What's a dozen or so years between friends? 2012's Tarnished Gold found Beachwood Sparks in fine form. Eleven years had passed since the band's first two records were released within a year of each other. It was a reunion of sorts, though this time 12 years would pass before the Los Angeles group reunited. Released earlier this month, Across the River of Stars marks another dreamy return to the band's alt-country ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 12, Joe Bonamassa was opening for the BB King. Twelve years later, his career was a at a crossroads. He's been through a pair of major label deals and suddenly found himself tasked with releasing his third album on his own. "There was no plan B," the guitarist says. Blues Deluxe, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, was precisely the shot to the arm his career needed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like many of us, Tracy Bonham's been through it over the last couple of years. Her latest single, “Damn The Sky (For Being Too Wide)," processes some of those feelings of isolation and disconnect. It's also her first studio release since 2017's Modern Burdens, which found the musician reconnecting with the debut album that put her on the map back in the mid-90s. Throughout it all, she's managed to reconnect with the people and things that matter most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ukulele was a gimmick, as Dent May is the first to admit. It did the trick on the Mississippi-born musician's second album, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. The LP -- his first for the Animal Collective-run Paw Tracks -- established May as a musical force. These days he continues his hunt for the perfect pop song. Nowhere has he come closer than on this year's What's for Breakfast? Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to Beat the Champ, Leela Corman hadn’t drawn much wrestling. The 2015 record would be the first two Mountain Goats covers drawn by the cartoonist. Corman’s passion for bodies in motion would resurface in this April’s Victory Parade, as wrestling plays a key role in the World War II era graphic novel. The book tells the story of personal and societal trauma of the era. It’s an important reminder of lessons our world is doomed to relearn. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not easy being a pioneer, but Jim Skafish came out of the gate swinging. In the late-70s, the Chicago musician became the first American signed to Miles Copeland’s hugely influential IRS records. His band’s first LP, 1980’s self-titled Skafish, failed to catch fire, owing to delays and poor production. Three years later, Conversations, was met with its own pushback, as it marked a major sonic departure. Skafish, a classically trained pianist whose current work is more easily classified as jazz, is long overdue for a reexamination and a pioneering force in musical, political and non-conforming.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year, Drawn & Quarterly is reissuing Curses. Now 20 years old, the book represents Kevin Huizenga at his finest. The book features a collection of stories united by the cartoonist's long time lead, Glenn Ganges, exploring history, fiction, folk tales and more, backdropped against a seemingly mundane suburban midwestern backdrop. It presents a true master at work. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the decades, Collective Soul has managed to avoid many of the pitfalls that torpedoed their contemporaries. The Georgia-based band saw a quick rise in the early 90s, on the backs of hits like "Shine" and "December." More than 30 years on, the band remains as solid a unit as ever, have maintained an extraordinarily consistent lineup. Longtime bassist Will Turpin joins us to discuss the band's rise and what keeps the group together all these years later. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most recent stage of Bruce Sudano’s career began in earnest just over a decade ago. His wife and long-time creative partner, the legendary Donna Summer, passed in 2012. With their children now grown, Sudano restarted his solo career. The move, he notes, felt like nearly restarting a decades-long musical journey from scratch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a hard few years for most of us, but Pearl Harbour has managed to stay positive throughout. It's no small feat, given struggles with lung cancer that have indefinitely sidelined her singing career. The musician recently penned linear notes for the re-issue of her great unsung 1980 rockabilly LP, Don't Follow Me, Im Lost Too. The album features an all-star cast of musicians from The Clash and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Habour's friends and tourmates at the time. And while she's not one to get hung up in the past, she happily recounts some terrific stories from the era. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.