Kristi Kates | Author
Vandoliers – Forever – Bloodshot Records
March 16, 2019
Mixing Texan-Americana music, south-of-the-border rhythms, and ’70s-inspired cowpunk, this 10-tune set from the Dallas band pulls together twangy guitars with strings and horns for an intriguing fusion on tracks like “Troublemaker,” with its low, rumbling undertones; &ld...
Read More >>
Massive Attack Gets Deconstructed
March 9, 2019
English trip-hop outfit Massive Attack is returning to the U.S. for a 10-date North American tour and will stop at Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theater on March 22. The band has teamed up with filmmaker Adam Curtis for some big-time audio visuals that w...
Read More >>
Jon Fratelli – Bright Night Flowers – Cooking Vinyl
March 9, 2019
You might recognize that last name from the punky-pop outfit The Fratellis (the Scottish band that brought you the catchy 2006 single “Chelsea Dagger”), but this album steps right on out of that band’s footprints. Instead, the solo Fratelli (The Fratellis’ lead son...
Read More >>
Kannberg Steps Up the Spiral Stairs
March 2, 2019
Former Pavement bandmate Scott Kannberg has struck out on his own again and has announced the details of his upcoming Spiral Stairs album, Hyp-No-Tized, out March 22 on Nine Mile Records. The album is inspired by bands and artist...
Read More >>
FourScore
March 2, 2019
The Vancouver, Canada, indie band returns for its sixth effort on the ambitious Cascadia, a well-mapped audio journey that steers carefully between sanguine California pop-rock and folk-pop (“Old Soul, Young Heart,” “UnAmerican”) with hints of darker, more...
Read More >>
Band of Horses– Acoustic at the Ryman– Brown Records
Feb. 23, 2019
Captured at a two-night stand of acoustic performances at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, this mini best-of from Band of Horses uses specialized gear from direct stream audio, so you can hear every note and every rattle (or small mistake); this adds a very “you were there”...
Read More >>
The Raconteurs Make a Rockin’ Return
Feb. 23, 2019
Jack White, one of the Motor City’s favorite sons (now a Nashville export), has revived his side-project band, The Raconteurs, and released the band’s latest on his own Third Man Records label. The record, with ...
Read More >>
American Authors – Seasons – Island
Feb. 16, 2019
Far from the bright, spry tones of its first big hit single, “Best Day of My Life,” the Authors returns with a much heavier outlook on the world, and the music steps up the band’s instrumental game to match. The Brooklyn, New York, outfit digs into more earthy blues, Ame...
Read More >>
James Blake is Back — with Help from Andre 3000
Feb. 16, 2019
Singer-songwriter James Blake is newly back on record store shelves and media outlet sites with his fourth album, Assume Form, which he released via Republic Records. The 12-track followup to his 2016 set, The Colour in Anything, includes singles “...
Read More >>
Mix It Up With Some ’80s Babies
Feb. 9, 2019
A massive 53-city schedule has been announced for The Mixtape Tour, an ambitious retro-music tour set to launch a little later this year. The tour will focus on ’80s music via headliners New Kids on the Block, who will share the trek with Salt-N-PepaRead More >>
Feb. 9, 2019 The Ukranian rock outfit kick off its latest (third) album with first single “Ape” — a rollicking, groove-filled tune that surges through its melody with urgency — and then carries that determined, headstrong feel throughout the rest of this short set. The producti...
Read More >>
Feb. 2, 2019 LCD Soundsystem Meet the Electric Lady Dance-rockersJames Murphyand LCD Soundsystemare heading your way this week with a live in-studio album titledElectric Lady Sessions, named after the sessions them...
Read More >>
Feb. 2, 2019 Also in the revamp department this week is this limited-edition blue vinyl release of the Ataris’ landmark sophomore album. The Indiana punkers, who initially conquered the charts with their hit cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” remind fans what their best is...
Read More >>
Jan. 26, 2019 Adam Levine and his Maroon 5 bandmates have officially been confirmed as the headliners for this year’s Pepsi Super Bowl LIII halftime show, with special guest musicians for the big event including rapper Big Boi and Travis Scott. Maroon 5 will follow in the halftime show footsteps ...
Read More >>
Jan. 26, 2019 With its modernized, cutting-edge feel, Holkenborg’s tracks for Mortal Engines click right into place alongside the film itself, a futuristic romp in which cities literally roll around the globe and battle each other. Holkenborg — whom you might also know as Junkie XL — ...
Read More >>
Jan. 19, 2019 A half-dozen albums in, and Balsam Range has yet to fully reach the range of its skills, but offers a decent listen nonethless. Primarily a bluegrass-pop outfit, the five musicians kick things off with up-tempo standout “The Girl Who Invented the Wheel,” full of careening banj...
Read More >>
Jan. 19, 2019 The numbers are in, and not only did Ed Sheeran win 2018 in the tour department, he’s also technically the “winner” of the past 30 years of touring, according to Pollstar’s box office research. Sheeran performed mostly solo on tour (with a few gues...
Read More >>
Jan. 12, 2019 The Scottish alternative rock outfit wound up 2018 by releasing this special edition vinyl pressing right before the year ended, with a dual press effort on both the band’s own EU PeMa label and Merge in America. The trio recorded this set in Chicago with John McEntir...
Read More >>
Jan. 12, 2019 The complete list of 2019 Grammy Award nominees has been revealed, showing Kendrick Lamar at the top of the list, with eight nods, most due to his work on Black Panther: The Album. Right behind him is Lady Gaga, with eight nominations, prima...
Read More >>
Jan. 12, 2019 Jake Allen started experimenting with mixing boards when he was just six years old, in his dad’s home recording studio in Grayling. With parents who both played music, it might have seemed inevitable that he would gravitate toward the same pursuit. It was. By the time he’d pic...
Read More >>
Jinjer – Micro – N Records
LCD Soundsystem Meet the Electric Lady
MODERN ROCK
by Kristi Kates
The Ataris – Blue Skies, Broken Hearts, Next 12 Exits–Kung Fu
Are You Ready For Some Maroon 5?
Tom Holkenborg – Mortal Engines Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Balsam Range – Aeonic – MH Music
Ed Sheeran Wins the Touring Game
Teenage Fanclub – Man-Made – Merge
Lamar, Gaga, Drake, Lead Grammys Pack
Profile: Musician Jake Allen