Since his Grammy-winning 1986 debut, The Way It Is, Virginia pianist Bruce Hornsby has ridden the line between a musician’s musician and chart-topping songwriter. From his forays into bluegrass and gospel funk, to getting sampled by 2Pac and a stint in The Grateful Dead, Hornsby’s taste matches his technicality. On…

In this dark epoch of late capitalism, “big business” refers to a grinding corporate oligarchy slowly devouring the economy—a cash-crazy leviathan driven onward by its ceaseless appetite. Among aficionados of heavy rock, Big Business is a power duo from Seattle made up of drummer Coady Willis and bassist Jared…

For those who grew up listening to The Drums, Brutalism does not disappoint. It’s Jonny Pierce’s solo project now, carrying on what used to be a full band. Brutalism strays from sunny vibes of previous albums but sticks with a distinct pop sound. It’s hard to pick a favorite song,…

Maine singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro, better known as Lady Lamb, took a different approach to her fourth LP, Tremor. While generally known for her observational writing about the world around her, this time she takes on the challenge of writing entirely about herself. The results are thoughtful, challenging and emotionally real. Even…

Weyes Blood, “Titanic Rising.” Natalie Mering, better known as Weyes Blood, made waves from Santa Monica with 2011’s The Outside Room, 2014’s The Innocents and 2016’s Front Row Seat to Earth. Mering’s sultry and commanding voice is now joined by harmonious violins, synths and piano on her Sub Pop…

Bangladeshi electronica musician Sajeeb Saha has steadily moved past the Skrillex remix that gave his Jai Wolf alias his big break in 2014. Single “Indian Summer” and following EP, Kindred Spirits, foreshadowed an expansion past the EDM format, backing up massive drops with more songwriting chops. Saha’s push to establish…

Periphery, “Periphery IV: Hail Stan.” Since Washington, D.C.’s Periphery helped spearhead a Meshuggah-worshiping tech-metal offshoot, what’s kept the band relevant hasn’t been  the polyrhythms, but the songwriting. The band’s hyper-syncopated breakdowns have proven an unlikely partner for sticky vocal melodies and adventurous playing. Now on its very own label,…

The Road: Part I in 2017 saw James LaVelle take full control of the legendary trip-hop outfit Unkle. His combination of moody art rock and spacious beat music reached new levels of atmosphere and bombast, which the second installment aims to push farther. LaVelle approached The Road: Part II…

On his newest album, Guy, Steve Earle and his band the Dukes pay tribute to one of his foundational influences, Guy Clark. Earle covers 16 of the country and folk great’s most prominent songs and indirectly reflects upon his intimate relationship with the legendary songwriter. Guy Steve Earle &…

Since releasing its 2016 debut, Body War, Show Me The Body has become a standard-bearer for New York hardcore. Over 10 years in the East Coast DIY scene, the trio’s unmistakable combination of industrial hip-hop, sludge metal and anarcho-punk simultaneously captured the heart and the fringes of underground rock. Following a…