Aaron Hartling

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 […]

The Exploding HeartsShattered(Dirtnap)The roads of rock are lined with many a tragedy, not least with with the Portland, Oregon, band The Exploding Hearts. The band released Guitar Romantic, hit the road and generated a buzz. In 2003, driving home from a show, three members died in a car accident. Shattered is an expanded re-issue of […]

Bob MouldBody of Song (Deluxe Edition)(Yep Roc)The deluxe version of Bob Mould’s latest CD finds Mr. Mould returning to what has kept him on the alternative scene for more than 20 years; but this is not an artist mining past glories. Body of Song shows the right mix of electronic and guitar tones. “(Shine Your) […]