Feature: New Indie CDs

Jon Sobel's reviews of music releases from independent artists and labels, collected and published about twice a month.

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• Music Review: Breaking Laces - Come Get Some

  An ironic awareness earns this Brooklyn band its serious moments on this fine disc.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Apr 26, 2013

• Music Review: Paula Cole - Raven

  Cole has evolved a strong vocabulary of smartly constructed adult pop that's eminently accessible yet all her own.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Apr 18, 2013

• The Child Ballads: Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer Reboot Centuries-Old Songs

  New recordings of old English and Scottish ballads prove there's life in the old lays yet.

  News by Jon Sobel — on Apr 18, 2013

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Kree Woods, Craig Jackson Band, Go Jane Go

  Kree Woods is that rare pop singer-songwriter with all the puzzle pieces: vocals, songwriting, and a great sound.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Apr 06, 2013

• Independent Spirit Paula Cole Returning with First Indie Release

  The '90s star enlisted legendary bassist Tony Levin, some humpback whales, and her own emotional depth.

  News by Jon Sobel — on Mar 14, 2013

• Music Review: Gurf Morlix, Finds the Present Tense

  Gurf Morlix inhabits "the muddy" – the fecund reading room of a library of idioms encompassing folk, country, and blues.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Mar 05, 2013

• Swamp Dogg Rising: Classic Albums by the Funky Soul Maestro Re-Released

  The rise and fall and rise again of a soul singer and songwriter like no other.

  News by Jon Sobel — on Feb 21, 2013

• "Black Sheep Boy" Tim Hardin Remembered on New Tribute Disc

  1960s completists remember the long-deceased singer-songwriter's participation at Woodstock, even though he didn't make it into the movie.

  News by Jon Sobel — on Feb 06, 2013

• Music Review: The Steeldrivers - Hammer Down

  This disc is just about as close to flawless as today's mainstream bluegrass gets.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jan 25, 2013

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Dudley Saunders, Tim Mahoney

  Working in an earlier decade, Tim Mahoney would be a star, and his uncomplicated but sophisticated heartland pop did get him onto TV's The Voice.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jan 25, 2013

• Nu-Bluegrass Singer Aoife O'Donovan Sneaks Onto 2012 "Best Jazz Album" Lists with Dave Douglas Quintet

  The Dave Douglas Quintet's jazz improvisation coordinated surprisingly well with O'Donovan's studied folk stylings on the "sublime" 2012 album Be Still.

  News by Jon Sobel — on Jan 22, 2013

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Jacob Blazer, Charlie Parr, MSB Family Band

  Jacob Blazer heads in a minimalist direction with his new EP.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jan 14, 2013

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Dolls on Fire, Brian Lisik, Brian James

  Brian James's earthy Americana is a welcome break from crystal-clear but soulless sounds and as-loud-as-possible mastering.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Nov 27, 2012

• Music Review: Bedhed and Blondy - Down South

  Smart, literate, well-constructed lyrics and a softspoken adult musical sense add up to a batch of groovy alt-country/Americana.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Sep 25, 2012

• Indie Round-Up: Treasa Levasseur, Charlie Parr, Brad Brooks

  Canadian powerhouse singer-songwriter Treasa Levasseur continues broadening the soul music tradition into the 21st century with her latest release.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Apr 23, 2012

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Great Unknowns, Arty Hill, Papa Juke

  On The Great Unknowns' long-awaited second album, Becky Warren's soft alto retains its ability to soothe and wrench at the same time.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jan 25, 2012

• Music Review: Emily Hurd - Long Lost Ghosts

  Each song is a shiny chip off a mysterious compound of intelligent thought and honest feeling.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jan 09, 2012

• Music Review: Jeff Norwood - Push Pilin'

  Norwood detours from the traditional path of the bluesman and delves into the deep, piney woods of acid-blues and even trance-blues.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jun 07, 2011

• Music Review: Eoin Harrington - Confess

  Sophisticated, tuneful, soul-inflected pop is Eoin Harrington's specialty, and his new disc is loaded with it.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Jun 07, 2011

• Music Review: Indie Round-Up – Dunn Boys, Melineh Kurdian, Bedhed and Blondy

  The Dunn Boys' debut is the perfect disc to get you up and out of bed after a whiskey-fueled night.

  Review by Jon Sobel — on Apr 19, 2011