Jim Shahen

Los Angeles outfit The Altons has been a key player in the Chicano soul revival that’s been happening on the West Coast for the past decade or so. With its newest LP Heartache in Room 14, The Altons are now poised to jump from regional powerhouse to the national

Will Oldham is no stranger to collaborative endeavors. But unless specifically noted otherwise —the 2022 Blind Date Party team-up with BIll Callahan and Superwolves with Matt Sweeney, for example—his releases under the Bonnie “Prince” Billy moniker are solo endeavors, consisting of material conceived and composed by Oldham. For his

On last year’s superlative Tears You Hide, Torontian singer-songwriter Jeremie Albino proved himself a talent to be reckoned with. His voice is powerful and malleable throughout the album, allowing him to move between rock, soul, blues, and folk with aplomb. Albino takes these genre-hopping capabilities and his heart-on-the-sleeve intensity

As the legacy of Fleetwood Mac expands to a new generation, the pre-Mac release from arguably its two most iconic members has taken on a near-mythic status. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s 1973 debut LP Buckingham Nicks was largely unheralded at the time of its release, but its pop

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