CJ Hooper

Over Yonder

Self-Released, 2026

9/10

Listen to Over Yonder

A Washington singer-songwriter with roots in Texas, CJ Hooper injects classic country ideas into these personal songs that are relatable and easy to enjoy.

The quick and scrappy “Burn It Down” opens with Hooper’s distinct voice alongside Dylan Fant’s energetic drumming, and “Damaged Plan” follows with a frisky spirit that’ll get you on the dance floor thanks to the country swagger.

Landing in the middle, the darker mood of “Hard Times” is a relatable moment that’s rugged and dense, while “Lookie Over Yonder” offers a pretty bout thanks to Josh Richins’ warm guitar and expressive singing that’s lush in a rural sort of way.

“The Collector” and “Yonderer” exit the listen. The former balances busier dynamics with a softer finish that makes great use of Fant’s bass, and “Yonderer” exits with a reserved moment that builds into a thumping, hectic and textured album highlight.

Somewhere between Americana, honky-tonk and even outlaw country, Hooper’s got grooves, grit and plenty of cowboy rock ideas on his side for this 7 track album that ends entirely too soon.

Travels well with: Kate & Brendan- One Year Since; The Unfaithful Servants- Fallen Angel

Eric Brace & Thomm Jutz

Circle And Square

Red Beet, 2026

9/10

Listen to Circle And Square

Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz are back together again, this time it’s for 10 songs fueled by acoustic guitars and harmonies, where Mark Fain, Finn Goodwin-Bain and Lynn Williams are in attendance.

The warm and elegant “10 To 4” starts the listen with flowing guitars and harmonizing vocals that are heartfelt and make great use of Goodwin-Bain’s delicate keys, and “Thomas Hart Benton” follows with Jutz’s lively banjo in the rootsy climate that invites singing-along.

“Nothing Hurts” occupies the middle spot and uses soft acoustic guitar and poetic singing in a bare setting, while “Fontana Dam” benefits from Williams’ crisp drums amid the mature keys and gentle singing from both Brace and Jutz.

Close to the end, “Life Of The Mind” touches on timeless folk ideas with much grace and vivid storytelling, and “Wide Open” exits with Fain’s light bass that complements the gentle and cozy vocals and breezy guitars.

A timeless collaboration that’s relatable, wise and relevant, Brace and Jutz bring a wealth of talent and experience to a modern folk effort that is much needed in these trying times.

Travels well with: The Burning North- The Burning North; Dana Maragos- Unimaginable Things

The James Hunter Six

Off The Fence

Easy Eye Sound, 2026

9/10

Listen to Off The Fence

The British singer, songwriter and Grammy Nominee James Hunter guides his band through his always impressive soul and R&B sounds, where grit and emotion are present in spades.

“Two Birds One Stone” starts the listen with Hunter’s powerful pipes alongside Rudy Albin Petschauer’s frisky drumming, and “Let Me Out Of This Love” follows with a cozy spirit thanks to Andrew Kingslow’s charming keys and the well timed winds.

Halfway through, “Off The Fence” benefits from Myles Weeks’ animated double bass prowess that suits the frisky rhythm, while “Ain’t That A Trip” features Van Morrison for the raw and harmonic duet that’ll get your body moving.

“A Sure Thing” and “Only A Fool” exit the listen. The former is a busy and meticulous album highlight that integrates Michael Buckley and Drew Vanderwinckel’s flowing saxophones, and the latter finishes with a soft, heartfelt moment of beauty.

Hunter’s inimitable wordplay is still very much intact, and his timeless soul vision is appreciated via this 11th album that’s just as memorable as his first in ‘86.

Travels well with: Miles Kane- Sunlight In The Shadows; Memphis Slim- Memphis Slim U.S.A.

Ken Ueno

Wavelengths

New Focus, 2026

9/10

Listen to Wavelengths

The composer and vocalist Ken Ueno brings us 4 pieces that exist in very different forms, where microtonality, noise and timbre are experimented with in very meticulous ways.

The title track leads with just Karen Yu’s vibraphone, where space and tonality are key to the striking climate, and “…a.m…” follows with the Up:Strike Project in attendance, as the quartet emit methodical drumming and bell dynamics for nearly 20 minutes.

On the back half, “I am the uncle who sees past lives” enlists Ueno’s extended voice amid ambience, where the sounds of nighttime insects, distorted voices and distinct droning are sampled, and “Phase Patterns Of Likeness Slightly Off” exits with The Up:Strike Project’s lively vibes in a 4 part chorus that radiates harmonics and sonic waves of intrigue.

Ueno’s vision is nothing if not adventurous, where solo and larger settings illuminate a chamber and classical foundation that’s artistic and memorable.

Travels well with: Michael Hersch- Medea; Steven Ricks- Mythological Fragments

The Shadow Band

The Shadow Band

Iridium, 2025

8/10

Listen to The Shadow Band

An Arabic Free Groove quartet, The Shadow Band integrate improvisation into their odes to liberation and resistance, where these 21 tracks don’t sit in one place too long.

“Wahed” opens with Tarik ‘Excentrik’ Kazaleh’s warm guitar alongside Naima Shalhoub’s expressive voice and much atmosphere, and it isn’t long until “Khamsa” showcases Aaron Kierbel’s thumping drums amid the dreamy mood and soft ambience.

Further along, “Tamaniyyah” comes with a laidback appeal thanks to Chris Trinidad’s intricate bass, while “Talatatashr” offers a fuller moment via Shalhoub’s frisky keys and the meticulous rhythm section.

Residing close to the end, “Tamantashr” enlists Kazaleh’s quick oud skills amid the rhythmic backdrop, and “Wahad wa ‘Ashreen” exits with a dance floor ready bout of melodic, cultured songwriting that carries an infectious energy.

An enlightening effort that draws from Arab-Futurism, Arabic Taksim, Free Jazz, and Dub, the quartet bring a wealth of talent and experience to these tracks that were fleshed out in just one evening.

Travels well with: Red Fast Triple Luck; Francis Wong- Wong Works

Various Artists

Soundologia Anthology Volume 3: South Florida Contemporary Composers & Sound Artists

Soundologia, 2025

9/10

Listen to Soundologia Anthology Volume 3: South Florida Contemporary Composers & Sound Artists

A double disc of tracks that showcase South Florida’s thriving experimental and contemporary music community, we’re treated to the works of 17 composers and 35+ performers, where plenty of diverse ideas and sounds are present.

Charles Norman Mason’s “Swagger” opens with the unpredictable bassoon alongside playful fixed media for the cinematic climate, and it isn’t long until Orlando Jacinto Garcia’s “Marea Cambiante/Changing Tide” illuminates the solo amplified violin that radiates all sorts of atypical gestures.

Further into Disc 1, Dorothy Hindman’s “Ulterior Motives” blends a trio of strings with much detail and harmonics, while “Within”, by Atomic Theatre, finishes this portion with vocals, bass, piano, drums and percussion that’s poetic and bare in its sophistication,

Disc 2 leads with Richard Garet’s “Residue”, where 10 minutes of soothing droning via the electromagnetic noise and analog tape hardware, but it’s the boiling water used as an instrument across Juraj Kojš’ “Boiling Anew: A Sonic Meditation On Water” that takes the prize as the most unorthodox.

Fsik Huvnx’s “An Eye That Breathes” exits, and it blends classical and electronic ideas into a chilling, nearly therapeutic finish.

An eclectic assembly that touches on electroacoustic moments, instrumental bouts (with and without electronics), avant-garde jazz and plenty of collaborative creativity, there’s much to explore and revisiting the listen yields even more intrigue.

Travels well with: Russ Spiegel- Nitty Gritty; Juraj Kojš- Birds Of Paradise

Nick Revel

The Hero Levels

Imaginary Animals, 2025

10/10

Listen to The Hero Levels

The Grammy Nominated violist and composer Nick Revel pairs this record of strings with a fantasy book, where each song soundtracks a segment of a book via the engaging and often mysterious textures.

The musical portion opens with “The Hero From Amberglade”, where bright strings and playful percussive sounds surround the warmth, and it isn’t long until “Training Ground” is shrouded in atmosphere that’s a bit darker in scope and emits electronic buzzing.

Deeper along, “Coliseum” moves with animated viola and a lively spirit that’s exciting and beat friendly, while “Ancient Stroll” uses both noisy, dissonant ideas and harmonic gestures to its advantage. “Final Battle” exits, and it’s got a lively mood that’s meticulous and glorious in its rich and triumphant delivery.

The literary aspect is just as well done as the music. The QR code in the book gives you access to the music, as Revel’s prose flows with vivid detail in the fantasy realm that draws us in immediately to the storyline. Even for someone like myself who doesn’t gravitate to this genre of writing, the syntax and wordplay keeps your eyes on the pages and the artwork is abundant and visually exciting, too.

Revel is a founding member of PUBLIQuartet, and he handles viola, violin, mandolin and electronics. Stephen Sas plays bass. Together, they flesh out an atypical classical meets sci-fi/videogame-esque adventure that is fusion at its finest.

Travels well with: Will Liverman- The Dunbar/Moore Sessions; Kronos Quartet & Mary Kouyoumdjian- Witness

Biglemoi

Permanent Vacation

Bubble Bath, 2019

8/10

Listen to Permanent Vacation

A band from New Orleans who are named after a dance from a French book and whose members are native to many places in the world, including Spain and Nicaragua, it should come as no surprise that Biglemoi are not your standard fare indie-rock outfit.

On this, their sophomore EP, the quintet bring their cultured, calculated and eclectic ideas to a listen where you’re as likely to hear anthemic guitars as you are hints of blues and jazz.

“Joyride” starts the EP with a sparse, inviting setting before bursting into a full collage of charged riffs and a driving rhythm section, and “Sola” follows and leads with ambience before the gentle, cultured, unplugged environment that bares the most resemblance to their Big Easy home.

The rest of the listen is just as diverse, and offers the subdued and vocally expressive “Permanent Vacation”, as well as the louder, multifaceted rock and strong riffs of “Decipher”. The dreamy, spacey yet still very organic “Other Side” ends the affair with synth fueled balladry in an example of inventive musicianship.

Though each tune here sounds different, the EP flows well with creative, engaging song craft that hardly sounds like it comes from a band with under a dozen tunes in their catalog. Let’s hope that an album is on the horizon, as the world is much better off with more Biglemoi to take in.

Travels well with: Radiohead- In Rainbows; Blonde Redhead- Misery Is A Butterfly