Jon Young

Mississippi-born bluesman John Lee Hooker, who emerged in the late 1940s, played strikingly-original songs that helped fuel the 1960s’ blues-rock boom in England and the U.S., including “Boom Boom” and “Boogie Chillen’ ”; among the artists who recorded his tunes were Van Morrison, The Doors, and Tom Petty. Always more

The world is an alarming, scary place right now. But if you’re looking to escape the turmoil, Sunny War is the last person to turn to. Fiery and blunt, this eloquent singer-songwriter delivers powerful broadsides intended to keep the spirit of resistance burning hot on the rousing Armageddon in

Pat Kearns likes to tell stories. On the first Kearns Family album, the Mojave Desert resident unspools stark tales of cursed outsiders and sentimental fools with an empathetic touch, presenting these dusty sagas without passing judgement or romanticizing tough times. Sharing musical DNA with John Prine, Leonard Cohen, and other

Growling, yelping, and shouting with unnerving fervor, Frederick James Mullis, Jr. brings a rogue’s gallery of characters to life on the riveting Medium Raw. The Alabama native, who records as Early James, echoes the boisterous folk mavericks of long ago with his flashy performance, railing at the corrupt world

EDITOR’S NOTE: Kate Prascher's Shake The Dust came out Aug. 30. We’re reviewing it now as part of a year-end round up of some of the best albums we missed along the way this year. “How sad and how sweet” is the sound of Kate Prascher’

Nick Carpenter doesn’t do things halfway. The Georgia-bred singer-songwriter, who performs as Medium Build, transforms small moments into big events in widescreen pop songs, yet retains a striking sense of intimacy. His talent was on full display earlier this year in the album Country, which doesn’t sound like