Author Gary A. Rutland

To call this masterwork a delight is to damn it with the faintest of praise and make a meaningless nonsense of the word. A few years ago, the Spectator described Sokolov as “the greatest living...

TRIO OF VETERANS DELIVER THE GOODS! Here are our reviews of 3 new albums from experienced musicians who still got it! SPIRAL STAIRS – DORIS AND THE DAGGERS What possible reason could you have for not...

DIVERSE TRIUMVIRATE PERFECTLY ILLUSTRATE CANADA’S MUSICAL DEPTH AND BREADTH HARRY MANX – FAITH LIFT EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CAT Harry’s back and like a cat that’s got the cream he’s...

AFGHAN WHIGS - IN SPADES - new album. Historically (and the Whigs have plenty of history) one could perhaps label the Whigs a bit hit and miss over the course of an album and indeed their entire catalogue,...

Accomplished bass player and backing vocalist for Boston’s acclaimed soul-pop outfit Lake Street Drive; Bridget Kearney steps out on her own for the first time with a collection of 60’s rooted pop songs...

  Written primarily in hotel rooms and then sent around the world as a series of sonic postcards for others to stamp their personalities on, could have resulted in Pieta Brown’s latest album...

Imagine a band fronted by Chrissie and Siouxsie sharing vocals, Hooky on bass and a supporting cast capable of delivering surf-punk-jazz-funk-agit-pop-a-roll. Now listen to Priests debut album ‘NOTHING...

The first of two albums dealing with all things arcane and esoteric, on their fourth album together Ripley Johnson (guitars) and Sanae Yamada (keys) as Moon Duo present a consistently entertaining collection...

MENACE BEACH – LEMON MEMORY I missed this Leeds duo’s debut album ‘RATWORLD’ so came to this free from the baggage of expectation. This ‘difficult sophomore album’ kicks off in promising...

Tift Merritt  serves up a feast fit for a King with her latest offering “Stitch of the World”. With an opening four song appetizer, a 3 song main course, and 3 sweet ballads topping things off, Tift...

Waves of ominous, swirling keys and treated guitars welcome you aboard Jim James second solo album “Eternally Even” and it takes a minute before you sit back and sigh with pleasure as his singular voice...

For an album with so many writers involved Martha Wainwright has pulled off a bit of a coup here, managing to corral a herd of disparate sounds and personalities together and deliver a record of diversity...

Tom Waits says of Jesca Hoop: 'She is like an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or a red moon. Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night.' And Tom should know, on her new album "Memories...

SOME THINGS OLD, SOME THINGS NEW, SOME THINGS REVISITED, SOME THINGS JAZZY, CLASSICAL, AND BLUES. (And a couple of books thrown in for good measure.) DON’T FEAR THE REAPER My year started in exciting...

10! Nowhere near enough is it. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. CASS McCOMBS - MANGY LOVE (Anti-) 8th trip to the well for Cass and it's a masterpiece. From the opening Kurt Vile-esque 'Bum...