Justin Cober-Lake

Virginia

Assistant Editor at Spectrum Culture

Staff Writer at PopMatters

Pastor, writer, critic, coach. Sometimes fishing. Sometimes birding.

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Articles

Thalia Zedek Band Fight the Waves on New Album » PopMatters

1 week ago | popmatters.com | Justin Cober-Lake

The Boat Outside Your Window Thrill Jockey Guitarist Thalia Zedek’s music often turns a corner. Sometimes she’s shifting sounds, moving through variations on a singular vision while adding new complexities to her noisy indie rock. Sometimes she’s writing as if the end is near (politically or emotionally), only to find a new way through.
Marc Ribot: Map of a Blue City

1 week ago | spectrumculture.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Over the past 40 years, Marc Ribot has developed a well-deserved reputation as a flexible and creative guitarist. Throughout his varied career, he’s backed other restless artists like Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, performing in a variety of jazz settings and pursuing his own avant-garde leanings. Whether as part of an ensemble or leading his own groups (most notably: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog), he’s covered no wave, Cuban music, punk and more.
Maren Morris: D R E A M S I C L E

2 weeks ago | spectrumculture.com | Justin Cober-Lake

The divorce album can be a rite of passage. A songwriter reflects on herself, on her relationship, on the futility of love. Maybe there’s a bright spot or an epiphany. Maren Morris, with her fourth album D R E A M S I C L E, has reached that moment. Last year, she divorced songwriter Ryan Hurd, and much of that moment drives the record.
Little Feat: Strike Up the Band

3 weeks ago | spectrumculture.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Little Feat has maintained its core sound for over 50 years. That’s no, well, small accomplishment on its own, but the band’s various lineup changes and a nearly 10-year hiatus in the ’80s makes their musical stability all the more surprising. The ’00s have been an unusual stretch for the band, which has toured regularly, releasing more live albums than studio albums.
Eli Winter Shows His Creative Dexterity on New LP » PopMatters

3 weeks ago | popmatters.com | Justin Cober-Lake

A Trick of the Light Three Lobed Recordings Eli Winter’s debut album didn’t reveal all his tricks. The Time to Come was a solo acoustic guitar affair, a cathartic release put out while Winter was still in college. The nature of the LP and his references to Jack Rose and Daniel Bachman suggested he was heading down one path. Still, he was simultaneously thinking through the work of artists like Judee Sill and Pauline Oliveros.
10 Songs That Have Become Graduation Essentials

3 weeks ago | screenrant.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Graduation season causes a variety of emotions that music can help to express. Some graduates will be elated, happy to escape the confines of education. Others will feel saddened by or afraid of the prospect of leaving their friends and family. Others will simply be relieved they made it through. Their families, too, will have an array of feelings, from pride to worry and even melancholy.
I Can't Believe Elton John Actually Did These 10 Collaborations

1 month ago | screenrant.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Link copied to clipboard Sign in to your ScreenRant account Elton John has long been rock 'n' roll royalty. He's the number four best-selling artist of all time, behind just The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley, and he's received all the critical accolades to go with the commercial success. He's an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), and he's been knighted for his work in music and charity. It's hard to find much more success. As he aged into the elder statesman role, it would...
Eric Church: Evangeline Vs. the Machine

1 month ago | spectrumculture.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Eric Church sees a battle happening in society right now, one that applies both to the music world and to the broader society. We live in an increasingly mechanical and digital age, machines and profits taking over where we used have soul and art. With concerns about these and other changes, the country star created Evangeline Vs. the Machine, meditating on the importance of tradition and honesty.
Marty Stuart Goes West (and Beyond) with 'Space Junk' " PopMatters

1 month ago | popmatters.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Space Junk Snakefarm It takes all of two seconds of Space Junk to realize what Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are up to. That alternate-picked run is straight out of the surf rock playbook; Dick Dale would be proud. Stuart has played a little bit of everything over the years, and while he’s more known for country, bluegrass, and rockabilly, the turn to surf rock isn’t out of character (and has been part of his repertoire for years).
Concert Review: The War and Treaty

1 month ago | spectrumculture.com | Justin Cober-Lake

Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville, VA4/26/25The War and Treaty announced their plan explicitly seven years ago: they’re here to bring a “healing tide.” Their music, especially through their live performances, was meant to provide moments of hope and inclusion. They weren’t just out to be stars, but to bring a message to their listeners. At the time, they were playing small clubs, working their own merch table, and connecting directly with their fans. Then the award nominations started coming in.