Josh Gilligan, Photo: Emory Brown. Josh Gilligan’s new album, Party of One, almost turned out very differently, and might not have been made at all. The Florida-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter started recording songs in a studio with session musicians before he realized it was all wrong. Party of One Josh Gilligan…

Franz Ferdinand, courtesy. Much is going on in the life of Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos as of late. The Scottish quartet is back with its first album of new songs in six years, The Human Fear. But Kapranos, 52, is also newly married to French musician Clara Luciani…

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” courtesy Disney. Excitement, eagerness and a little bit of fear; this is what the kids in “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” feel when they accidentally blast off their planet on an old pirate starship. But this is also how composer Mick Giacchino felt when he was…

Silly Goose, courtesy. The humble beginnings of rising rap-rock stars Silly Goose seem long ago. Coming up outside of Atlanta, the band got creative, leaning on guerrilla-style performances in parking lots and trailers to find new listeners. “We started off doing a lot of this crazy stuff in the…

Dead Poet Society, courtesy. Boston quartet Dead Poet Society isn’t your average modern rock band. Sure, the guitar riffs and the big hooks are there, but also slick musicality and a tight dynamic. The members come from sturdy roots, having met in 2013 at Berklee College of Music. After…

Winona Fighter, courtesy Lindsey Byrnes. SACRAMENTO — Years of grinding on the road as a DIY punk band are finally paying dividends for punk band Winona Fighter. The band’s rise is a throwback to a bygone era of playing as many shows to as many people as possible. Winona…

Cyn, courtesy. Cynthia Nabozny’s music career was gaining momentum at the end of the last decade. The Michigan-born, L.A.-based artist, who goes by Cyn, signed with Katy Perry’s label imprint, released an EP, toured with Perry and Børns and had her songs featured in several films. Valley Girl (deluxe)…

Tim Montana, courtesy. SACRAMENTO — There are overnight successes, and then there are musicians like Tim Montana. The Southern rock singer-songwriter had been working in the music business for more than two decades. Burned out on the Nashville scene, he returned home to Montana believing he’d carry on releasing…

Bishop Briggs, courtesy Nick Walker. Bishop Briggs’ third record, Tell My Therapist I’m Fine, became its own vehicle for therapy and the rollercoaster that took her from grief to love. Weary from pandemic doldrums, Sarah Grace McLaughlin needed a spark, which she found by returning to songwriting and a…

Pauli The PSM, courtesy Steven Piper. The new single by Pauli The PSM, “Handsome,” is the flip side of a coin for “I Don’t Deserve You (Sunshine).” While August’s meditative song vulnerably questioned his relationship with his audience, the new one is a swaggering self-empowerment anthem he hopes listeners…