Dustin Kensrue at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA

“Death Valley Honeymoon” out now https://dustinkensrue.start.page/

Dustin Kensure was still a teenager when he formed Thrice, the dynamic and multifaceted rock band who have been bending and blending genres for the past quarter century. Before the group’s touring schedule took him around the world, he spent his childhood in Southern California, regularly heading into the desert to visit his paternal grandparents in Palm Springs. While there, he would wander for hours through the rocky hills and sandy washes near their home, and the landscape, colors, and stories of that sun-baked wilderness left a lasting impression.

Decades later, Kensure summons the spirit of the American southwest with his third original studio solo album, the evocative and eclectic Desert Dreaming. It’s a transportive album that blurs the lines between genre and geography, balancing the influence of old-school country western icons like Marty Robbins and Gene Autry with the sharp songwriting of a modern musician who’s spent 25 years on the road, onstage, and in the writing room. Kensure approaches these songs like a western novelist, filling them with details of the desert—the sound of coyotes howling in the distance, the smell of sage and lilac in the dry wind, the lure of hidden treasure in the hills—and punctuating the recordings with pedal steel guitar, train beats, and the strongest melodies of his career.

Nestled in between Los Angeles and San Diego lies Orange County, CA: a culturally, economically, and environmentally diverse community with an identity all of its own. The Brevet, hailing from the heart of Orange County, continues to create an ever-evolving sound that pushes stylistic boundaries. Just as Orange County is home to snow-capped mountains, pristine beaches, and bustling city centers, The Brevet’s alternative rock sound draws authentically from folk, surf, and R&B influence, but doesn’t shy away from thundering rhythms, blistering guitars and progressive synths.

brother bird is a project from Nashville-based singer/songwriter caroline. And while another year is her most romantic-sounding collection yet, drawing from the The Cranberries melodic vibe, the shoegaze influence of Mazzy Star, and the guitar tones of Big Thief, under the surface lies a common muse: waiting for something to happen. And under all the pretty, soothing sounds on the record lies the particular style of caroline. “I would say I’m a happy person and playfully sarcastic. But I get the most raw and honest I can be in my lyrics. My music is kind of like a vessel.” And it starts with a song that’s as raw and honest as they come, “i’m sorry.” It flew right out of the stagnant space caroline found herself in, surprisingly fast and near the end of the writing and recording process — almost as if shaking her creative bottle knocked something important loose. “It sounds more and feels more romantic, but if you zoom out a little bit, I don’t know that it is. I feel close to the words, and I’m still kind of figuring out why,” caroline says.

The tracks something better & quitter are twin flames embodying that style: confessional, with a touch of satire and a drizzle of dissatisfaction. Okay, more than a touch — caroline’s friends and collaborators had to be reassured she was okay after hearing them. “It feels like everyone has all these really impressive things to say, and I’m holding on to things I did years ago,” caroline says, naming imposter syndrome as an inspiration.