Jim Shahen

In 2022, Thee Sacred Souls made a splash with its eponymous debut. That record was an enticing mix of Chicano soul, doo wop and Impressions-esque R&B. This week, the vocal trio is back with its follow-up, entitled Got a Story to Tell. To be blunt, it’s fantastic.

X has never dabbled in fantasy. The Los Angeles punk icons have always been firmly planted in reality, singing about the highs and lows of life. Now, in a profoundly real decision, X is calling it a career after nearly 50 years together. Smoke & Fiction is being billed as

Donovan Woods has never been one to shy away from difficult emotions and circumstances. His catalog is full of songs that take on and reconcile the challenges of life. With his new record, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, Woods adds 11 more well-written, heartfelt tracks

There are two different Nathaniel Rateliffs. One is a powerhouse singer who leads the gritty rock ‘n’ soul styling of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. The other is an introspective singer-songwriter who in recent years has helmed tributes to Harry Nilsson and Leonard Cohen. On his new LP with

It’s probably not surprising to know that Andrew Bird possesses a fondness for midcentury jazz and the Great American Songbook. Given his ability to explore different genres and styles, it should also come as no surprise that he can play the hell out of this material. On his latest,

When was the last time Ani DiFranco got weird with her music? After the free-flowing eclecticism of her 2003 record Evolve, DiFranco settled into a comfortable, acoustic-folk groove. With the release of Unprecedented Sh!t, her 23rd album, she shakes things up again and presents 11 tracks that are marked