For the love of music
With a firm hand for delicate layers and slow-burning compositions, the duo of Mountains creates a stellar relationship with the listener on their latest instrumental album, Centralia. Regarded as their ‘most fully-realized album,’ the duo worked closely together, crafting the album through repetitive work that involved the heavy use of … [Read more...]
Thalia Zedek on… The Birthday Party’s Junkyard (Missing Link/4AD, 1982) I remember clearly the luckiest record shopping day of my life. It was 1982 and I was at Newbury Comics, the only record shop in Boston that stocked underground records at that time. I went to the new arrivals bin and starting flipping through the stack, and … [Read more...]
Eternal Tapestry's Jed Bindeman on... Luciano Cilio’s Dialoghi Del Presente (EMI Italiana, 1977) There are albums that grow on you, and then there are ones that have an immediate reaction, where you know from the first note that you're hearing something special. Both situations can have their benefits (there are many records that took … [Read more...]
Drawing influences from science and strategic tests, electronic duo Matmos have created an EP as a predecessor to their ensuing LP, out later this year as well. The Ganzfeld EP deploys three carefully crafted songs and marks an opportunity where the experimental duo can revel in heady moments. Closing with “Just Waves,” the duo circles their … [Read more...]
The Sea And Cake’s Sam Prekop on… Kraftwerk’s Ralf And Florian (Philips/Vertigo, 1973) I'm not sure when would have been the first time I heard this record; I suspect mid-nineties, when The Sea And Cake were becoming a band. I'm quite sure that it was John McEntire who illuminated Kraftwerk for me beyond Computer World - which I … [Read more...]
In the rapidly revolving and reinventing world of physical formats, the seven inch vinyl record still sustains an unrivalled affection amongst music hoarders. Although it’s arguably no longer one of the most efficient, affordable or audiophile methods of releasing recordings, the humble 45 can still be great for capturing and compacting nuggets … [Read more...]
The true life experience is a telling ritual to maintain. For many, recounting the obstacles overcome in a passing day seems like opening your wounds for all to pick at. Others rejoice in the ability of being able to share personal anecdotes in hopes of self-expression and approval. The experience of life is an always challenging one – filled … [Read more...]
It can be an expensive full time hobby trying to keep up with Ripley Johnson’s prolific twin output with Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo (pity the impoverished dedicated follower of both outfits whom is also a Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices collector…) and during these cash-strapped times even ‘snooze or lose’ limited vinyl releases have to be … [Read more...]
The compelling nature of music is an intriguing expansion. Baltimore-based Future Islands has always been about taking that expansion and invigorating it with an emotional carriage of embellishments. Last year’s In Evening Air was a revelatory discovery for some, including yours truly and now, a mere year later, the band presents another … [Read more...]
Continuously evolving his sounds, Tunnels has been the moniker for musician Nicholas Bindeman for quite some time now. At first a droning experiment that reached into psychedelia with mixed results, Bindeman was always someone known for chasing a wide-open world of sounds. And now with a pulse on the bass lines in his music and with a varied … [Read more...]