Rachel Alm

2 weeks ago | spectrumculture.com | Rachel Alm

The Mercury Prize is one of the most prestigious honors in British rock, but it can also be a millstone around the neck of the winning artist. For as many bands as it’s helped, perhaps just as many have been crushed beneath the weight of the public’s expectations (does anyone remember 2006’s winner, Ms. Dynamite?). The fourth album from Manchester, UK’s Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid, won the Mercury Prize in 2008 over entries from artists such as Radiohead and Laura Marling.

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Rachel Alm

We’ve got a lot of exciting new music for you this week! Rock by The Sophs, soul music from Mega, funk by sullvn, folk rock from Wilby and Avery Tucker, dreamy trip-hop by The Night Tapes, country from The Band Loula and psych-pop by Anand Wilder. Sullvn, “Rooftop” — San Diego collective sullvn brings us a joyous funk explosion on “Rooftop.” It’s all about the excitement of meeting someone new and feeling like you want a night to last forever.

1 month ago | spectrumculture.com | Rachel Alm

For someone who started out as a DIY artist, Jordan Rakei went unexpectedly big with The Loop (2024). After watching a Bill Withers documentary, the New Zealand-born, UK-based singer-songwriter was inspired, deciding that he didn’t want his fifth album to sound like it was recorded in a bedroom. Recorded at RAK studios with a team of some of the best session musicians, the result was a cinematic record full of lush orchestration and mature songwriting.

1 month ago | spectrumculture.com | Rachel Alm

The burden of expectation on female blues guitarists to play exceptionally well is not insubstantial; it’s the old Ginger Rogers “backwards in heels” principle. Samantha Fish has consistently been an incredible player with great songs (that she has largely written or co-written) since 2009. Her musical virtuosity, while impressive, never seems to overshadow the quality of the songs themselves. Paper Doll is Fish’s eighth studio album, but the first she has ever recorded with her touring band.

2 months ago | riffmagazine.com | Rachel Alm

This week on Tuesday Tracks, we’ve got pop from Emily James and Gordi, rock by OSLO and Jawdropped, emo from Arm’s Length and Americana by Caitlin Cannon. Emily James, “Under the Influences” – This soulful song’s got serious Taylor Swift vibes; it’s about when platonic friends catch feelings for each other: “What if we don’t overthink it/ You know it’s already different/ If I get a bit closer/ Put my head on your shoulder,” Emily James sings over piano and a soft, thumping beat like a heartbeat.