1.30.12
Dwarr
STARTING OVER-(DRAG CITY)-Man, I have to give Drag City credit; they can really dig up some obscurities, and Dwarr is just about as obscure as you can get. It's from the 1980s, and is the More

1.30.12
The Left Banke
TOO-(SUNDAZED)-The 2nd, much less known record by The Left Banke (from 1968) get the reissue treatment by the much respected Sundazed label (who always nail it). There’s no bonus More

1.30.12
Poland
THE SUN AND THE SITTING ROOM-(CLASS M)-Poland’s latest record is a pure delight, a brilliant meld of, say, vintage Randy Newman — when he used lot of clarinets and other More

1.30.12
Roedelius Schneider-Stunden
S/T- (BUREAU B)-This is a quiet record, made by two generations of masterful German music makers. Hans-Joachim Roedelius has been making music for nearly 40 years and is a founding More

1.30.12
Walter Rose
CAST YOUR STONE- (SELF-RELEASED)-In contemporary American culture, being over 30 is rarely looked upon as a positive. The Country and Blues music genres might be two exceptions. More

1.23.12
B-Movie Lightning
RAIN ON A RIVER-(MICROPOLIS)-After releasing a few singles in the past few years, Galway, Ireland’s Mike Smalle offers his debut with the help from none other than St. Etienne’s More

1.23.12
Opposite Sex
S/T -(FISHRIDER)-Fishrider Records head honcho, Ian Henderson is a huge music fan who seems to constantly be listening and discovering. He’s released fine records by his own band More

1.23.12
Wussy
STRAWBERRY -(SHAKE-IT)-Wussy is part late-90s American indie rock, part blue-collar rock and roll, part Southern hoedown, wrapped in deeply personal lyrics and expressive playing. More

1.23.12
Yukon Blonde
FIRE//WATER- (NEVADO/DINE ALONE)-This terrific Canadian band, who used to be known as Alphababy (they have much better name now IMHO) released an excellent self-titled debut More

1.23.12
The Howling Hex
WILSON SEMICONDUCTORS- (DRAG CITY)-When the duo of Royal Trux split, the solo careers showed who brought what to the equation. Jennifer Herrema was the metal side, More

1.16.12
Kate Bush
50 WORDS FOR SNOW-(ANTI)-Much has been made of Ms. Bush and her unwavering commitment to her muse, and rightly so; she is a true pioneer of modern music. Even when she More

1.16.12
Allen Clapp & his Orchestra
MIXED GREENS -(MYSTERY LAWN MUSIC/ MINTY FRESH)-The Bay Area pop tunesmith, Allen Clapp , is probably more known for his work in the Orange Peels. The band he leads with More

1.16.12
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
SOUL TIME! -(DAPTONE)-It's been a quiet year for Sharon Jones, and Soul Time! is a collection of odds-and-sods from the past decade or so. While it's not a bad collection, it does More