Who knew that the Americana ambassadors the Avett Brothers and the thoroughly modern maniac Mike Patton had the same threads woven into their respective freak flags? Scott and Seth Avett have been enchanting the folk contingent for most of this century with a discography of stripped-down and heart-bursting recs. While Patton is known primarily as […]
John Darnielle has explored “soft rock” and all of its modalities on recent albums. While his lyrical obsessions (survival, breaking free, and more) have persisted since he began recording under the Mountain Goats moniker more than 30 years ago, his music has changed from the lo-fi-voice-and-guitar-to-tape beginnings to something more sonically rich. But with new […]
It seemed inevitable that Anna von Hausswolff would make an album inspired by This Mortal Coil, the 4AD collective that covered songs by Gene Clark, Alex Chilton, and more, injecting them with its gothic touch. Iconoclasts, the sixth album by the Swedish musician out October 31, may feel more like conventional music to those accustomed […]
On the surface, and let’s be honest, underneath the surface too, Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo make unlikely collaborators. The intersection of DIY noise rock and instrumental guitar soli (as John Fahey called it) has been a lonely crossroads, but somehow the Oklahoma City musicians make it look like a fruitful place to cut deals […]
Pulling back the curtain for a moment, one of the perks of reviewing albums is that when you fall in love with a new album, you have an outlet to shout about it. But sometimes it’s a double-edged sword, as writing a review also forces you to put into words why you love an album […]
Enviable collaborations with the likes of Elton John and Joni Mitchell have inspired and elevated Brandi Carlile’s musical profile in the last several years. And at this point, the multi-Grammy award winner could easily coast along via the connections she’s made, putting out more duets and tributes, or songwriting for superstars and legends, like her […]
Time has not diluted the Cowboy Junkies’ dreamy mix of tempestuous torch songs and soup-for-the-soul soundscapes, but it has given it a naturally more seasoned feel and bittersweet bite that fans (and those who only knew their music in the ’80s and ’90s) should appreciate. The Canadian band’s latest reintroduces and reimagines one of their […]
The best concert albums bring home the excitement of the live experience. Though the songs might not sound as polished as the studio versions, live records present us with different iterations of music that have continued to gestate long after the producer has applied the finishing touches. On triple-live album Cornucopia Live, released October 24, […]
Rafael Toral’s most recent album, 2024’s Spectral Evolution, consisted of a single 42-minute track, divided into loose, flowing movements, but based on the chord changes of the Gershwin chestnut “I Got Rhythm.” On his follow-up, Traveling Light (October 24), the Portuguese guitarist works smaller, refashioning six jazz standards using his “space instruments”— electronic contraptions of […]
Instrumental music is not for everyone. Still, lots of creative people enjoy it when they seek a vibe but not a vocal that might distract from thought or focused actions–like writing music reviews. I’m writing this one while listening to guitar virtuoso John 5’s latest, Ghost, and while it’s not exactly haunting, it is a […]