Alternative Singer/Songwriter Archives

Hamilton Leithauser: The Loves of Your Life

May 11, 2020

Hamilton Leithauser seemingly lives in a different era than the rest of the musical universe. And while his tunes feel timeless, they also don't belong to 2020. It could...

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Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties: Routine Maintenance

August 28, 2019

There is this funny world that some indie rock bands like Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties inhabits. It’s this Americana-cum-emo thing that has clearly gently...

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Tim Kasher: No Resolution

June 14, 2018

Tim Kasher wears his heart on his sleeve. I guess that's why he's been branded "emo" over the years, starting with his band Cursive and even on his pseudo-solo ...

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The Bicycle Thief: You Come and Go Like a Pop Song

July 1, 2016

It feels like just about everything from 2001 that wasn't 911 was lost to history, including this album. Not that having Bob Forrest from one of my 80s touchsto...

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Craig Finn: Faith In the Future

October 20, 2015

I guess this is Craig Finn's Tunnel of Love. Me? I was hoping for more of a Born In the USA thing. Granted, I don't think The Boss ever talked about God this mu...

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Waxahatchee: Ivy Tripp

December 24, 2013

I want to like this. I do. The same way I wanted to like PJ Harvey and some of those woman-fronted college radio rock bands from back in the 90s. I just can't g...

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Jason Lytle: Dept. of Disappearance

December 30, 2012

Grandaddy was one of those bands that I used to listen to that had no basis in reality. They were a band. They occasionally got written up on Pitchfork. But oth...

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J Mascis: Several Shades of Why

March 17, 2011

It's funny to hear J Mascis in his other mode. His reflective, singer songwriter mode where there isn't even a hint of a guitar solo until track five. It's not ...

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Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo

March 9, 2011

I generally stay away from the low-key singer/songwriter stuff since Elliott Smith snuffed himself. I saw one of his shows at Irving Plaza back when he was stil...

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Lightspeed Champion: Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You.

November 4, 2010

Much more fleshed out than his first stab at a solo thing, Devonte Hynes moves even further from his former group, Test Icicles, into almost sugary pop territor...

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The Replacements: All Shook Down

September 24, 2010

This album signaled the devolution of the band formerly known as The Replacements and the rise of Paul Westerberg, solo artist. The songs on this album take on ...

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Lightspeed Champion: Falling off the Lavender Bridge

May 22, 2009

This has become one of my go-to albums. I'm not even sure why I enjoy it so much other than the fact the guy can write a really good pop tune and can move seaml...

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Jason Collett: Here’s to Being Here

January 1, 2009

He's like a pop Jakob Dylan with an oddly country twang, or a hi-fi lof-fi Beck without the wink. The whole thing, including the scarf on the cover, screams hip...

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Lou Barlow: EMOH

June 13, 2006

Solo albums are always a good measure of an artist's heart. For Lou Barlow, we always kind of knew he was the softer side of Dinosaur Jr. and the driving engine...

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Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes

March 10, 2004

Oh boy, I know I'm gonna get crap for this one. Making sense of Tori Amos' little piano-side diatribes is like trying to figure out why Pynchon feels the need t...

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