The list of “bitchin’” things in music is select: Camaros, summers, pretty lives. Meditative, drone-filled music built on synths, drum machines, and woodwinds usually does not fit the bill. Yet the Chicago trio Bitchin Bajas […]
Sven Wunder Summons The Sublime On ‘Daybreak’
Each album by Swedish composer Sven Wunder masterfully opens a door into a different sonic mise-en-scene, from the East-meets-West psychedelia of Eastern Flowers, to the painterly restraint of Wabi Sabi or the midnight-jazz hush of […]
Juxtaposition Is The Prescription On Wednesday’s ‘Bleeds’
Bleeds, the fifth salvo from this Dead Oceans-signed, Asheville, N.C.-based indie outfit, is truly the best album of 1994. Who thought it would be so compelling to graft country rock idioms to the relentless decibels […]
Nation of Language Retreat on ‘Dance Called Memory’
Roxy Music released its final album, Avalon, in 1982, capping off a decade that saw the group morph from the shimmering art rock of its debut to something more majestic but wearier. Seven years had […]
Patrick Shiroishi Knows How Memory Works
As a member of the hardcore outfit the Armed and the atmospheric jazz collective Fuubutsushi, Patrick Shiroishi has proven that he can handle both aggressive thrash and evocative ambience with finesse. For his latest solo […]
‘I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016)’ Collects Bowie’s Final Albums and More in One Powerful Place
For one cruel moment it felt like we had David Bowie back. He went silent for nearly a decade after suffering a heart attack during a performance in Prague in 2004, resurfacing in 2013 with […]
Rafiq Bhatia Terraforms, Transforms, and Deforms New Worlds of Sound
From 1969 to 1979, a series of field recordings appeared on the Atlantic label under the title Environments. Song titles included “The Psychologically Ultimate Seashore” and “Dawn in New Hope, Pennsylvania” (which would have made […]
Jean-Michel Jarre Stays Alive!
When electronic-ambient-new age pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre was working on 1976’s Oxygene, in his makeshift home studio, he often had to tape down two preset buttons of his Korg drum machine to achieve the effect he […]
A Fresh Take on “Enter Sandman” by Electric 5
“Enter Sandman” has long been a staple of heavy music, a track that defined an era of hard rock with its sinister riffs and unforgettable hook. When a song has that kind of legacy, tackling […]
The Beths Open Up, No ‘Lie’
“Sorry, I was thinking about something else.” These are the first words you hear on the Beths’ latest, Straight Line Was A Lie, apologizing for the opening track’s false start. At first, it feels like […]
Nourished By Time Blend Passion, Pain On Sophomore LP
In a year dense with records about disillusionment, few feel as tactile and tender as The Passionate Ones (XL Recordings). Marcus Brown, the Baltimore-born, London-and-New York-seasoned artist behind Nourished by Time, has made a sophomore […]
Jörgen Releases First Single on SPIN Records
Music producer and DJ Jorge Duarte, better known as Jörgen, releases his first single, “Montañas Oscuras,” for SPIN Records today (August 1), available across all streaming platforms. “‘Montañas Oscuras’ was born out of pure inspiration,” […]