BURN THIS / June 2014

1. The Dirty Heads "My Sweet Summer"
2. Rebelution "Lost In Dreams"
3. Matisyahu (featuring Collie Buddz) "Confidence"
4. SOJA (featuring Michael Franti & Nahko) "I Believe"
5. Pepper "Come And Get Me"
6. Cris Cab "Liar Liar"
7. Ed Sheeran "Sing"
8. Sam Roberts Band "Shapeshifters"
9. Wild Adriatic "Mess Around"
10. Benjamin Booker "Violent Shiver"
11. Old 97's "Let's Get Drunk & Get It On"
12. The Belle Bridgade "When Everything Was What It Was"
13. Robert Francis & The Night Tide "Love Is A Chemical"
14. Ray LaMontagne "No Other Way"
15. Marc Broussard "Hurricane Heart"
16. O.A.R. "So Good So Far"
17. John Butler Trio "How You Sleep At Night"
18. The Revivalists "Chase's House"
19. moe. "Some Old Story"
20. Phish "Waiting All Night"

#reviewoftheweek / Current Swell - Ulysses

Current Swell could be labeled as the "little band that could." They keep on plugging along, churning out awesome folk and roots rock albums with little to no popular recognition. Well, with the release of their latest "Ulysses" they are poised to change all that. With the popular music landscape changing and radio formats such as AAA gaining steam, Current Swell's music is at the right crossroads to make a splash. "Rollin'" and "Keys To The Kingdom," both of which the band released prior to the album, are two tracks that would fit well along side the current songs spinning on the airwaves by artists like Brett Dennen, John Butler Trio, and even The Black Keys. They blend elements of rooty folk rock (in the vein of Jack Johnson and G. Love) with blues rock elements (in the vein of Ben Harper and Ray LaMontagne) that should ultimately gain them fans from every corner of the roots music landscape. Other standouts include "Gunshots" and "Man Of Maps." The surprise track of the album is "Sideways" which seems like a throwback from the mid-90's with it's crunchy and heavy guitar riffs. All in all, Current Swell showcase elements of their entire career on the album and prove that they too deserve a shot in the spotlight currently being occupied by the aforementioned Black Keys, and others like the Luminees and Mumford & Sons.

#reviewoftheweek / Wild Adriatic - Big Suspicious

Hailing from the capital district of upstate New York, Wild Adriatic are a ferocious new band playing blues rock with a soulful, yet gritty feel. Their most relent release "Big Suspicious" is, front to back, one of the best collections of songs released independently by any band in recent years. With the onset of the digital age, it's hard for new and independent bands to make a name for themselves, but it's not going to be long before Wild Adriatic is on rock radio everywhere. "Mess Around" and "Lonely" are radio ready hits that fit somewhere between The White Stripes and Ben Harper and should be getting airplay right now. But's it's songs like "Holding You" that show off that these guys can write incredible lyrically driven tunes as well. Their blend of blues rock is not overly saturated with blues or rock in either direction and has just the right amount of soul. The album is the perfect mix and the type of collection you can listen to over and over again without getting tired of it. And judging by what you hear in your speakers, it's a given that their live shows pack just as much energy and excitement.

#reviewoftheweek / Ray LaMontagne - Supernova

Now that Ray LaMontagne has solidified himself as a force in popular music, showcasing his brilliant throwback folk, it became time to branch out and add new layers into his sound. Enter produce Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Auerbach helped LaMontagne really dive deep into the 60's and 70's folk sound that his music is rooted in, delivering an outstanding new collection of songs. This album doesn't have the same full live band feel of the last, however it stands out as possibly his best collection of songs since his debut. The title track is phenomenal and a great pop rock crossover tune, but it's songs like "Ojai," "Airwaves," and "No Other Way" that show off the true character of the album. He certainly has outdone himself with this one, and LaMontagne has proven that old is new again and it sounds just as good as ever.

#reviewoftheweek / The Bamboos - Fever In The Road

Australian funk outfit, The Bamboos, have just released their newest album stateside, and this should have everyone stopping to pay attention (if they haven't been already for some years). Funk is not something that is mainstream, but the party feel of the music on this disc showcases just how much fun it is and how much pop music actually owes to this genre. Sure, a lot of it is just instrumental music, but when you add some lyrics and a soulful songstress it changes the game. The album's lead single is "Avenger" and this showcases just that theory. The fun live energy of the band comes right out of the speakers and transports the listener to a whole new level of musical entertainment. Other standouts include "Your Lovin' Is Easy" and "Rats." This is truly a masterpiece and is going enlighten a whole new group of fans like never before.

BURN THIS / May 2014

1. Mat McHugh "More Money"
2. Ozomatli (featuring Dave Stewart) "Brighter"
3. Rebelution "De-Stress"
4. Matisyahu "Watch The Walls Melt Down"
5. The Revivalists "Criminal"
6. John Butler Trio "Blame It On Me"
7. Current Swell "Rollin'"
8. Sam Roberts Band "Human Heat"
9. Reuben And The Dark "Rolling Stone"
10. Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes "Sun Goes Out"
11. Kina Grannis "The Fire"
12. Dan Wilson "A Song Can Be About Anything"
13. Matt Hires "Heartache Machine"
14. Eric Hutchinson "Forever"
15. Augustana "Love In The Air"
16. Dave Barnes "Good"
17. Needtobreathe "Difference Maker"
18. The Belle Brigade "Metropolis"
19. Ray LaMontagne "Airwaves"
20. Ben & Ellen Harper "Learn It Again Tomorrow"

#reviewoftheweek / G. Love & Special Sauce - Sugar

After making music for 20 years, you'd think a band would still struggle to keep it fresh and new. Well, when keeping it fresh and new means bringing back the old and familiar, G. Love & Special Sauce have done it right. Returning to their original lineup, the band has crafted new material that could have been released on any of the band's albums over the past 20 years. "Nothing Else Quite Like Home" is a funky blues rocker which features a little help from Ben Harper. "Come Up Man" is a throwback and a great way to kick off the album and the closer, "Bad Girl Baby Blues," featured G. Love on his guitar all by himself showcasing the core of what makes his music awesome. Other standouts include "Too Much Month" and "Windshield Wipers." With interesting collaborations, jazzy bass guitar, and funk and blues permeating through the entire disc, G. Love and his cohorts have made one of the years best albums so far.

#reviewoftheweek / Jessica Lea Mayfield - Make My Head Sing...

This album is an incredible departure from the country twang and folk of her previous two albums. The last album, having been produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach showcased what JLM was capable of when venturing more into the indie folk and alternative rock side of things, but no one could have predicted that she was capable of this album. The initial sound of the album is that of a mid-nineties college rock band, and draws comparisons to the likes of PJ Harvey and early Liz Phair. That's probably what Mayfield was going for and surely where much of the influence for this album came from. The sound is updated, however, still reminding us of the songwriter that she is, with storytelling and lyrically driven songs. Minimalism and a folk approach has been taken within each composition and the standouts are "Standing In The Sun," "Party Drugs," and "Oblivious." The album's highlight is it's debut single, "I Wanna Love You," which is will transport you back twenty years when alternative and indie rock was just a seedling in the music world. JLM has surely upped her game with this one and proven that you can't pigeonhole creativity.

#reviewoftheweek / The Glitch Mob - Love Death Immortality

Electronic music is at the forefront of popular music these days and the EDM moniker is getting thrown around to describe any music that has electronic qualities these days. However, The Glitch Mob have done it right on their latest album and created a sound that is more rooted in rock and traditional electronic music similar to the 90's sounds that make the style so accessible. "Can't Kill Us" is a badass tune that could fit well on any action movie soundtrack and has already popped up on at least one movie trailer. The album's standout track is "Beauty Of The Unhidden Heart" which is lyrically driven and showcases their more mellow side. "Carry The Sun," "Skytoucher," and "Becoming Harmonious" are all excellent tracks as well showing of different facets of their sound. This music will wow fans of every genre of music from the psychedelic sounds of jam rock to the dancefloor drops of EDM. The Glitch Mob have proven that electronic music is no gimmick and when done right the results are mind blowing.

#reviewoftheweek / Kongos - Lunatic

Alternative rock music can be very monotonous and it's always nice when a band comes along to shake things up. Kongos is just that injection that alt-rock radio needs to freshen its sound and entice listeners to believe in the state of music. The most unorthodox thing about the band is that they have an accordion player! That's right, just as DMB shook things up in the mid-nineties by coming onto the scene with a violin player, Kongos is showcasing that music and sound are more interesting when you are doing things differently. "Come With Me Now" is all over the airwaves, and rightfully so, due to the fact that it is incredibly catchy and well-written and an all around great rock tune. Other highlights on the album include "I'm Only Joking" and "Escape." These guys and this album have already blow up huge in the UK and they have proven that they have what it takes to be huge. Now the US can and should embrace this band, album, and creative sound.