Homeboy Sandman & Edan Humble Pi Stones Throw by Neil Weeks Homebody Sandman and Edan’s collaborative debut, Humble Pi, is a pivotal release for the year, adding another landmark group effort to the Stones Throw catalog. They are charting a new path for modern hip-hop in the 2010s and one that couldn’t be needed any […]
William Basinski & Lawrence English Selva Oscura Temporary Residence Ltd. by Neil Weeks Among the best ambient releases of the year comes the collaborative debut from William Basinski and Lawrence English, Selva Oscura. Dedicated to acclaimed experimental filmmaker Paul Clipson, the music is primal, emotionally complex, and texturally sublime, honoring their friend with tremendous respect and living up to the […]
By Neil Weeks One of the most eclectic and raw compilations this year comes in the form of Tempo Dreams, Vol. 5, put together by Los Angeles underground titan Free The Robots. Launched on respected Brooklyn label Bastard Jazz across high-quality vinyl and digital streaming platforms earlier this month, the music collects an array of […]
By Neil Weeks The work of Lee “Scratch” Perry and his group The Upsetters are entering the archival ranks of San Francisco based label Superior Viaduct and their new imprint Antarctica Starts Here. Double Seven (Trojan, 1973) and Scratch The Upsetter Again (Upsetter, 1970) will hit record shelves over the next month, including liners by […]
By John-Paul Shiver Responding to a sense of missed opportunity, Toronto artist Harrison made a freestyle meets wavy synth-funk earworm of a jam with the track Celica Supra. It’s the first from his forthcoming sophomore album, due this fall via Last Gang Records. His début, Checkpoint Titanium, received a 2017 JUNO nomination for Electronic Album […]
Adrian Younge presents: Voices of Gemma Adrian Younge Linear Labs By John-Paul Shiver Musician and producer Adrian Younge writes his compositions in a visual language for the big screen, independent of whether it makes it there or not. His current project, Voices of Gemma, is an amalgam of David Axelrod orchestral bravado merged with Burt […]
By John-Paul Shiver The Magnificent Moon Mildlife Research Records Mildlife, the Australian four-piece band and tasteful confluence of so many various musical textures, released the appropriate long deep dive of a real-time visual this week for their kaleidoscopic expedition in a groove called The Magnificent Moon. The single comes as an introduction to their highly […]
No artist here is pushing an energy drink or attempting to steer a “DJ popularity” poll; it’s just some of the best music that came out in 2017, that maybe you never had the chance to hear.
This 5 song EP, Intermission, marks their return and departure in relocating to Brooklyn. They’re donating a portion of proceeds from the EP to The Trevor Project, The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Planned Parenthood.
On the new release from Atlanta-based musician Curtis Harding, compositions rooted in rock and soul get a bit more engaging when the genre borders merge.
By John-Paul Shiver Jay Som The Bus Song Everybody Works Polyvinyl Records There is a strong presence of the artistic community that runs all the way through “The Bus Song” video, Melina Duterte aka Jay Som’s sincere ode to public transportation. Former tour mate of Duterte, Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, directed the ebullient video that captures a […]
Cold Specks Fool’s Paradise Arts & Crafts By John-Paul Shiver Ladan Hussein, who performs as Cold Specks, excels most effectively on her recent release “Fool’s Paradise” when her sound design is just as bleak and terse as the immutable odds she sings about. This vocal presence, ingrained by wavering staying power, conveys the license of being […]
By John-Paul Shiver The Canadian born, LA based singer/songwriter/producer ANML aka Lila Rose, has always injected her career with grand cinematic gestures. Leading with messages that are fierce and unapologetic and then emboldened further with a highly distinctive voice. All being driven by this animated exuberance that refuses to be silenced or ever quit. It is by […]
Childhood Californian Light Universal High By John-Paul Shiver Per the stoic and charming Ben Romans-Hopcraft, front man for the psych-pop soul group Childhood, their current euphoric single “Californian Light”, was born out of a deceiving situation for the lead singer. “Ironically, the sentiment of ‘Californian Light,’ has nothing to do with the sunshine state at all,” Romans-Hopcraft explained to The […]
“Girl Like You” Toro Y Moi Boo Boo By John-Paul Shiver In a Prince-esque move, Toro Y Moi aka Chaz Bundick, put the guitars down and picked up drum machines and 80’s synth magic for the lead single “Girl Like You” from the forthcoming full release Boo Boo out on Carpark Records on 7/7. Bundick, coming off the psych-jazz collaboration with twin-brother jazz duo Mattson 2, pursues here a smart […]
Mean It Terence Ryan 3QTR / Kobalt By John-Paul Shiver In what seems to be a continuous one-shot detailing the goings on at a Boston industrial door hinge factory, the video for “Mean It” by Terence Ryan conveys the bare bones reality of working class America. Ryan, who was born and raised in the Boston suburb of Pembroke MA, comes from an “act […]