With the mess in Iraq not going away any time soon, and the economy in the crapper, who can blame Tod A for wanting to get the hell out of America? Actually, make that past tense; as much as this album’s Bush-bashing kickoff track — the jungle-swing gem “Borneo” — finds the singer announcing “I’m [...]

If you’re one of those people convinced that, with the exceptions of Jim Carrey and Mike Myers, Canadians aren’t much fun, it’s understandable. Where else but the land of block heaters and hockey-mulleted hosers would an unapologetic introvert such as Hayden be something of a star? Over the course of a twelve-year career, the man [...]

In hindsight, 1992 wasn’t the most opportune time to launch a low-key alt-folk combo like Ida. While the rest of the pop world was loud and grungy, the NYC–based group sounded, unfashionably, like 3 a.m. in the Bible Belt. Based on Lovers Prayers, the group’s seventh full-length, not much has changed since then. Those on [...]

If you subscribe to the dubious theory that most white folks should be banned from rapping, dabbling in the blues, or forming perma-peppy ska bands, it might follow that Brits shouldn’t be tackling Americana. When you come from a country that knows nothing of lost highways or white-trash trailer parks, what can you possibly add [...]

Having endured enough Bruce Springsteen comparisons to make the Hold Steady feel sorry for them, Marah makes a balls-out effort to shake things up on their sixth full-length release. The good news for those who dream of being buried in Asbury Park is that these Brooklyn-via-Philadelphia dudes haven’t forgotten what got them here in the [...]

Forget the land of the Loch Ness Monster, this choir (which is actually more of a loose, indie-rock-style collective) calls Chicago home. Singer-guitarist-founder Elia isn’t Scottish, he’s Welsh, and there’s nothing terribly choral about his sonic creations. None of that will matter after the first spin of this sometimes stunning, always solid debut disc. With [...]