Robert Cray Bares His Soul on 'That's What I Heard'

Forty years into his career, Robert Cray has been steadily building one of the most consistent catalogs of pure soul and smooth blues with the help of his stinging Stratocaster and a voice that somehow gets even better with age.

Music

The New Old Flower-Power Fantasy of Greta Van Fleet

If Greta Van Fleet are that wonderful horrible thing called zeitgeisty, that zeitgeist is defined by desire to escape to a fantasized past where the battles were cleaner and the battle lines simpler than today's appear to be.

Music

Guitarist Marcus King Finds His Voice on 'El Dorado'

Marcus King has a raw ache in his throat that makes him sound as if he's coarsely whispering the words. Even when he's singing about a "Young Man's Dream", King's vocals suggest the experience of age.

Music

'Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band' Is Essential Listening (album stream) (premiere)

Big Band of Brothers is a truly remarkable and imaginative take on the music of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, rendered with affection and imagination, it asks us to appreciate the true genius of Macon, Georgia's finest.

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

Many Circles: An Interview with Trigger Hippy's Steve Gorman

On their sophomore album, Trigger Hippy cement their reputation as a hard-working American rock band with a bright future. Co-founder Steve Gorman says, "This feels special and that's worth protecting."

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

The Doors' 'Soft Parade' Gets the Deluxe Edition Treatment and a Chance for Reassessment

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50^th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.

Music

The Rolling Stones Roll Out a Deluxe Edition of 'Let It Bleed'

Although created in the midst of personal and global turmoil, the Rolling Stones' 1969 studio album is routinely considered one of their best. A 50th anniversary deluxe edition is now out and celebrates this masterpiece.

Music

Mike Zito Taps Walter Trout For Cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" (premiere)

Blues rocker Mike Zito pairs with axeman Walter Trout for an incendiary version of Chuck Berry's seminal rock 'n' roll song, "Johnny B. Goode".

Music

A Journey Through Her Mind: An Interview with Beth Hart

Powerhouse blues vocalist Beth Hart teams with producer Rob Cavallo to confront her own sense of spirituality on her intensely personal new release, War in My Mind. She tells us that story.

Music

The Stone Foxes Set the Spotlight on San Francisco's Homelessness Epidemic in "Million Dollar Shoes" (premiere)

As part of the upcoming benefit album Blanket the Homeless, the Stone Foxes shine through the atmospheric, rhythmic rock of "Million Dollar Shoes", a song that sets the spotlight on the San Francisco Bay Area's homelessness crisis.

Music

Sitting on Top of the World: An Appreciation of Cream's Ginger Baker

For an artist whose discography spans continents both literally and stylistically, there was one reliable thing: Ginger Baker knew what was needed, and if he had to invent new ways of forcing rhythm to the forefront, that was his job. It will remain his legacy.

Music

Bad Company's Classic Catalog Gets the Retrospective Treatment

Bad Company's albums have been fairly and consistently good -- all of them crucial to the development and popularity of album-oriented rock. The Swan Song Years is a perfect and convenient way to get all of the band's first six albums in one package.

Reviews

Oumar Konaté Radiates Passion for His Craft on 'I Love You Inna'

Oumar Konaté shreds, howls, and loves his job on new Malian blues rock release I Love You Inna.

Music

Tinariwen's 'Amadjar' Is a Particularly Well-Polished Jewel

Saharan collective Tinariwen reign over a star-studded album of sincere desert blues on their latest gem Amadjar.

Music

The Dust Blows Forward: 'Trout Mask Replica' at 50

In 1969, the deeply strange musician known as Captain Beefheart released an album that is still ahead of its time a half-century later. PopMatters spoke with musicians and writers about this landmark work of art and why it continues to fascinate.

Music

The Stunning Return of Soul Legend P.P. Arnold

Legendary soul singer P.P. Arnold's new adventures include recording new baroque, soul-pop hybrids and a wild take on an old Dylan poem with Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock and Paul Weller.

Music

Survival and Serendipity: An Interview with Northern Soul Legend P.P. Arnold

More than 50 years after her last solo album, Northern soul legend P.P. Arnold returns with a magnum opus produced by Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock. Arnold discusses this and her long musical history working with the likes of the Small Faces, Ike & Tina Turner, and the Rolling Stones.

Music

"I've Got My Own Hubcaps": An Interview with Jimmie Vaughan

Blues guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan reflects on his latest album, Baby, Please Come Home, the greatness of T-Bone Walker, and the importance of remaining curious about your instrument.

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

The Black Keys Celebrate the Electric Guitar on 'Let's Rock'

The Black Keys loudly rock out with Let's Rock, an album celebrating the directness and enjoyment of the electric guitar.

Music

Ether Feather Offers Up "Your Half in the Middle" (premiere)

Moving from Mahavishnu Orchestra-style to '70s-style rock sees the trio move from being Sand to becoming Ether Feather on "Your Half in the Middle".

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

'Help Us Stranger' Is a Rousing, Welcome Return for the Raconteurs

On their first album in more than ten years, Jack White's acclaimed foursome the Raconteurs are back with a solid collection of songs.

Music

Swamp Blues Band Bark Create a Testament to Living Life to the Fullest with 'Terminal Everything'

For Bark, the question isn't whether life's glass is half-full or half-empty; the point is to drink it all in deeply because it's the only glass we get. This is music that celebrates life despite its necessary pains and setbacks.

Music

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Takes Listeners on a Journey with 'The Traveler'

Blues rock's Kenny Wayne Shepherd incorporates all of his Southern influences and a few surprising covers on his dynamic new record, The Traveler.

Music

The Heavy Defy Musical Conventions on 'Sons'

The Heavy's latest release, Sons, demonstrates that their musical trajectory is far more complicated and nuanced than what's been embraced by popular culture.

Music

Tedeschi Trucks Band Lifts the Bay Area Up into the Clouds Again

The blend of diverse original material with a wide-ranging array of superb blues and classic rock covers is part of what makes the Tedeschi Trucks Band a leading torch carrier for the blues tradition, ever paying tribute to the past while continuing to move the medium forward.

Music

See the Ties That Bind the Suitcase Junket to His Stop-Motion Pictures on "High Beams" (premiere + interview)

Multi-instrumentalist Matt Lorenz uses a three-word name for his one-man band (the Suitcase Junket), working at a dizzying pace as a recording artist, tour performer and, now, an intrepid filmmaker.

Music

Nils Lofgren Celebrates Love, Loss, Friendship Via 'Blue With Lou'

Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young collaborator, Nils Lofgren's Blue With Lou is a career high that frequently recalls his early work with Grin, while rising to new, majestic heights.

Music

Flying Buffaloes Tell the Tale of a "Lonesome Cowboy" (premiere)

Flying Buffaloes offer up an easy combination of rock, country, and blues on their infectious new single, "Lonesome Cowboy".

Books

On Warren Zevon, the "Kurt Vonnegut of Rock Music"

Author C. M. Kushins talks with PopMatters about the complicated legacy of Warren Zevon, from crack-up to recovery and back again, and his research for Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon.

Music

Left Lane Cruiser Issues Sizzling Electric Folk Number, "Two Dollar Elvis" (premiere)

Left Lane Cruiser's new album arrives later this spring. In the meantime we have a small taste of its almighty might, musical muscle via a deep appreciation of a good friend and cosmic character, "Two Dollar Elvis".

Music

Ardent Sons Give Up on Love via "Take Me Down Easy" (premiere)

Flamin' Groovies drummer Tony T. Sales leads new outfit, Ardent Sons, which gathers the best of blues, garage rock, and soul on "Take Me Down Easy".

Music

Reese McHenry Brings Some Serious Southern Heat to "Detroit" (premiere)

North Carolina's Reese McHenry is a force of nature with a whiskey-soaked, Southern-fried rock 'n' roll sound that will make you a convert on the first listen of "Detroit".

Music

The Heavy Bring the Rockin' Soul on "Heavy for You" (premiere)

Britain's soul/rock greats the Heavy return with a new album in May and a powerful new single in "Heavy for You".

Music

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Keeps the Vibe Alive at the Fillmore

A sensational four-song sequence to open night one sets the tone for a majestic three-night run to close Chris Robinson Brotherhood's 2018 fall tour.

Music

Whitehorse Returns with a New Addition to 'The Northern South'

These are six songs from the past, but Whitehorse revive them through their alternative instrumental contributions and their inventive vocals.

Music

Big Brother & The Holding Company Find 'Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrills'

When Janis Joplin opens her mouth, a whole new universe of depth emerges. There is magic in her voice.

Reviews

BROWSE ALL ALBUM REVIEWS

Collapse Expand Reviews

Features

Coronavirus Tunes: A Brief Playlist for Our Times of Self-Isolation

The Road to Murder in Love and War: Three Films from Claude Chabrol

Collapse Expand Features

PM Picks

Collapse Expand Pm Picks

From apocalyptic blues boasts to backwoods chant-alongs, here are 15 songs that encapsulate Tom Waits' incredibly varied career.

Forty years into his career, Robert Cray has been steadily building one of the most consistent catalogs of pure soul and smooth blues with the help of his stinging Stratocaster and a voice that somehow gets even better with age.

If Greta Van Fleet are that wonderful horrible thing called zeitgeisty, that zeitgeist is defined by desire to escape to a fantasized past where the battles were cleaner and the battle lines simpler than today's appear to be.

Marcus King has a raw ache in his throat that makes him sound as if he's coarsely whispering the words. Even when he's singing about a "Young Man's Dream", King's vocals suggest the experience of age.

Big Band of Brothers is a truly remarkable and imaginative take on the music of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, rendered with affection and imagination, it asks us to appreciate the true genius of Macon, Georgia's finest.

On their sophomore album, Trigger Hippy cement their reputation as a hard-working American rock band with a bright future. Co-founder Steve Gorman says, "This feels special and that's worth protecting."

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.

Although created in the midst of personal and global turmoil, the Rolling Stones' 1969 studio album is routinely considered one of their best. A 50th anniversary deluxe edition is now out and celebrates this masterpiece.

Blues rocker Mike Zito pairs with axeman Walter Trout for an incendiary version of Chuck Berry's seminal rock 'n' roll song, "Johnny B. Goode".

Powerhouse blues vocalist Beth Hart teams with producer Rob Cavallo to confront her own sense of spirituality on her intensely personal new release, War in My Mind. She tells us that story.

As part of the upcoming benefit album Blanket the Homeless, the Stone Foxes shine through the atmospheric, rhythmic rock of "Million Dollar Shoes", a song that sets the spotlight on the San Francisco Bay Area's homelessness crisis.

For an artist whose discography spans continents both literally and stylistically, there was one reliable thing: Ginger Baker knew what was needed, and if he had to invent new ways of forcing rhythm to the forefront, that was his job. It will remain his legacy.

Bad Company's albums have been fairly and consistently good -- all of them crucial to the development and popularity of album-oriented rock. The Swan Song Years is a perfect and convenient way to get all of the band's first six albums in one package.

Oumar Konaté shreds, howls, and loves his job on new Malian blues rock release I Love You Inna.

Saharan collective Tinariwen reign over a star-studded album of sincere desert blues on their latest gem Amadjar.

In 1969, the deeply strange musician known as Captain Beefheart released an album that is still ahead of its time a half-century later. PopMatters spoke with musicians and writers about this landmark work of art and why it continues to fascinate.

Legendary soul singer P.P. Arnold's new adventures include recording new baroque, soul-pop hybrids and a wild take on an old Dylan poem with Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock and Paul Weller.

More than 50 years after her last solo album, Northern soul legend P.P. Arnold returns with a magnum opus produced by Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock. Arnold discusses this and her long musical history working with the likes of the Small Faces, Ike & Tina Turner, and the Rolling Stones.

Blues guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan reflects on his latest album, Baby, Please Come Home, the greatness of T-Bone Walker, and the importance of remaining curious about your instrument.

The Black Keys loudly rock out with Let's Rock, an album celebrating the directness and enjoyment of the electric guitar.

Moving from Mahavishnu Orchestra-style to '70s-style rock sees the trio move from being Sand to becoming Ether Feather on "Your Half in the Middle".

On their first album in more than ten years, Jack White's acclaimed foursome the Raconteurs are back with a solid collection of songs.

For Bark, the question isn't whether life's glass is half-full or half-empty; the point is to drink it all in deeply because it's the only glass we get. This is music that celebrates life despite its necessary pains and setbacks.

Blues rock's Kenny Wayne Shepherd incorporates all of his Southern influences and a few surprising covers on his dynamic new record, The Traveler.

The Heavy's latest release, Sons, demonstrates that their musical trajectory is far more complicated and nuanced than what's been embraced by popular culture.

The blend of diverse original material with a wide-ranging array of superb blues and classic rock covers is part of what makes the Tedeschi Trucks Band a leading torch carrier for the blues tradition, ever paying tribute to the past while continuing to move the medium forward.

Multi-instrumentalist Matt Lorenz uses a three-word name for his one-man band (the Suitcase Junket), working at a dizzying pace as a recording artist, tour performer and, now, an intrepid filmmaker.

Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young collaborator, Nils Lofgren's Blue With Lou is a career high that frequently recalls his early work with Grin, while rising to new, majestic heights.

Flying Buffaloes offer up an easy combination of rock, country, and blues on their infectious new single, "Lonesome Cowboy".

Author C. M. Kushins talks with PopMatters about the complicated legacy of Warren Zevon, from crack-up to recovery and back again, and his research for Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon.

Left Lane Cruiser's new album arrives later this spring. In the meantime we have a small taste of its almighty might, musical muscle via a deep appreciation of a good friend and cosmic character, "Two Dollar Elvis".

Flamin' Groovies drummer Tony T. Sales leads new outfit, Ardent Sons, which gathers the best of blues, garage rock, and soul on "Take Me Down Easy".

North Carolina's Reese McHenry is a force of nature with a whiskey-soaked, Southern-fried rock 'n' roll sound that will make you a convert on the first listen of "Detroit".

Britain's soul/rock greats the Heavy return with a new album in May and a powerful new single in "Heavy for You".

A sensational four-song sequence to open night one sets the tone for a majestic three-night run to close Chris Robinson Brotherhood's 2018 fall tour.

These are six songs from the past, but Whitehorse revive them through their alternative instrumental contributions and their inventive vocals.

When Janis Joplin opens her mouth, a whole new universe of depth emerges. There is magic in her voice.

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50^th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.