The Black Keys are back, and they’ve brought more swagger than a vintage leather jacket at a Midwest thrift store.

With Ohio Players, their latest release, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney remind us why they’re the kings of gritty blues-rock while tossing in enough surprises to keep things interesting.

Think of this album as a musical casserole: hearty, comforting and with a few unexpected ingredients to spice things up. It’s the kind of record that sounds like it’s been playing on a jukebox in a roadside diner for decades, waiting for you to stumble upon it.

From the first note of “This Is Nowhere,” the album’s opening track, you’re dropped straight into the smoky dive bars and backroads of Ohio.

Auerbach’s guitar snarls like a junkyard dog, while Carney’s drumming stomps through the track like it’s wearing steel-toed boots. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to roll down your windows and drive nowhere in particular, preferably on a road with lots of potholes for added authenticity.

Tracks like “Don’t Let Me Go” and “Beautiful People” mix their signature grit with gospel-tinged backing vocals and a vibe that’s equal parts Sunday morning redemption and Saturday night chaos.

Ohio Players is a record for the dreamers, the drifters and anyone who’s ever found solace in a dusty vinyl or a crackling radio signal from the middle of nowhere.

The Keys have delivered a collection that’s equal parts nostalgia and innovation — a love letter to the music that shaped them. It’s proof they’re still capable of bringing the heat —which we could all use right now.

– Chris Rucker

Stepping into a new year with a bow tied on 2024 — a year of incredible highs and literal whirlwind lows — music is the tried and true companion that ushers in hope with fuel to re-energize and revitalize.

And with perfect timing, Oh Smokey, the latest record from veteran alt-folk singer-songwriter Eef Barzelay, aka Clem Snide, has hit the shelves to be the ultimate sonic bobsled into the New Year.

Oh Smokey is Barzelay’s signature brand of melodic and melancholy genius, but this isn’t just a sad-boy strum fest. It’s a deeply human exploration of life’s messiest corners, where God, death, heartbreak and hope all bump shoulders and share a drink. If this album were a person, it’d be the guy at the party in the corner with the best stories — slightly tragic, endlessly fascinating and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny.

The album opens with “Free,” a rollicking acoustic thrum that announces its intentions with the command: “Call all the sunbeams.” This is no gloomy dirge. It’s a rallying cry, a reminder that even when you’re knee-deep in existential mud, there’s always light to chase. Swaths of electric guitar and a backup chorus seemingly plucked straight from Leonard Cohen’s imagination make this track soar.

The rest of the album balances tenderness with wit. Sure, Barzelay describes these as a dip into the emotional hot tub, but that’s only half the story.

Beneath the groove is a sly, mischievous hopefulness — a reminder that while life may be messy, uncertain and occasionally heartbreaking, there’s always room for sunbeams to break through the clouds.

So, here’s to 2025 — slow paces, tender hearts and the hope that lies just beyond.

– Chris Rucker

Picture this: it’s Christmas Eve. Snow is hopefully (but not likely) falling softly outside, lights are twinkling on the tree, cinnamon and chocolate waft through the air and suddenly, harking from the HI-FI speakers, you hear a familiar gravelly voice that shakes the tinsel, rattles the ornaments and rolls a parade of jingle-janglin’ good times into the mix.

That’s right — Happy Holidays, Billy Idol’s 15-track Christmas basharole is here, bursting with festive flavor to add a dash of rebel Yule spice to your holiday soundtrack.

Don’t let Billy’s brand of swagger fool you; he clearly knows how to balance naughty and nice.

From the opening riffs of “Jingle Bell Rock,” Billy slaps on a red leather jacket, revs up the reindeer and tears straight into a festive fireball of tunes so good it’ll convince Santa to ditch his sleigh for a Harley and Rudolph for a Les Paul.

His rendition of “Winter Wonderland” drops a punky-honky-tonky twist onto the fire, while the vintage chops of “Let It Snow” has holiday dive-bar party vibes.

With a magical high-hat of old-fashioned fun, “Frosty the Snowman” taps onto the set with a version so cool you’ll melt, and his warm and cozy rendition of “Silent Night” is a pure crooning classic.

For those used to holiday sonic stockings filled with Mariah Carey’s high notes and Nat King Cole’s roasted chestnuts, Happy Holidays is no lump of coal. It’s got attitude, charm and enough pick-up to provide a festive free ride over the hills and through the woods with something in the trunk for everyone.

– Chris Rucker

Love, hope, provision, benevolence and the strength of community have been on the hearts of many as we navigate a new normal and the undoing of our landscapes and livelihoods after Hurricane Helene. Humanity, at its purest and most vulnerable state, was tested and strengthened overnight with a continuous outpouring of unconditional love.

With these thoughts, we reopen the vault of 1975 for Earth, Wind & Fire’s double album of heart, soul and light, appropriately named Gratitude.

At its core, this 16-track album honors life’s many layers. Whether it’s the celebratory highs or the quieter, more introspective moments, each track is a reminder to pause and give thanks.

A powerful live rendition of their smash hit “Shining Star,” is a radiant, uplifting groove that sets the tone for the entire album. Other gems include “Sing a Song,” an anthem of resilience, positivity and perspective, and “Can’t Hide Love,” a perfect metaphor for gratitude itself. Just like love, the need to give thanks can’t be hidden; it’s a natural response to life’s abundance.

Almost 50 years after its release, Gratitude remains a timeless testament to the group’s genius and its ability to create music that resonates across generations. But more than that, it’s a reminder of the power of thankfulness.

Every track is lit with cornucopia-packed energy and emotion, inviting us to reflect on what we have, celebrate the joys of the present and approach life with an open heart. So, whether you’re listening to it for the first time or rediscovering it after many years, let Gratitude fill your heart with appreciation for the blessings in your life, both big and small.

– Chris Rucker

There’s something mystical in the air. Maybe it’s the ghostly remnants of summer nights long past, or perhaps it’s the waft of a cinnamon broom or echoes of a lost radio frequency carrying the soul of a forgotten tune.

Whatever it is, Futurebirds has captured lightening in a bottle and unleashed it with its fifth and latest studio album, Easy Company.

From note one, Easy Company doesn’t just play — it conjures. It’s as if the band has tapped into a secret stash of sound, where the past and future collide with a wingspan of Southern rock, cosmic country and secret sauce.

The opener, “Movin’ On,” is a sticky-stomp journey about leaving things behind with the knowledge that they’ll always be a part of you. In a nod to Waynesboro, Georgia’s iconic landmark, this song hits close to home — “There is a huntin’ dawg painted up high on the water tower, and he’s pointin’ somewhere — and I’m gonna find out.”

The rest of Easy Company stitches together a beautiful tapestry of songwriting through the chemistry of the Bird’s lead members with songs like “Solitaires,” “Colorados” and the title track, “Easy Company.”

This isn’t just an album — it’s a journey, and the trip is worth taking, again and again.

– Chris Rucker

Like a surprise summer storm—unexpected, exhilarating, full of twists — Phish, a band known for its relentless innovation and live improvisation, delivers a supersonic cyclone of tuneage with its 16th studio album, Evolve.

Evolve shines like multi-colored sunbeams of wonder with a familiar, yet fresh, maze of melody and rhythm surrounded by a vibrant torrent of rock, funk and jazz. Rooted in traditional rock ’n’ roll but always flipping the script, band members noodle, zap, slap and stomp through a well-worn map with new routes and landmarks scribbled in the margins.

One of the album’s most intriguing moments comes with “Pillow Jets,” a track that starts as a lullaby before spiraling into a cacophony of sound. It’s the kind of song that could only come from a band that swims in unpredictability, where each note feels like it’s balancing on the edge of a new adventure.

“Oblivion” and “A Wave of Hope” maintain a high-energy vibe filled with bluesy riffs and soaring solos that recall the band’s jam roots, but it’s in the quieter moments where the album shows its depth in creating a space where listeners can lose themselves or find something new.

In Evolve, Phish has crafted an album that celebrates its past and leaps into the unknown. Inviting listeners to join them on a journey, the record doesn’t end with the final track but continues to evolve with each listen.

Whether you’re a Phish newbie or a seasoned Phan, Evolve will resonate with you long after the last note.

– Chris Rucker

Bust out the box fans and sweet tea — the sons of Southern soul, Widespread Panic, are back with an oasis of chilly, wet awesomeness that’s been brewing for nine years. Snake Oil King is a high-octane, six-pack of tunes that slings a dizzying blend of Panic’s swagger and gritty-hooked storytelling that quenches the ears and fans the soul.

From first splash, Panic brings the party with the funk-laden blues jam, “We Walk Each Other Home.” The rockin’ raft of Widespread’s effortless wonder floats from track to track, and the signature harmonic and lazy-hazy vocal blend of lead singer John Bell and keyboardist JoJo Herman can be found on the back-porch-groove ditty, “Tackle Box Hero.”

As the lush-layered arrangements of “Snake Oil King” drift into a Lowcountry sunset, the album appropriately wraps with “Small Town,” a big-splash melodic sizzler that brings it all home with a misty waterfall of dreamy Panic bliss to instantly calm the bark of these dog days.

With a Widespread celebratory toast to their classic formula, the hollerin’ sons of Athens, GA strike all the familiar chords for the die-hards and open the floodgate for newbies to devour and come back for seconds.

This isn’t just an album; it’s a triple-scoop masterpiece of emotion-commotion with a jammin’ ice-cream truck full of surprises.

– Chris Rucker