Songwriter, guitar innovator, private press legend and man Michael Yonkers has passed away at the age of 78. We join his fans to send our condolences to his other friends and family. He will be missed, but more importantly, Michael’s music, his DIY musical experimentation and his singular approach to conveying his songs over several dozen independently released recordings throughout his life, will be remembered.
 
Inspired as a teenager by the hair-raising freedom rock of The Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird” and the degraded... (read more)

Los Angeles guitarist Cole Berliner dives into the world of his solo material with his first album, The Black Door, out May 29. Known for his shape-shifting pop compositions as one half of Sharpie Smile (formerly Kamikaze Palm Tree), his debut LP features acoustic-electric arrangements and lineups ranging from stripped down folk, to chamber ensemble, to jazz combo. The second single, "Bongo Syndicate," is out today with a new music video by Brian Bartus.

Guitar and bass lines push and pull... (read more)

The Stars are aligned! Major Stars, that is, and aligned to roll out of their greater Boston fiefdom, come May. A six-strong, triple-guitar rock behemoth in the autumn of their years, Major Stars have energies in reserve at all times for live performance; that's where the Major magic happens! As they're still in proximity to last year's blinding More Colors of Sound, they've arranged a New England run for the first time since 2020, with stops in Hartford, Brattleboro and Providence, as well as another big... (read more)

Songs Album II is LA musician Aaron MF Olson’s Country Thyme Records debut, the second “sung songs” album from the L.A. Takedown architect in just over a decade of releasing music. Mixing satiric, confessional and experimental lyric modes in his songs, Songs Album II is an overwhelming show of Aaron’s compositional gifts and pop sensibilities, cut from a fine cloth of head-informed, classically sweet and soft pop/rock modes. The first single, “Nobody Can Tell,” releases today with a music video by Matt Hewitt... (read more)