Robin Holcomb
Artist: Robin Holcomb

With a tremulous voice, poetic lyrics, and a fine band, Robin Holcomb put together an impressive debut album. A lot of credit for the distinctive sound of this record must be laid at the feet of organist (and Holcomb's husband) Wayne Horvitz and guitarist Bill Frisell, both alumni of John Zorn's Naked City. The playing of Horvitz and Frisell... Read More

Strange Country
Artist: Billy Strange

Recorded in the 1960s (the liner notes do not specify the exact date), this was a sessionman supersession of sorts, also featuring Joe Maphis on banjo, Tommy Tedesco on second guitar, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums. Strange offers fluid, crisp instrumental interpretations of a mixed bag of folk and pop tunes, including not only... Read More

Greatest Hits
Artist: Robyn Hitchcock
Community Score: 10.00

Disappointingly, the 1980s failed to recognize the genius of Robyn Hitchcock. As a member of the Soft Boys until they broke up in 1981, Hitchcock went on to write some extremely witty, off-the-wall, and peculiarly clever music. With a sound reminiscent of Lloyd Cole and even Elvis Costello at times, Hitchcock's jangly Brit-pop is made up of... Read More

Shoe Box EP
Artist: Barenaked Ladies

Do they have the worst band name since Haircut One Hundred? Yes. Are they one of the finest pop groups in the world? Almost certainly. Their debut album was a tuneful, slapstick adolescent romp and their second was a remarkably mature folk-rock outing filled with as many irresistible hooks as a good Beach Boys album. This four-song EP previews a... Read More

Pisni Iz the Smiths
Artist: The Ukrainians
Happy Nowhere
Artist: Dog's Eye View
Community Score: 8.00
The Devil May Care
Artist: The Psyclone Rangers

Though The Psyclone Rangers' debut was a one-pop-culture-reference-per-second explosion of 1960s garage rock funneled through the '70s and '80s, the follow-up The Devil May Care follows a more direct line to the ears. The band instead offers lyrics centered more upon feeling than culture. Again, the music is post-punk garage band raucousness as... Read More

No Straight Line
Artist: David Lewis

Very folksy singer-songwriter co-produced by Scott Mathews and John Wesley Harding -- a team that provides a quirky aspect to the overall product. Lewis's songs are often of the jingle-jangle nature, sung in a very pleasant voice, with just enough rough edges scattered here and there to make it stick in the mental jukebox. Personable folk, with... Read More

River of Fallen Stars
Artist: The Kennedys

Sure, this is standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, but the world could use more standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, especially when the melodies are this strong and the lyric writing this assured. While it's clear that nothing on this album is meant to change the face of modern music, this disc is still a solid contribution to an... Read More

Singles
Artist: The Smiths
Community Score: 7.86

The Best of the Smiths collections didn't work because they didn't have a sense of history and distorted the underlying sense of urgency that helped make the Smiths important. Singles simply collects all of the singles from one of the greatest singles bands since the Beatles. It's essential and influential guitar pop, presented in a way that... Read More

Sings the Songs of Greg Brown
Artist: Prudence Johnson

This is a beautifully presented set of interpretations of the work of a fine Midwest songwriter. ~ Richard Meyer, All Music Guide Read More

Running on Ice
Artist: Vertical Horizon
Community Score: 9.50

Fans of Vertical Horizon's breakthrough album Everything You Want may want to add Running on Ice to their collection. First released in 1995, their debut was distributed by Rhythmic Records (home of Jacopierce) for a reason. The album is a folk-based collection of songs with none that resemble the hard rock, electric guitar sounds that made them... Read More