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The Shootouts - Switchback

Label: TransOceanic
Genre: Indie Alt Country
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
With previous albums strongly influenced by honky-tonk and Western swing or the Bakersfield Sound and roots rock, their latest claims its inspiration from their home of Akron, OH and the Rust Belt. The progression in sound is natural; it isn’t forced or contrived, but there is an intention behind incorporating taut arrangements and well-defined hooks. Something about Ryan Humbert’s voice and some of the vibe throughout kept me thinking of this album as a somewhat laid-back, slower, alt-country version of The Thermals.

The Kody Norris Show- Highfalutin' Hillbilly

Label: Rebel
Genre: Bluegrass
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Brimming w/ their signature blend of high-energy picking, vintage flair, and heartwarming storytelling, from rapid-fire tunes to heartfelt ballads, KNS show off their versatility and charm, celebrating their roots and showcasing their growth

Sunnbrella- Gutter Angels

Label: Music Website
Genre: Pop Gaze/ Distorted Indie
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Shattering and reconstructing shoegaze with a raw, hypermodern intensity. Co-produced with Oliver Torr, the album twists breakcore rhythms, industrial textures, and ethereal melodies into a visceral dream-state—where walls of noise collapse into shimmering pop hooks, and beauty emerges from the wreckage.

Alan Sparhawk w/ Trampled by Turtles- Alan Sparhawk w/ Trampled by Turtles

Label: Sub Pop
Genre: Alt/Indie/Indie Folk
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Founding member of Low; on his last album he plunged headfirst into electronica and radical vocal modulation. On his latest, he leans into the folk and bluegrass stylings of his backing band/collaborators, with Sparhawk’s voice completely unvarnished. TBT are actually mentees of Sparhawk and his wife Mimi Parker [Low] and have worked together a number of times over the years. This collaboration was born of TBT inviting Sparhawk on tour w/ them following Parker’s passing.in 2022.

Couch Prints- Waterfall: Rebirth

Label: Music Website
Genre: Alt Indie Pop Rock / Pop Gaze
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Brooklyn pop duo delve deep on their debut. One word is used over and over with any review of this band: melancholy. 50% of the album is about American suburban malaise, 25% about love, albeit from a fatalistic perspective, and 25% about the allure of New York City's relentless dream machine.

Various Artists- Seamus 34

Label: SEAMUS
Genre: Electro Acoustic / NCP / Experimental Electronic
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States – SEAMUS; a non-profit organization of composers, performers, and teachers of electro-acoustic music – a term used to describe music which independent on electronic technology for their creation and/or performance

Scenic Views- Um So

Label: Self Published
Genre: Indie Alt Rock / Post Punk / Post Gaze
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Seven slow-burn, woozy tracks and backing drones recorded in a single room by a pair of ribbon mics. The album was inspired and tells the tale of a week when a friend of the band’s went missing following a drug-induced hallucinogenic psychotic break from reality

Pulp- More

Label: Rough Trade
Genre: Post Punk / Indie Alt Rock
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
Cocker and company give fans more of what they want on More, but they choose what they revisit wisely. They'd already figured out on We Love Life (2001) that a reflective tone and slower pace was what suited them best post-Britpop, and that remains true as they contemplate the difference between aging and maturity. He and the rest of the band may be older, but they never sound as weary as they did on This Is Hardcore (1998) and We Love Life. This time, they do indeed get it right -- More is classic Pulp, aged to near perfection. - Heather Phares

Stereolab- Instant Holographs on Metal Film

Label: Duophonic
Genre: Post Rock / Indie Alt Pop Rock / Indie Electronic / Exp Indie
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
On their first album in 15 years, they don't pretend that time stood still after 2010's Not Music. Instead, this presents a Stereolab fit for the era to which they returned. Some of its fondly familiar sounds echo the likes of Margerine Eclipse and Emperor Tomato Ketchup ("Immortal Hands"' pensive chamber pop could be a distant cousin of Ketchup's "Monster Sacre"). More importantly, the band's energy is dynamic in a way that it hasn't been in some time -- a product of their steady touring that also recalls the charged atmosphere of their earliest singles. - Heather Phares

M(h)aol- Something Soft

Label: Merge
Genre: Post Punk / Indie Alt Rock / New Wave
Reviewed by: Len Comaratta
A lineup change gives their sophomore release a more urgent, tightly wound sound. Effectively channeling rage and empathy into an act of resiliency, the band’s roguish charms make the intimate feel anthemic. Sonically, it’s as if the Jesus and Mary Chain crossed with Wet Leg.