The last time Dierks Bentley made a bluegrass album, it was a chance to regroup after a terrible tour. He had opened for Kenny Chesney twice, in 2004 and 2006, and gained enough confidence thanks to a...

American Aquarium, "Things Change" (New West) American Aquarium is a most appropriate name for the band that made "Things Change," because frontman BJ Barham presents his life for all to...

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Farewell tours don't always mean farewell, but are a ripe time for appreciation and appraisal. Paul Simon's concerts and a new biography offer the opportunity for both. Simon's "Homeward Bound"...

Ira Losco has released her double album marking her 15 years in the music industry. The much-awaited body of work titled 'No Sinner No Saint' is divided into two CDs, one named 'No Sinner' the other...

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, "Sparkle Hard" (Matador) Stephen Malkmus' seventh album fronting the Jicks is a tight, tasteful set of asymmetrical jams. "Cast Off" sets the tone with...

A study of hundreds of thousands of popular songs over the past three decades has found a downward sonic trend in happiness and an increase in sadness, as the chirpy band Wham! gave way to the moody...

Courtney Barnett, "Tell Me How You Really Feel" (Milk! Records/Mom+Pop/Marathon) "I need a little time out," Courtney Barnett pleads on the plaintive signature tune of her third full album. Thank...

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Rock 'n' roll is now old enough to draw social security, which means that for contemporary acts, influences become multigenerational. Such is the case with California singer-songwriter Matt Costa, who...