The NYC-based rockers keep the guitars turned up on their second album. The Thing’s The Thing Is album artwork. I miss the days when hearing an air-guitar-worthy rock riff was almost guaranteed every time you turned on the radio. If you needed an energy boost, one simple, catchy riff could snap you out of your apathy. It was like Red Bull that didn’t slowly kill your insides. With the onslaught of music available these days it can be harder to find these gems in the crowd, but they’re still there. NYC four-piece The Thing have risen to the occasion with their second album, The Thing Is, relea ..read more

About That Song #43 In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them. Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives. In the 43rd edition of this series, I connected with three members of The Neighborhood Quartet, a supergrou ..read more

The Minnesota string band draws on their punk ethos and the activist history of old-time music to produce a stirring collection of predominantly protest songs. The Roe Family Singers’ Sisters & Brothers album artwork. I love old-time music. Like many people, probably, for me it evokes feelings of comfort and happiness. It feels wholesome and fun and often cute. Maybe because it’s often played without percussion (except foot stomping, clogging or the occasional washboard) or bass (unless it’s an upright), it also tends to feel lighter than most music. Something I’ve noticed as I’ve learned ..read more

About That Song #42 In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them. Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives. For our 42nd edition, I was thrilled to connect with the amazing songwriter Susan Werner to talk about trac ..read more

The veteran singer-songwriter’s evocative new album uses rugged British Columbia as a backdrop for appreciating the beauty (and shortness) of life. Allen Dobb’s Alone Together album artwork. After taking nearly a decade off from releasing music, Canadian singer-songwriter Allen Dobb is back with Alone Together, a 10-track album released in February 2024. He and his brother (and longtime collaborator) Cameron produced the album during the pandemic. Between the two of them, they played all of the 20-plus instruments heard on the album.  Dobb was inspired in part by his experience working a ..read more

The Minnesota singer-songwriter’s lyrics take center stage on an exquisitely rendered album that brings catharsis and healing to themes of addiction and grief. John Louis’s For Everyone (Especially You) album artwork. If you’re like me, you’re swimming in great new music this year. One of the first 2024 records to catch my ear was John Louis’s For Everyone (Especially You), which came out in January. This quietly radiant jewel of an album continues to impress me even more with every listen. Louis, a masterful Minnesota singer-songwriter, gathered contributions from an impressive roster of loc ..read more

We sat down with the seasoned indie-rock musician about his new band, their deeply Austin-influenced sound and their self-titled debut album. Noah Lit of Grackles. Photo courtesy of the artist. Digging into the self-titled debut from Grackles—which comes out tomorrow, Friday March 29—is like opening an unexpected care package, each item a surprise but also delightful, like whoever sent it to you knows how to get your attention. From intriguing lyrics to unpredictable twists and turns in the sound, it keeps you guessing in the best kind of way.  Turns out the band itself is a sort of happ ..read more

About That Song #40 In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them. Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives. For our 40th installment, I had a fun exchange with the amazing local blues talent Joyann Parker! I can't b ..read more

About That Song #39 In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them. Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives. For our 39th edition, I was happy to connect with David Stoddard! We talked about the songs that set him on ..read more

About That Song #38 In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them. Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives. In the 38th edition of this series, I connected with the wonderful Ben Cook-Feltz, someone who’s had a big ..read more