SHARK-FIN AWARDS

Deer Fellow is a unique music project calling to mind some of my favorite acts, Down Like Silver and Bon Iver coming to mind. The duo behind Deer Fellow hail from Austin, Texas, which seems only fitting given the Bon Iver reference, along with the alternative pop sound they embrace …

Fred Presley is emerging as a formidable presence in the folk, country, and bluegrass-adjacent music scenes. It’s exciting to see an artist rise who doesn’t feel referential, firmly carves their own path courtesy of sheer merit, and produces music that balances the contemporary liking of entertainment value and quality being …

UniversalDice is a band that refuses to settle into predictable lanes. Their sound, while rooted in a sleek fusion of contemporary and classic rock textures, carries an undercurrent of ambition that stretches far beyond surface level appeal. There’s an intentionality in their work, songs that don’t just aim to entertain, …

Following many years of recording and performing, Chicago natives Go Time! return with 11, their tenth full-length release, a milestone that highlights both their longevity and creative energy. The lineup consists of Scott Niekelski (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Grzenia (drums, backing vocals), Paul Schmidt (guitar, backing vocals), and Mark Marketti …

It Just So Happens, by Rob Alexander, features fifteen tracks deep and anchored by piano throughout. It’s the kind of record that earns your attention rather than demanding it. Alexander is no stranger to this platform. Despite this he never ceases to amaze and has managed to put together something …

Album of the Year recognition doesn’t usually arrive by accident. It tends to land at the intersection of timing, craft, and an artist finally saying exactly what they’ve been circling for years. For Alex Lopez, Retro Revival feels like that intersection made audible—a record that honors the lineage of blues-rock …

The new wave of Americana influences in pop started not too long ago and has only gotten stronger in the last few years, and in 2024 it’s bringing forth an era in provocative alternative folk music that a lot of us simply didn’t see coming. Phoenix duo Dorsten’s cerebral folk …

You can’t ever accuse Universal Dice of aiming for the lowest common denominator. I believe songwriter Gerry Dantone and his cohorts merge thought provoking themes, adult subject matter, and beguiling musical settings better than many much more well-known contemporaries and are writing and recording music aglow with timeless attributes. Their …

I enjoyed Chris Chitsey’s “Life Is Hard, Whiskey Is Easy” on my first pass and further plays only strengthened my esteem for the Texas singer’s new single. Chitsey has released an unadulterated modern country classic free from many of the trappings marring the bulk of today’s offerings from Nashville. There …

The new EP Dark Side from Indian-origin singer and musician Anjali Ray carries on the tradition of challenging, rewarding music sustaining her professional journey from the outset. She brings a wide breadth of musical knowledge to everything she touches without ever reducing her art to the level of an academic exercise. …