Aaron Hartling

AqueductOr Give Me Death(Barsuk)The second full release from Seattle, Washington-based Aqueduct (AKA one-man-band David Terry) shows the influence of piano-driven ’60s pop with an ’80s synthesiser sound. It’s Brian Wilson wrapped in dry wit, resulting in satisfying tunes. A good example is the opening track “Lying in the Bed I’ve Made‚” where Terry sings “Sorry […]

Kristin HershLearn to Sing Like a Star(4AD)Kristin Hersh is the anti-star in today’s music world. Her reputation was built with bands Throwing Muses, 50FootWave and with her solo material. Learn To Sing is in contrast to the quiet tones on her previous release, The Grotto. There’s a full band sound with nice cello arrangements (such […]

Okkervil RiverThe Stage Names(Jagjaguwar)Don’t you love a CD that grabs you from the first song? The Stage Names certainly has it from top to the bottom. Songwriter/vocalist Will Sheff likes to jam as many words as possible into each song (in the John K. Samson vein). He doesn’t try to write a song as much […]

Richard ThompsonSweet Warrior(Shout Factory)On this release Thompson sets his sights on the political front. Several tunes focus on the Iraq war. Whether it’s the soldiers’ daily life (“Dad’s Gonna Kill Me”), the military family (“Johnny’s Far Away”) or Bush/right wing politics (“Mr.Stupid, I’ll Never Give Up”), Thompson aims with a sharp tongue and a pen […]

Teddy ThompsonUpfront & Down LowVerve ForecastTeddy’s third release on a major label is a bit of a head-scratcher. His solo CDs, along with his contributions to mom Linda Thompson’s solo releases, show he has the talent to pen a tune, but why produce an entire CD—with the exception of one self-penned song—of country ballads? Most […]