK TAKE + Titles can be misleading: First, no, Roberts isn’t the actor of the same name. And while this six-song EP dabbles in the occasional tropical rhythm, it’s really more about mellow jazz. Roberts, an accomplished guitarist, mostly cedes the spotlight here to superb ensemble performances.  Read More →

Ruby James Happy Now rubyjames.com QUICK TAKE + Ruby James makes a striking first impression on Happy Now, bolstered by the production work of Charlie Sexton. The album combines sinewy ballads, sultry vocals and sensuous hooks into a very inviting package. Newcomers to this burgeoning talent will be impressed.  Read More →

Dick 50 Late Show facebook.com/dick50 QUICK TAKE + It’s reasonable to assume that the first “solo” set by Delbert McClinton’s backing band will be blues-based. It’s notable, then, that the band clearly doesn’t feel confined to any format on Late Show, with songs such as “Like You Did” and “2012” stepping far outside the roadhouse.  Read More →

Amy Cook Let the Light In amycook.com QUICK TAKE + Having Alejandro Escovedo at the production helm of her new album is certainly an attention-getter for Amy Cook—but her own spirited vocals command respect regardless of his presence. Let the Light In is a compelling album full of tangled emotions.  Read More →

The Successful Failures Three Nights thesuccessfulfailures.com Any attempt at unraveling the seemingly contradictory halves of their handle finds the Successful Failures demonstrating much more of the former than the latter. Frontman Mick Chorba, who also leads the Dipsomaniacs, has gradually made the Successful Failures his primary focus—and their fourth album, Three Nights, offers plenty of reasons why. The key to their success basically boils... 

Rachael Sage Delancey Street rachaelsage.com Rachael Sage’s soft, sultry vocals and solitary piano-plied gravitas might imply she’s a diva of the first order, especially given the fact that she includes leadingly titled songs like “Meet Me in Vegas” and Hall and Oates’ “Rich Girl” as part of her latest set. Fortunately, Sage proves she’s more than a mere drama queen by injecting a tattered vulnerability and quiet resolve into originals... 

Rooney Eureka rooney-band.com Productivity doesn’t necessarily come easily to Los Angeles-based Rooney—they’ve managed only three albums in 10 years, and they took three separate stabs at recording their second. That places high expectations on this new outing, and the band clears the bar nicely. Rooney aspires to pop perfection and often succeeds, with tuneful influences like Cheap Trick, the Raspberries and Badfinger pushed clearly to the... 

Jim Moray (A Beginner’s Guide) jimmoray.co.uk With material drawn from his three English-only releases, (A Beginner’s Guide) allows American critics to finally ponder the question that’s confounded their overseas counterparts: Is Moray folk, fusion or a fresh amalgam? Based on the evidence here, the answer leans towards the third option. Although his songs originate from traditional sources, the undercurrent of digital beats and electronica... 

Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce Coldwater shannonmcnally.com Americana by definition, but possessing the soul, skill and savvy to blur boundaries, Shannon McNally hasn’t missed a beat since parting ways with major label Capitol Records and striking out on her own. Coldwater contains a mere eight tracks, but within those limited confines she covers ample ground. Southern soul (“Lovely” “Bolder Than Paradise”) and a dusty road song (Steve Young’s... 

Anne McCue Broken Promise Land annemccue.com With her latest album, this versatile Australian-born guitar slinger redefines herself as one hard-rocking mama. Sassy and suggestive, McCue amps up the attitude and borrows liberally from both Melissa Etheridge and the early blues-based version of Fleetwood Mac. “Rock ’n’ Roll Outlaw,” “Broken Promise Land” and “Lonesome Child” show her partiality to blues and boogie, but it’s the seductive... 

Jason & the Scorchers Halcyon Times jasonandthescorchers.com Attitude is everything, and on this riveting new album—their first in a decade—reconstituted Nashville rock band Jason & the Scorchers demonstrates it still has plenty to spare. Singer Jason Ringenberg and guitar foil Warren E. Hodges are in full roar, aided by a new rhythm section and ace collaborators like Dan Baird, Tommy Womack and producer Brad Jones. They raise a ruckus... 

Adam Falcon Bohemian 959 adamfalcon.com The sheer love of music exhibited by the beaming kid holding the toy guitar on the cover and the man leaping enthusiastically on the inside sleeve continues well into the grooves of Adam Falcon’s Bohemian 959. Smooth melodies frame the voice of a classic crooner with influences from Seal to Smokey Robinson, but when he gets his groove on more aggressively with “Soul Satisfied” and “Like a Soldier,”... 

Paul Curreri California paulcurreri.com Paul Curreri’s music inhabits hazy realms where elements of blues, folk and rock swirl into an amorphous brew. Curreri has never fit neatly into any one niche, and his sprawling California places the emphasis on mood as much as melody. Songs such as “Now I Can Go On,” “Stephen Crane” and “Wildegeeses” amble along loosely as Curreri single-handedly multitasks on guitar, piano and literally every... 

Susan Cowsill Lighthouse threadheadrecords.org Anyone who thought Susan Cowsill vanished along with family band the Cowsills may be surprised to learn that the family’s youngest sibling continues making music, both on her own and as a member of another communal combo, the Creekdippers. But the real surprise is that after the tragic deaths of her brothers Barry and Billy and the toll Hurricane Katrina took on her native New Orleans, her superb second... 

Kasey Anderson Nowhere Nights kaseyanderson.com With his fourth album, Anderson firmly entrenches himself in the tradition of Steve Earle, Graham Parker, Townes Van Zandt and other insurgents whose cynical perspective found them swimming against the tide. Alternately rowdy and remorseful, he stirs up a cantankerous brew, his smoky vocals perched atop ragtag arrangements and defiant posturing. A brace of raucous anthems (“All Lit Up,” “Sooner/Later,”... 

MICHAEL MAZZARELLA SODA POP GRAMOPHONE myspace.com/michaelmazzarella After establishing himself both with rock band the Rooks and as a solo act, Michael Mazzarella continues to fly below the mainstream’s radar. Happily, Soda Pop Gramophone may improve his chances of reaching a wider audience—specifically, anyone with a hankering for cheery Beatlesque pop, heavenly harmonies and a semi-psychedelic perspective. The package includes a book illustrated... 

TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS A Celebrated Man myspace.com/tolpuddlemartyrs QUICK TAKE + The Tol-Puddle Martyrs once had potential to be prime Aussie imports—and this revitalized edition of the band’s psychedelic instincts remain intact. The band’s driving delivery is still pop-perfect four decades on.  Read More →

HARLEM PARLOUR MUSIC CLUB Salt of the Earth harlemparlourmusicclub.com QUICK TAKE + A loose co-op including Darden Smith and Mary Lee Kortes, HPMC carries a distinctive back-porch sensibility. The banjo-plucking cover of Sly Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” is an endearingly quirky touch.  Read More →

HAFDIS HULD Synchronised Swimmers hafdishuld.com QUICK TAKE + Huld sings shimmering (if sometimes sleepy) ballads with fragility and finesse, overseen by producer Calum MacColl, son of folk forebear Ewan MacColl. A cameo by singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine on their co-composition “Vampires” adds flavor.  Read More →

PATRICK BLOOM Ghosts of Radio patrickbloom.com QUICK TAKE + With due respect, Iowa has never been known as a hotbed of original music—but the charming pop sounds spun by Patrick Bloom and his band the Mayflies could put his home state on the musical map.  Read More →

BIRDSONG AT MORNING Vigil birdsongatmorning.com QUICK TAKE + Birdsong At Morning’s penchant for hushed and sensitive chamber folk continues on Vigil, the third installment in a trilogy of albums. All six songs here maintain an elegiac atmosphere of repose and solitude.  Read More →

THE ORANGE PEELS 2020 theorangepeels.com One would expect a band dubbed the Orange Peels to sound sweetly effervescent, and this West Coast quintet doesn’t disappoint. Led by the engaging Allen Clapp, the Peels arrive at their fourth album fully reinvigorated after a brief Clapp solo stint. They sound as giddy as ever, with “We’re Gonna Make It,” “Shining Like Stars” and “Charmed Life” exuding the irrepressible enthusiasm their song...