Josh Ritter Spectral Lines (Thirty Tigers) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Josh Ritter has been banging around, making decent records since 1999. But on this, his 11 studio record, Ritter has struck gold.
Rickie Lee Jones – Pieces of Treasure (BMG) Album Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rickie Lee Jones’ new album is Pieces of Treasure and the first impression is one of warmth and comfortable familiarity. She sounds like she is inhabiting Billie Holiday to the point she is present in both flesh and spirit.
Terrible Sons – The Raft Is Not The Shore (Nettwerk) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Raft Is Not The Shore is the exquisite debut album from the ironically-named Terrible Sons (Lauren (L.A Mitchell) and Matt Barus). Neither male children nor anything terrible is involved. Rather, beauty, hope and the essential goodness of human relationships strongly shine through this album.
Country Westerns – Forgive The City (Fat Possum) ⭐⭐⭐
Country Westerns come roaring back with their second album with a sound and a fury that will leave you breathless.
We Will Ride Fast – Army of Invisible Zombies: Album Review ⭐⭐⭐
We Will Ride Fast is the handle for Kyle Sattler, who describes himself as a multi-media artist, multi-instrumental musician and singer. Army of Invisible Zombies is his third album in this incarnation of himself.
Everything But The Girl – Fuse (Virgin) (Album Review) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everything But The Girl last released an album two scores and four years ago. But triggered by covid lockdowns, EBTG duo Tracey Thorn and husband Ben Watt, synthesised the best and the average of the band’s historical output to create a new precipitately perfect album – Fuse, in which EBTG’s sophisti-pop sound with is further […]
Silver Moth – Black Bay (Bella Union) (Album Review) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Silver Moth has arrived offering music of rare beauty and vision.
Ingrid and the Ministers – Boofhead (Album Review) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingrid and the Ministers shake things up and make some noise with their second album, Boofhead, inspired by idiots everywhere.
Ian Hunter Defiance Part 1 (Sun) (Album Review) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ian Hunter releases a star studded album at age 83 that would put any rocker half his age to shame.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Angels in Science Fiction (ATO) Album Review ⭐⭐⭐
St. Paul & The Broken Bones are five albums deep in a career spanning 10 years. Reputedly one of the best live bands in the US – I’d like to make a judgement on that myself – the 8-piece serve up a southern soul sound woven around the vocals of Paul Janeway.
Mudhoney – Plastic Eternity (Sub Pop) (Album Review)
Mudhoney has just released their new album, Plastic Eternity, celebrating their 35th year together. The 13th Floor’s Jeff Neems weighs in with his thoughts.
Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard: Album Review
Lana Del Rey releases her ninth album in eleven years, a meditation and spiritual quest inside the psyche of America. Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard aims high in its ambition to deliver a benediction for the country. In the wake of the moral crisis spanned by the 2008 financial disaster and […]
Heavy Blanket – Moon Is (Outer Battery) Album Review
Heavy Blanket, a J Mascis side project has released their 3rd album, Moon Is, inspiring our man Jeff Neems to write these words about it.
The Veils – …And Out Of The Void Came Love (Album Review)
The Veils have just released their first album in 7 years, …And Out Out Of The Void Came Love, setting a hauntingly beautiful tone to the year with their long-awaited return.
Jen Cloher – I Am The River, The River Is Me (Album Review)
Jen Cloher -Part way through Mana Takatapui, the opening track of Jen Cloher’s I Am the River, The River is Me, there’s a melodic flourish that feels vaguely reminiscent of the bouncy guitar riff in George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord. Half a century later, Cloher’s record is also deeply spiritual but one that addresses not […]
Scott Cook – The Bunker: Feb. 27, 2023: Concert Review
Scott Cook entertained the Folkies and the Folkie-Hags who packed out the Devonport Bunker on a rare Auckland summer evening free of rain, flash floods and cyclones.
The Shootouts – Stampede (Soundly) Album Review
Stampede is The Shootouts’ third album and is released on the eve of their Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville, the Mecca for country music artists which parallels in stature and importance the Apollo Theatre for African American artists.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – The Future Is Your Past
The Brian Jonestown Massacre (these days basically Anton Newcombe) have just released their 20th studio album and The 13th Floor’s Floyd Lee has had a listen (or two).
Sunny War – Anarchist Gospel (New West) (Album Review)
I’d like to tell you that Sunny War is a new artist that you should take notice of, but the truth is, Anarchist Gospel is Sunny’s fourth album, so shame on me for not being onto Sunny sooner.
Auckland Folk Festival: 13th Floor Was There!
Auckland Folk Festival did its best to happen despite the rain. New 13th Floor photographer Den was there. Here’s what he saw.