PICK OF THE WEEK

If you’ve spent any time on the bluegrass festival circuit over the past few years, you already know that Nick Chandler and Delivered don’t mess around. They bring that high-octane, real-deal mountain bluegrass that gets folks out of their lawn chairs and down to the stage. Their album Look For Me captures …

“Freedom Chillin’ (Dave Aude Remix)” by Courtney Elle, arrives with a simple mission to preserve the carefree spirit of “Freedom” while giving the song a fresh frame. Rather than treating the original as something that needs replacing, this remix approaches it as a foundation, keeping its central groove and message …

Indie music is having its day in court. Much like the film industry, merit is starting to inform the trend again, establishment recording houses finding themselves somewhat outsized by the rise of self-representing musical acts dominating the independent charts, algorithms, and dominating clicks as much as any Warner Bros. record …

There’s a certain kind of originality that can’t be manufactured, and it runs through every measure of “Pinewood Prison,” the latest single from Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway. As a Roots Music Report chart-topping group, this band has already proven their staying power in the traditional bluegrass world, and this …

Circus Mind carefully rolled out what culminated into Road Less Traveled through a steady stream of single releases over the last year, allowing listeners to experience the album’s evolution one chapter at a time. Now assembled as a complete work, the album reveals a much broader vision, showcasing a band unafraid to …

Tony Kamel’s latest album release is the live entry “Live from the Bunker”, eschewing overtly slick production value for a decidedly scaled back, straightforward sound accompanied by Kamel’s signature, slightly caustic vocals. As far as indie acts go, Kamel is one of the more exciting to have come across my …

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 …