Music Reviews

Faced with the rich sonic twister of music ever churning around us, our writers strap on headphones and hunker down with these tunes and their words to lead everyone to the bottom of what sounds good right now.

The Blasters

The Blasters

Music Reviews

Mandatory: The Best of The Blasters (Liberation Hall). Review by Bob Pomeroy.

Foghat

Foghat

Music Reviews

Sonic Mojo (Foghat Records). Review by Christopher Long.

Doug Bielmeier

Doug Bielmeier

Music Reviews

Music For Billionaires (New Focus Recordings). Review by Carl F. Gauze.

The Feelies

The Feelies

Music Reviews

Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of the Velvet Underground (Bar None Records). Review by Bob Pomeroy.

Rancid

Rancid

Music Reviews

Tomorrow Never Comes (Epitaph). Review by Steven Cruse.

Recently on Ink 19...

Heroes of the Metal Underground

Heroes of the Metal Underground

Print Reviews

Just in time for the heavy metal Christmas shopping season, European author Alexandros Anesiadis delivers his latest — a thorough and riveting encyclopedia-type account of the hard-working DIY American bands that created an important underground music scene that’s well worth remembering.

Witness 4k UHD

Witness 4k UHD

Screen Reviews

In a beautiful testament to Peter Weir’s vision, the director’s 1985 classic, Witness, gets a fresh restoration from Arrow Video.

Year-End Record Roundup

Year-End Record Roundup

Features

Ready for a cold one this season? We thought so! Enjoy, as Christopher Long reflects on his favorite VINYL releases of 2023 — an intoxicating (and satisfying) “six-pack,” to be sure.

A.J. Croce

A.J. Croce

Interviews

Concert addict Jeremy Glazier talked with A.J. Croce near the beginning of his year-long Croce Plays Croce tour about embracing his father’s music and his own while honoring both their familial bond and shared influences.

Best of Film 2023

Best of Film 2023

Screen Reviews

For Lily and Generoso, 2023 was a fantastic year at the cinema! They select and review their ten favorite films, six supplemental features, and one extraordinary repertory release seen at microcinemas, archives, and festivals.

Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco

Event Reviews

This fall, Ani DiFranco brought new Righteous Babe labelmate Kristen Ford to Iowa City, where Jeremy Glazier enjoyed an incredible evening of artistry.

Garage Sale Vinyl: Ian Hunter

Garage Sale Vinyl: Ian Hunter

Garage Sale Vinyl

This week Christopher Long grabs a bag of bargain vinyl from a flea market in Mount Dora, Florida — including You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, the classic 1979 LP from Ian Hunter.

Archive Archaeology

Archive Archaeology

Archive Archaeology

Bob Pomeroy gets into four Radio Rarities from producer Zev Feldman for Record Store Day with great jazz recordings from Wes Montgomery, Les McCann, Cal Tjader, and Ahmad Jamal.

Archive Archaeology: Phil Alvin

Archive Archaeology: Phil Alvin

Archive Archaeology

Bob Pomeroy digs into Un “Sung Stories” (1986, Liberation Hall), Blasters’ frontman Phil Alvin’s American Roots collaboration with Sun Ra and his Arkestra, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and New Orleans saxman Lee Allen.