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,” […]
John Oswald Turns the Grateful Dead’s ‘Dark Star’ into a Black Hole
“‘Dark Star’ is always playing somewhere. All we do is tap into it,” Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh supposedly said. Grayfolded, John Oswald’s epic collage of the Dead’s hallmark longform jam, assembled from fragments of […]
Ben Nichols Leans Into Poetry and His Arkansas Past On New Solo Record
Lucero keeps Ben Nichols busy. The Memphis-based collective has been going strong since 1998, touring constantly and releasing acclaimed albums, such as their 12th LP Should’ve Learned by Now (2023). Earlier this year, Nichols and […]
Talking Heads Reissue Campaign Offers More Versions of ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’
Though the final Talking Heads album came out in 1988, the band never really went away. Unlike defunct groups trapped in a cycle of rediscovery every generation or so, Talking Heads have remained indelible, hip […]
Indigo De Souza Finds Herself on the ‘Precipice’
Standing on a precipice can be exciting or terrifying, depending on the person. On her new album Precipice, Indigo De Souza seems to be experiencing both at once. More from Spin: IDLES Record Score, New […]
Grinderman: That Time Nick Cave Got Down And Dirty
Nick Cave needed Grinderman to break free. After a decade that saw two albums of mournful love songs, one career-first critically reviled (and since rehabilitated) release, and a double-LP that felt like a spiritual rebirth, […]